Citroen Promises 2CV Successor by Year-End

PSA Peugeot Citroen confirms earlier reports that it will build a successor the iconic 2CV car it debuted shortly after World War II.

Citroen design chief Thierry Metroz tells the French Web site Caradisiac that the new five-door hatch, code named E3, will go into production in Madrid before the end of the year.

The car will use Citroen's C4 small-car platform and borrow many of its components from existing PSA vehicles. Engine options are likely to include a range of gasoline and diesel powerplants. Online Web site LeftLane says the car will be priced in Europe under $16,000.

The new model is a successor to the 2CV in spirit only. Metroz tells Caradisiac that the new car will bear no resemblance to the original "deux chevaux," a utilitarian car that remained in production for more than 40 years. He vows the E3 will have an entirely new and "timeless" design that should remain relatively unchanged for at least 10 years.

PSA's aim is to position the E3 as more refined than Renault SA's budget-priced Dacia Logan but considerably less expensive than the C4, Peugeot 308 or Ford Focus.