Motorsport: Citroen reveals 2017 car

The new C3 Citroen WRC car.

Citroen has launched its 2017 World Rally Championship car at a function in Abu Dhabi overnight.

The C3 WRC will get its first official competition test at the season-opening Monte Carlo rally in mid-January.

Brit Kris Meeke will spearhead the French manufacturer's challenge while Craig Breen and Stephane Lefebrve will also be behind the wheel of the factory Citroens.

Citroen returns to the WRC fulltime in 2017 after stepping away to develop their new car in 2016.

Team principal Yves Matton told Autosport Citroen's return to the WRC was prompted by its three-year World Touring Car Championship commitment ending, the launch of a new C3 and the FIA's WRC rules revamp for 2017.

"The C3 matched the definition perfectly and everything just fell into place," he said.

"This coming together of circumstances will help Citroen make the most of its involvement in motorsport.

"The timing was such that our development schedule was more compact than on any of our previous programmes.

"Even with our substantial experience, we couldn't afford to lose any time in designing and developing the car.

"The team's know-how ensured we were able to rack up the miles without any serious issues.

"Without this expertise, we would have been unable stick to the schedule."