Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
DS AUTOMOBILES IS the new premium arm of Citroen. This means that the Citroen DS 3 of old is now just the DS 3 – and it competes in the premium supermini segment against the likes of the Audi A1 and MINI.
The DS 3 starts at €21,345. But this test car was the Prestige model, powered by a 130hp 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. It will cost you €30,745.
The DS 3 is a very stylish car with plenty of interesting exterior design elements that catch the eye – including a floating roof, two-tone body and roof colours, side body line with a shark fin and chrome accents on the sides and surrounding the grille.
My favourite part of the exterior is the vertically stacked daytime running lights and the funky 3D LED rear lights. They make the car look even more snazzy.
Inside, the cabin is just as fashionable with plenty of glossy surfaces, soft-touch plastics and soft leather.
The front seats are large and seriously comfortable, with a good amount of adjustment. The seats in the test car were finished in a rich Nappa leather with ‘watch strap’ stitching, which gave the cabin a very classy feel – but that is a €2,500 option.
All-round visibility is great thanks in part to the far back B-pillar but this does limit visibility for rear passengers and makes the back a little dark.
Rear parking sensors come as standard and the €250 optional reversing camera is a nice added extra but unnecessary in a car this small with such good visibility.
There is quite a lot of leg and headroom for those riding up front but although there are three seat belts in the back it is a tight squeeze for three adults back there. Having said that, rear seat passengers will have more leg room in the DS 3 than the MINI and more headroom than the Audi A1.
The boot is nice and large though with a 285-litre capacity with the seats up. This is bigger than the MINI’s 210 litres and the Audi A1′s 270 litres.
The cabin features a seven-inch touch screen (standard on both trims), from where most of the car’s functions are operated. However, the air-con controls are placed underneath this, as are the stereo volume buttons.
This is quite confusing and a little annoying, as the stereo is operated via the touchscreen or buttons on a stalk hidden away behind the steering wheel. Furthermore, when you turn off the heating the ambient lights on the heating and volume controls go out, so you are left fumbling around in the dark to try and find the buttons.
The other aspect that lets the cabin down for me is the lack of storage. There is only a small glovebox, narrow door bins down around your ankles, a small space under the volume controls, a narrow space in the armrest… and there are no cup holders. Not one.
But for me, those little gripes disappeared once I started driving. You see, the DS 3 offers a decent, mature ride and although it looks like a city car, it feels at home on windy country roads and motorways, too.
The 1.2-litre 130hp engine is a pretty perky performer and delivers 230Nm of torque from just 1,750rpm and supplies generous amounts of torque over a broad powerband. This, combined with the long throw manual transmission, means quick starts, easy overtaking and being able to let the car rev a little bit longer than normal.
I really like the suspension set-up too as it is a little taut. The car handles really well, too and is surefooted and confident on corners. And I liked how weighted the steering felt. It has a nice bit of give and feedback, and isn’t too light as some small cars tend to be – and yet it is still easy to manoeuvre.
Is this the right car for you?
If you are looking for a car with lots of character and good value for money in terms of spec but storage isn’t that much of an issue for you then the DS 3 could be the car for you.
However, if you are just after a car that’s really fun to drive, with a great chassis and engines and you don’t care about passenger or cargo space then take the MINI Cooper for a test drive.
Want a car that is light and easy to drive, comes well specced and you have a bit more money to spend? Then check out the Audi A1.
If you need something cheaper but still has character and personalisation options, then check out the Opel Adam.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
GREAT IDEA.
Once they’re aware all these projects in Ireland will come in 100% OVER budget and late
And who is going to do the work?
We don’t have enough builders to build desperately needed houses as it is without syphoning off more of them for retrofitting.
I’m not suggesting climate change isn’t real but unfortunately homelessness is a greater crisis at the moment.
All grants for retrofitting should be paused for at least a decade.
@P.J. Nolan: you are on here every day claiming there isn’t builders. I’ve had to set you straight about 5 times now. Also people who are retrofitting insulation will be completely different to the ones building housing, it’s not done by insulation companies it’s done by the dry lining or carpentry crews and the externals by either the brick layers or cladding crews. And even then it’s usually the labourers or apprentices doing it
@Martin Mongan:
And as I have asked you before, if there is no shortage why do SF say it will at least 10 years to sort out the housing crisis?
They are right, it will, at least.
@P.J. Nolan: because it takes time to build something….? Do you think we just click our fingers and houses pop up? Do you understand the processes you have to go through to even just buy the land, nevermind the design and planning stage. Ground works alone can take more then a year depending on the size
@P.J. Nolan: well Intel’s big job is slowly wrapping up so that’ll free up workers
@Martin Mongan: well we have 100k of Ukrainians and at least 12k/ year of IPAS applicants all on the scratcher. Maybe if we trained them they might build a few.
@Thomas Hayes: they’d have to legally allowed work first
They couldn’t give a flying retrofit about the homeless or those with homes for that matter.Those that rely on fossil fuel will continue to be taxed and penalised.
@Patrick Presley: Who is they?
Trust in the EU machine being eroded fast across eu citizens. Changing times indeed.
@Mike 100: Is it? Source? Or just a warm fuzzy feeling in your pants?
How do you retrofit a tent for homeless people who can’t afford a roof over their heads because rental prices are too high or people who look at an empty fridge for the same reason?
The dynamics of society are volatile as ideologues chase conceptual rainbows of climate change modelling and act out solutions that have nothing to do with planetary climate.
The emergence of the maga crowd in the USA is no accident in reaction to an equally vacuous and pretentious group that dominates an educational, cultural and social-political clique.
26 years is plenty of time for this plan to go nowhere, as happens with a lot of these grandiose, long-term schemes. That means, of course, that large sums of money will inevitably change hands in the meantime, with several fortunes no doubt being made. Most of those involved will have long retired or passed away by 2050. Ciarán Cuffe will be 87. There’ll be no one left around to explain how the plan just sort of petered out with very little to show for it. That’s assuming there’s still an EU in 26 years, and I would have some doubts in that regard. Times and attitudes change, and no treaty lasts forever…
The biggest issue is energy generation. Increase the use of nuclear power and close down coal generation. This is the main cause of emissions. Once our energy generation is carbon neutral then run the transport system of it and over half emmisons will dissappear. But no. It will be taxes and restrictions on individuals instead .
better make it 2 trillion cos once it comes to Ireland everything will be 100%+ over budget
Looking forward to learning more about this at the upcoming ZEB Summit
I’ll send them on my address for the retrofit seeing it’s like a half way house here anyway !!
Green building plan .
Held shares in 6 oil companies.
That does not sound like a green plan to me .
Green party are full of bull.
have your say