Citroen plans to debut its new DS3 at the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show. The DS, for Different Spirit, marks the Parisian company’s first noteworthy foray into the luxury compact segment. With its sights set on the best-selling Mini Cooper and competitive Volvo C30, the DS3 is defined by its unique look and innumerable customizable options. At first glance, one cannot help but notice the color-contrasted roof and shark-fin B-pillars; LED lighting frames the grille of the car and is a nice touch as well. A total of five powerplants will be offered (2 diesel, in addition to 3 BMW-engineered petrol engines) as well as a bevy of techstuff. The DS3 seems to be a different spirit, indeed, and it looks like the engineers in France put a lot of work into this project. By getting away from the mass-produced people-movers and relatively generic executive sedans, Citroen has reminded us that they were responsible for the original DS, which shocked the auto industry with its revolutionary design in 1955 and was immediately heralded for its design. While the DS3 isn’t going to start a revolution, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
More images of the 2011 Citroen DS3 after the jump.
Source: Net Car Show
