The DS3 ... without the Citroen Badge!
The new Citroen DS3 is Citroens answer to rival cars such as the Fiat 500, the Mini and the Seat Ibiza.
The Citroen DS3 was originally launched in 2010 and proved a massive success for Citroen, so in 2016 it became the first vehicle to shed the Citroen badge and become a part of the DS brand, PSA groups premium arm.
Engines Available
There are 6 engines on offer for the DS3. 4 of these are petrol engines beginning with the PureTech 82, next is the PureTech 110 S&S which is the most efficient petrol engine with 65.7mpg achievable and the lowest Co2 emissions of 100g/km. The third PureTech engine is the 130 S&S, the last petrol engine being the THP 165 S&S performance engine, which is the most powerful and the fastest, but also has the highest Co2 emissions of 129g/km and the lowest mpg of 50.4.
For those who prefer a diesel vehicle there are 2 options available. The BlueHDi 100 is the most fuel efficient of the DS3's with mpg up to 83.1 and the lowest Co2 emissions of 87g/km. The last engine in the DS3 line up is a slightly more powerful diesel engine with the BlueHDi 120.
Interior Features
Inside the DS3 is where it really starts to show its quality. Materials feel expensive throughout and although a compact car there is enough space for 5 adults. The DS3 has class leading boot space of 285 litres making it practical enough for families.
A 7" touchscreeen cones as standard across the DS3 range, capable of displaying everything on your phone screen and includes voice recognition to ensure hands-free operation.
Exterior Features
The outside of the DS3 has retained the features we know such as the floating roof, contrasting bodywork and roof finishes and the shark fin side pillar.
There are some updates to be seen though. Most notable is the shedding of the Citroen badge, but there are some other more subtle changes. The new grille has a chrome surround which merges into the headlights. DS are calling this the DS wings as the shape resembles that of a birds spread wings. The headlights themselves have also been updated with LED and Xenon technology now in use.
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There are more ways than ever to express yourself with 44 bodywork and roof combinations along with 9 roof stickers to choose from and a range of 15 alloy wheels.
Driver Aids
The Driver Aids available will vary from model to model depending on the trim level chosen, most can be ordered separately as an option.
- Reversing Camera
- Hill Start Assist
- Front and Rear Parking Sensors
- Active City Brake - this system uses a laser to monitor distance to the vehicle in front. If the distance is judged to be too small the brakes will automatically be applied to prevent a forward collision in speeds of up to 18mph.
- DS Connect Box - the SOS and assistance pack can call emergency services in the event of an accident and report your location.
Trim Levels
The DS3 is part of a premium brand so a high spec level can be expected from the entry level Chic, becoming increasingly more luxurious to Prestige model, or increasing more powerful with the Performance model.
Examples of the features expected at each trim level can be seen in the table below:
DS3 Trim Levels
| Chic | Connected Chic (in addition to Chic) | Performance Line (in addition to Connected Chic) | Prestige (in addition to Performance Line) | Performance (in addition to Connected Chic) | Performance Black (in addition to Performance) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16" black diamond cut alloy wheels | 17" diamond-cut black alloy wheels | 17" gloss black alloy wheels | Twin slash-cut chrome exhaust pipe | THP 208 S&S performance engine | Matt black paint with gloss gold bi-tone roof and door mirrors |
| Chrome exhaust pipe | Bi-tone body colour | Black contrast pack bi-tone roof colour | DS LED Vision with Xenon headlights | 18" black alloy wheels | Matt black door handles |
| 3D LED rear lights | LED front fog lights | Rear spoiler | Auto dimming rear view mirror | DS Performance sports suspension | Anthracite DS wings grille surround |
| Air conditioning | Automatic air conditioning | DS Performance stripe graphics | Electrically folding and heated door mirrors | Large-bore sports exhaust with twin tailpipes | Carbon side rubbing strips and bumper trim |
| Cruise control | Dark tinted rear windows | Performance Line badging | Auto lights | Brembo sports braking system | Front parking sensors |
| Speed limiter | DS Connect Box | Performance Line carpet mats | Auto windscreen wipers | Rear spoiler | Reversing camera |
| 7" colour touchscreen | Satellite navigation | Front parking sensors | Black wheel arch extensions | Active City Brake | |
| DAB radio | Mirror screen with Mirror Link and Apple CarPlay | Premium Nappa leather steering wheel | DS Performance badging | ||
| Bluetooth | Active City Brake | DS LED Vision with Xenon headlights | |||
| USB socket | Auto diumming rear view mirror | ||||
| Tyre pressure monitor | Auto lights |
DS3 Cabrio
The DS3 is now also available as a Cabrio. The folding roof can be opened to 3 different positions. The first is a partial open to half the width of the car, the second opens the full length of the vehicle, and the third opens the full length of the vehicle and the rear glass window retracts to provide the full convertible experience. The roof can be operated up to speeds of 70mph by the simple touch of a button, and takes only 16 seconds to reach the full convertible position.
Materials of high quality have been selected for use on the DS3 Cabrio to ensure the noise level inside the car is equivalent to the experience inside a fixed roof vehicle. To further ensure comfort, a wind deflector will pop up when the roof starts to open making sure you can feel the breeze through the car, but don't get blown away! Usually convertibles will weigh around 100kg more than the non-convertible equivalent, in the DS3 Cabrio, engineers have reduced this difference to 25kg, maintaining fuel efficiency and driving experience.
