Citroen is developing a new VW Golf and Ford Focus rival

Citroen has confirmed that it is developing a brand-new C-segment hatchback which will go on sale towards the end of 2020.

In an attempt to build on six consecutive years of growth in European sales, a proper rival for the continent’s best-seller – the VW Golf – is an absolute no-brainer. 

Citroen took the standard C4 hatch quietly off sale back in 2018, but at the same time it also toned down the brilliantly-oddball C4 Cactus to try and fill the gap. The plan was to make the funky crossover-type thing more attractive to hatchback buyers, the reality was a former class hero with a slight identity crisis.

Product and Strategy Director Laurence Hansen confirmed that the new car would be offered with a choice of petrol, diesel and fully-electric powertrains from launch later this year. She also said that it would feature a “neo-silhouette” and “more assertive styling”. Make of that what you will.

As ever with Citroen, there will be a major focus on comfort, and CEO Vincent Cobée said the company was embracing the option of electric-power for that very reason. “Electrification is much more than a regulatory obligation,” he said. “Electrification is an opportunity to go up a level in terms of comfort in transport.”

Here’s hoping that, among all this comfort chat, there’s still room for a performance version though. We’d love a hot hatch to evoke memories of the AX GTi and Saxo VTS. And yeah, we know it’ll probably never happen and both of those were smaller hatches anyway, but Citroen has already told us that there won’t be a hot C3. Let us dream, people.