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The big talking point of the all-new Citroen's DS3 is its styling. As with many previous Citroens, especially the famed DS series of 1955 that was decades ahead of its time, the 2010 Citroen DS3 defies convention and takes its own path.
Bystanders we reviewed during our week’s test of the new Citroen DS3 were all full of praise of the way the stylists have had a big go at something really different. That was despite the fact that ‘our’ Citroen was painted black, the colour least suited to the shape. That’s because the big talking point in the DS3 is the B-pillar with its bold upswept shape. In our test car the black paint tended to be swamped by the tinted windows. Give us a bright yellow or lime green any day, these shades highlight that bold B-pillar to perfection. In its favour the black paint on the test Citroen was nicely contrasted by the white roof.
There are plenty of ways to dress up the Citroen DS3 and it’s likely to become a work of automotive art if it falls into the right hands. You can select the DS3 with its body in a single colour, or why not try the roof in a different hue to the body? Even the door mirrors are available in several colours. Those who really want to make a statement will be aware the wheels can be selected in quite a few shades. Our black DS3 had black wheels to give it a stealth look.
Colours are only part of the automotive dress up story your Citroen can provide. The factory can provide decals to totally personalise the DS3. The interior of the Citroen DS3 we drove had an interesting white metallic look on the dashboard. That’s right, metallic, like cars of the past the retro look inside this Gallic fashion statement had metal instead of soft plastic. There is also a huge choice of interior fittings, trim materials and colours to complement the exterior shades of the stylish Citroen.
Call into your local Citroen dealer to get a full idea of the range of treatments on offer. The downside of the new DS3's body shape is that it makes the back seat on the tight side. Getting in and out isn’t easy and legroom is at a premium once you are in there. Some may find the thick and stylish B-pillar creates viewing hassles so if you plan to use a Citroen DS3 as a small-family car it makes sense to invite the little darlings along at initial road test stage.
Citroen builds a large selection of engines for this model, but Australia is restricted to two 1.6-litre four-cylinder engines at this time. Our test was of the Citroen DS3 D-Sport, with a turbocharged version of the engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. There’s also a naturally aspirated version of the engine with 88 kilowatts, which is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. This model is the Citroen DS3 D-Style. The 1.6 turbo engine is a real gem. It produces up to 240 Newton metres of torque across most of its rev range to provide lively acceleration with a minimum of turbo lag. Fuel consumption is amazingly low. On the motorways we had no trouble keeping it under six litres per hundred kilometres and even when used with a fair bit of spirit in around town driving it seldom go as high as eight litres per hundred.
These are fuel numbers that are down with the mid-range diesel models, but you don’t have the hassles of noise and smell that diesels can create. Citroen DS3's body has a pleasingly solid feel even on harsh backroads in the hills in the hinterland of the Gold Coast where we did a fair bit of our testing. The chassis has a nice supple feeling and the suspension helps the tyres grip with plenty of tenacity.
The handling of the little French car stays generally neutral as most of the front-drive characteristics have been tuned out of it. You wouldn't say it feels like a rear-driver when pushed hard, but it comes a lot closer than you would expect.
Ride comfort is very good, that’s due not only to the suspension’s tune and also because the seats have been correctly tailored and sprung. Indeed, the Citroen DS3 really does live up to the claim that on the inside if feels like a car from the next class upwards in size. Anyone looking for style that’s not only away from the ordinary, but also able to be modified to their own demanding requests should certainly have a very close look to this pretty new Citroen DS3 very closely.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
DS3 D-Style 1.6-litre three-door hatch: $32,990 (automatic)
DS3 D-Sport 1.6-litre three-door hatch: $35,990 (manual)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in both models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in DStyle, not offered in DSport
Cruise Control: Standard in both models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in both models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in both models
Electronic Stability Program: Standard in both models
Rear Parking Sensors: Not offered
Reversing Camera: Not offered
USB/Auxiliary Audio Inputs: USB optional, Auxiliary standard in both models
Satellite Navigation: Not offered
Bluetooth: Optional
Steering Wheel Mounted Controls: Not offered
SPECIFICATIONS (Citroen DS3 D-Sport 1.6-litre three-door hatch)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.598 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 77.0 mm x 85.0 mm
Maximum Power: 115 kW @ 4600 rpm
Maximum Torque: 240 Nm @ 1400-4000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Six-speed (DSport)
Automatic Transmission: Four-speed (DStyle)
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 3948 mm
Wheelbase: 2464 mm
Width (with mirrors): 1994 mm
Height: 1483 mm
Turning Circle: 10.4 metres
Kerb Mass: 1165 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 50 litres
Towing Ability: 570 kg (1150 kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Pseudo MacPherson struts
Rear Suspension: Flexible rear axle
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 7.3 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.7 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km |
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