ROAD TEST CITROËN DS3:CAN YOU HARK back to history and dismiss the past in the same breath? That's what Citroën seem intent on doing with the DS3.
Here is a car that in one fell swoop claims to harness the innovative principles of a 1960s legend and at the same time be something completely different. Some would say that’s what innovation is all about. Smart thinking then from the Chevron brand. Yet when you saddle a car with the moniker of a previous motoring icon, it needs to espouse that innovative DNA. If not, it’s likely to fall flat on its face.
So is this just a cynical marketing take on the C3? Yes and no. In many ways this is the car the C3 supermini should have been. It’s tauter and more passionate than its regular sibling, but perhaps less practical given its three-door format.
It offers a much more stylised alternative to the regular fare as well, with so many colour combinations on offer the firm claims you are unlikely to encounter an identical version to your own. An ambitious boast that probably doesn’t take into account the fact that most small car owners in Ireland are not as adventurous in their colour choices as car designers would hope. Expect to see mostly red DS3s with white roofs on Irish roads.
It doesn’t take an avid petrolhead to see what Citroën are trying to do here: this car is completely focused on stealing the market share from Mini. Many have tried, few have succeeded. Citroën itself has got a few corpses in its ranks from previous failed attempts at this – remember the C3 Pluriel?
Perhaps that’s why they have delved into the history books this time. Perhaps they hope to add some heritage to what, in many ways, is just another small car trying to be funky.
There are some nice touches to the new car. The LED strips on the front and the various interior trims are fetching, adding some much-needed character to the car. The engine range isn’t quite littered with potent performers, but a high powered 150bhp petrol engine is on the way and a hotter “Racing” version will be available to order.
In terms of handling, the car is much sharper than the regular C3. Steering is nicely weighted and positive but the downside is a firmer ride. On typical Irish roads it can be bumpy and a little jarring. In its defence, it’s similar to the trade-off many Mini Cooper owners encounter, but if you’re a newcomer to these hot superminis then you may find it all a bit harsh. That’s particularly the case at lower speeds on badly surfaced roads and like its Mini counterpart, at speeds of 60km/h or above, the car actually seems to cope better with the bumps.
The 1.6-litre diesel engine in the test car was potent enough, if not quite as racy as its Mini rival. It pulls away well in lower gears, albeit with plenty of engine whine, but it never sets your pulse racing in ways that you would expect from its more aggressive looks. Nor is it as nimble as the smaller Fiat 500, which in the Abarth format is a hoot to drive. The Fiat is yet another model to head down the heritage trail after Mini.
The DS3’s widened b-pillars enhance the look but make little difference in terms of practicality. Its three-door format does make it more difficult to slip in and out of the back seat, but legroom is ample, particularly in the front passenger seat, where we suspect the designers took some inspiration from the likes of the Toyota IQ – the glovebox has been pushed forward and sculpted which makes it far more spacious for the passenger than its outer shell would suggest.
Overall, the interior is a good attempt to match the Mini but it lacks the character and charm of its rival, while coming nowhere near the build quality of a rival like the Audi A1. We also had niggling issues with the pedals, which were clustered too close together for our comfort.
The overriding problem for Citroën is that this car doesn’t represent anything more than a Mini rival that’s been badged as a DS without much thought towards leveraging that heritage to full effect. On the one hand, Citroën want to break free from the chains of the avant garde. On the other, they hope to draw on the heritage and high esteem with which the DS lettering is held in motoring circles.
DS stood for innovation and invention. It was a pioneer. But this new iteration doesn’t really break any new ground, meaning you’re left with one niggling question: where is the DS DNA in all this? If you’re not going to live up to the ideals of the old model then what’s the point of inviting comparison?
Credit where it’s due though, the designers at Citroën have done a great job once more. The public might not always appreciate their efforts, but they are the heroes of the brand at present, the people who keep the Chevron shining. Whatever goodwill exists towards the brand, it’s down to the design team who are regarded by their peers as amongst the best in the business. The engineering prowess remains some way behind. Even further down the ranks come the bigwigs who have led the brand.
Citroën has a remarkably strong small car pedigree and heritage to tap – the 2CV for example – and in an age when utility and function dominate small car buyer behaviour, ahead of bluster and bling, surely they could be pioneering the way with a car that’s affordable, functional and fun. Customers across Europe are crying out for such a car. Such a car that would capture the motoring zeitgeist and would be worthy of the DS name. This is not it.
IF THE INNOVATIONis to come through personalisation from the colour palate, then Citroën need reminding of a host of previous cars that have offered a similar customer service without setting the car world alight. It's a marketing fudge that's probably driven by a desire to capture some Mini sales and hoping that a retro badge might give it the sort of retro credibility the German-owned British brand has milked so well. But Mini has all the boxes ticked: small car pedigree and retro-cool links to the London scene of the "swinging 60s".
What does the DS have? Links to a revolutionary 1960s luxury car mostly remembered by the non-motoring masses as the luxury liner transport for Charles de Gaulle and a host of central African despots.
At least they have created a car that can finally harness the goodwill generated from the firm’s rallying achievements. It’s about time, for Citroën has run a fantastic rally team that blew away the opposition and sent other manufacturers scurrying off the roads, all the time without a single model variant that fitted the racing pedigree. Thankfully the DS3 – and its racing version – finally fits the rally spirit. Better late than never.
Admittedly that’s all an aside to the car itself, or at least to anyone considering a purchase. For them they’ll find a competent competitor to the Mini. The problem is that while it equals the Mini in many practical and motoring respects, it doesn’t yet have the kudos to topple it.
The Mini still has more character than its French rival, while the Fiat 500 has more quirky charm and head-turning appeal. It’s a great little car that needed something revolutionary, something distinctively different from its rivals, to really make its mark. That’s what the DS had and why this car is an alternative to the Mini rather than its superior.
Factfile
Citroen DS3 1.6HDi
Engine: 1560cc four-cylinder turbodiesel engine putting out 91bhp @ 4,000rpm and 230Nm of torque @ 2,000rpm with a five-speed manual transmission
0-100km/h: 11.3 secs
L/100km (mpg): urban – 4.9 (57.6); extra-urban – 3.4 (83.1); combined –4.0 (70.6)
Emissions: 104g/km
Bootspace: 285 litres
Specification: ABS with EBD and emergency brake assistance; ESP stability control; dual front, lateral and curtain airbags; cruise control with speed limiter; remote central locking; radio/CD with six speakers; leather steering wheel; Halogen headlamps; scented air freshener. DStyle adds 16 alloys; air-con; interior mood lighting; LED diodes; and contrasting body/roof colour
Price: €21,500
The Rivals
Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.3 JTDm-2 Lusso
Bhp: 94
Torque: 200Nm
0-100km/h: 11.6 secs
Bootspace: 270 litres
L/100km (mpg): 4.3 (65.7)
Emissions: 112g/km
Motor tax: €104
Price: €19,995
Audi A1 1.6 TDI
Bhp: 103
Torque: 250Nm
0-100km/h: 10.5 secs
Bootspace: 270-920 litres
L/100km (mpg): 4.0 (70.6)
Emissions: 105g/km
Motor tax: €104
Price: €21,500
Mini CooperD
Bhp: 107
Torque: 240Nm
0-100km/h: 9.9 secs
Bootspace: 160-680 litres
L/100km (mpg): 3.9 (72.4)
Emissions: 104g/km
Motor tax: €104
Price: €25,350
Fiat 500 1.4 16v Lounge
Bhp: 99
Torque: 131Nm
0-100km/h: 10.5 secs
Bootspace: 185 litres
L/100km (mpg): 5.8 (48.7)
Emissions: 135g/km
Motor tax: €156
Price: €16,695