C3 Picasso to make debut in Paris

Citroen has revealed it will be debuting its new baby-MPV, the C3 Picasso, at next month's Paris Motor Show.

It will be the first public appearance for the vehicle, with a 2009 UK launch planned for 2009.

Citroen hopes the new C3 Picasso will sit well with the company's other brands, such as the Xsara and C4 Picasso.

The C3 Picasso will measure 4.08 metres long, 1.73 metres wide and 1.62 metres tall, with a cube-like body shape, short front end and vertical rear.

Split-folding rear seats slide back and forth independently to offer increased boot volume and rear legroom.

The boot will offer 500 litres of space under the parcel shelf, with it being one of the biggest in its segment.

With the rear bench down, this capacity is increased to 1,506 litres.

Soundproofing is being used to reduce the higher pitched sounds that from outside the vehicle that might interfere with the in-car acoustics.

The vehicle is alos sealed with high performance inflated inserts and double sealing around the body apertures, cutting outside noise substantially.

Citroen's new NaviDrive system will feature a seven-inch colour widescreen, the latest Europe-wide satellite navigation software with live traffic updates, MP3/WMA-compatible CD player and a Bluetooth hands-free kit.

iPods can also be connected via an auxiliary jack.