The World Rally Championship is preparing to embark on a new era, with new regulations mandating a new crop of cars. And Citroën isn’t about to sit this one out and let Volkswagen keep racking up the wins.

Before the VW Polo R came along, the French marque was the dominant force in the WRC, winning an unprecedented nine consecutive drivers’ championships with Sebastien Loeb behind the wheel, and eight constructors’ titles over the course of ten years. Following earlier victories in the Xsara and C4, the most recent of those wins were achieved in the DS3, but now that’s being put to pasture as well.

In its place, Citroën Racing is preparing to introduce a new rally machine based on the forthcoming new C3, and has taken the year off from competition to focus on the new equipment. The C3 represents Citroën’s rival to the likes of the likes of the Ford Fiesta, VW Polo, and Toyota Yaris – all of which are poised to bear new rally versions as well. With the DS brand now standing separate from Citroën under the PSA umbrella, it’s Chevron marque has pressed the new C3 into service to regain its former glory on the rally stage.

Since the production hatchback has yet to be revealed, the whole car is still shrouded in camouflage. But it looks set to adopt a similar front-end design to the smaller C1, with a high and narrow grille opening above round headlights set out at the corners. Beyond that it’s hard to garner much from the shape depicted in the photos and video below, festooned as it is with aerodynamic appendages, flared fenders and air scoops. But it’s fun to watch Kris Meeke, former winner of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and last year’s WRC Rally Argentina, fling the new prototype around in the dirt in Portugal in the latest video below… just as he did in France in the last one.

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