By 1994, the Citation II and S/II had been in production for 10 years, and it was time to integrate a new technology. Cessna thus announced the development of the Citation Bravo. While it was built on the basic S/II airframe, the new aircraft was powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW530A engines. The main landing gear was replaced by the smoother-riding trailing link configuration adopted by other members of the Citation line, and the standard avionics suite was updated to the Honeywell Primus 1000 EFIS glass cockpit. ​

The new aircraft first flew on April 25, 1995, but certification did not come for over a year, finally being granted in August, 1996. Production of the Bravo finally ceased in late 2006 after 337 copies were produced.