Citroen DS3 test

CITROEN DS3
We’ve been waiting for this one. This is Citroen’s answer to the Mini, Alfa Romeo’s Mito and the Fiat 500, this is the DS3.



In contrast to the others, for Citroen, the DS isn’t a trip down memory lane but rather an attempt to create a contemporary parallel range of cars to its existing catalogue.



The French carmaker successfully proposes a stylish and trendy car to an upper middle class cliental that can be personalized to an individual customer’s taste.

The DS is not just fun to drive it is addictive. Using the touch screen you can access a programme that will guide you through the smallest of options.

You can choose your own bodywork and roof colour as well as the wheels and even the colours and materials used for the seats and dashboard. There are a choice of options packages from adhesives to personalising everything form the roofline to floor mats. In the end you can create a different DS3 than your neighbour. But beware, the end price can increase quickly.


For Citroen this is both a simple and complex affair that had to be gotten right straight out of the box. The design and quality of materials used is spot on. The interior is cosy, with a youthful even hip style, with its round gauges that match the colour of the bodywork. Thumbs up for Citroen on this front.




If you listen to what is being said on the street, the design team have created quite a nifty little car. It has a very agreeable line from the top of the roof line to the bottom of the bodywork, but it also has a touch of sport to it as you can see with the enveloping bumpers, which are not hard to notice or appreciate.

The radiator grill is unmistakably Citroen but the side air intakes and led lights are a smart departure. You wouldn’t be wrong in saying that the DS3 is both chic and aggressive.



What we can say abut the DS3, and all the better, is that you can easily sense its resemblance to the rest of the PSA line of cars as soon as you turn the key.

This test car is powered by a 150 brake horsepower 1.6-litre THP engine. For sure this will not be the best sold version but, and it must be noted, it is one of the best engines currently on the market. There’s no need to climb through the rpms, it has more than enough torque through a nice and wide rev band…it is silky smooth but also powerful…acceleration is there and it never seems to suffer. The six-speed gearbox is more than up to the job, but it does stick just a little when going from one gear to the next.

Citroen has don a lot of work on in the area of engine noise, focusing primarily on the materials used for the windscreen and windows and the result is impressive but you can still enjoy the sweet wound coming from the exhaust pipes.

The high end ‘Sport Chic’ finish comes with 17-inch wheels that don’t damper comfort too much. But this should come as now surprise, for a long time now PSA has been an industry leader in terms of comfort. Its road handling is as near perfect as it gets. The only drawback is the braking aid that is just a bit too present for our taste, which is just a little unnerving at slow speeds.



With the look of a compact and handling of a top sedan, the DS3 is making a big splash onto the scene. It could be the next big thing, why not with its reasonable sticker price and multitude of options. But the competition has, until now, had a lock on the market

Who is the DS 3 looking to take on then? There are several with the biggest being the German entry with a heavy does of jolly old England, the Mini. The Mini has it all, charm, style, allure and even seduction. The Mini is all about nostalgia and wants everyone to take notice of its 50 years of existence.



Clearly, it must be admitted that the DS3 could seriously knock the Mini of its pedestal. With Minis almost everything is allowed or forgiven. The DS3 will be most certainly be put under the microscope and thus has no margin for error. Will the fact that it can be personalized, handles far better and comes with a far superior interior be enough?

The Alfa Romeo Mito will be the easiest challenger for the DS3 to conquer. Now available in the Multi-Air version, the Alfa does have arguments in its favour but it isn’t the chameleon the DS3 is.

Then there is the other retro-style challenger, the Fiat 500. All on its own, the 500 is in the midst of saving Fiat. It is a fun, colourful little car with an interior that will remind some of the original 500 that was a best seller. Its size won’t be enough to rival the DS3 but perhaps its philosophy and standing will. Time will only tell.

With a base price of €15,400, the DS 3 is ready to battle for market share in one of the more hotly contested segments.