Citroen gets personal with DS3

Jan 25 2010 Chris Russon

WITH a flourish of French flair Citroen is on a mission to rival the great British MINI.

The new Citroen DS3 is a car which can be virtually anything you want.

A myriad of personal options, vivid colour schemes and decal patterns make the DS an individual style statement on wheels.

Citroen claims it is almost impossible for any two of its new trendsetters to be the same.

Priced from £11,700, the DS3 goes on sale on February 15.

At entry level it is slightly more expensive than a MINI but fully fashioned out with all the options it will top out at around £19,000.

Insurance costs are comparable with the MINI and Citroen is introducing a three year maintenance pack covering all repair costs including servicing, tyres and parts for less than a £1,000.

It makes the DS3 the new 'must have' lifestyle vehicle aimed at those who want to cut a dash and don't mind paying for it.

The DS3 looks more flamboyant than a MINI, its style emphasised on higher grade models by vertical LED strips which flank the wide open mouthed front grille.

The door pillar is shaped like a shark fin while the window line creates the illusion of a floating roof.

Factor in the likes of 38 different rood designs, 12 wheel types and seven interior finishes and the exclusivity stacks up.

From outlandish polka dot roof decals to zebra stripes and two-tone paint jobs, any DS3 is always going to stand out from the crowd.

Its name comes from the original Citroen DS which was conceived in the mid-1950s and was so advanced for its time it was voted the most important car of the last century.

Nevertheless Citroen says the new DS is not a nostalgia vehicle and describes it as anti-retro.

Although styled to be totally different it is based on Citroen's latest C3 supermini and will be available with a choice of three petrol engines and two diesels.

Coincidentally the petrol engines are the same as those fitted in the MINI and developed jointly by BMW and Citroen's parent PSA.

Power outputs vary from 95 to 150bhp while the diesel engines deliver 90 and 110.

An eco model using the lower powered diesel will be exempt from road tax with CO2 emissions of 99g/km while a stop/start system will be added to the DS3 range later in the year - the same time as an automatic version will be available.

The top specification DS3 - the DSport priced from £15,900 - is a potent performer.

Suspension and steering have been tuned to make it highly responsive - a characteristic it must possess to compete with the MINI's go kart-like handling.

On the road the DS3 is exceptionally well composed. It delivers a rewarding drive - nicely balanced with enough power on demand.

Top speed is a claimed 133mph while 0 to 60 acceleration from the 1.6-litre turbo engine is 7.3 seconds. Average fuel consumption is 42.1mpg and emissions of 155 put it in the £150 year tax band.

That's not quite up to MINI Cooper credentials - which uses the same engine - but the DS3 is some £2,500 cheaper.

It also sounds nice and meaty from the exhaust but road rumble and wind noise is low thanks to thick window glass and good roof lining.

All versions of the DS3 - badged DSign, DStyle and DSport - are fitted with electronic stability controls, cruise control and a speed limiter.

The car is slightly bigger than a MINI, a five seater and can carry more luggage with a 285 litre boot which can be stretched to 980 litres with the rear seats folded.

Inside it is as smart as it is out with a high quality of finish. Even the instrumentation and controls have been turned into style statements with back illumination and glossy appearances.

With personal touches which go down to differing wheel hubs, door mirrors and even key fobs and mats the DS3 is bound to be a hit with the auto fashionistas - and there is more to come.

Citroen is already planning DS versions of its other popular models, the C4 and C5 saloon, which are slated to arrive in the coming months.