Paris LIVE: Citroen reveals DS3 Cabrio

The convertible DS3 features a Fiat 500C-like roof.

After countless rumors, leaks and spy pictures, Citroen has finally unveiled the topless version of the popular DS3 premium hatchback at the Paris Motor Show.

Dubbed DS3 Cabrio, the car is aimed squarely at the Fiat 500C so it is no coincidence that it is equipped with a similar soft top. Instead of being a full convertible, the Cabrio's door pillars and rear side windows stay in place and only the roof panel retracts. Citroen says that the soft top adds merely 55 pounds to the DS3's weight and that it can be electronically opened or closed at speeds of up to 75 mph. It can be set to three pre-programmed positions that range from a sunroof-sized opening to the full top stowed away above the trunk lid.

Roof aside, the only visible difference between the DS3 Cabrio and the regular DS3 hatchback is an extra piece of trim mounted on the trunk lid.

In entry-level trim, the DS3 Cabrio will be powered by PSA's all-new three-cylinder gasoline engine which is rated at 82 horsepower and 87 lb-ft. of torque thanks to a small turbocharger. The DS3 Cabrio's other engines will include two gasoline engines developed jointly by PSA and BMW as well as a 92-horsepower turbodiesel unit.

Scheduled to hit showrooms across Europe in early 2013, the DS3 Cabrio will be built in Poissy, France, in a factory that once belonged to the long-defunct Simca brand. Pricing information will be released closer to its launch.

Live images by Ronan Glon.