The new Citreon DS3 has an individualistic design

I always find it mildly disquieting when a large established company feels the need for a rebrand. It generally suggests there is something intrinsically wrong with the brand and indicates that radical change is necessary to turn things round.

Sat, 31 Oct, 2015 - 00:00

In the case of Citroën, the introduction of the DS Automobiles brand across most market segments indicated that the company’s recent dumbing-down of its core products had not had the desired effect in sales terms and that something else was needed to breathe new life into its products.

Bad enough that the great French marque was now aiming to lock horns with the Asian hordes invading Europe, but reinventing a classic Citroën icon to mask management failings smacked, frankly, of desperation.

It may be that, in time, the likes of the DS3 (which we test here), the DS4, and the DS5 will prove to be winners among the buying public, but I’d reserve judgment on that one. For the moment anyway.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the DS3 — quite the opposite in fact — but if Citroën was confident enough in its existing products, this car and its new DS siblings would surely not be necessary. That does not appear to be the case.

Anyway the car at hand is an obvious attempt to cash in on the boom across Europe which was presaged by Mini and quickly aped by Fiat with the 500, Audi with the A1, and most recently by Opel with the Adam. The key to the success of these cars has been the ability of their youthful clientele to personalise them to a greater or lesser degree. The DS3 is now trying to get in on the act.

Although based on the C3, the DS3 is marked out by its individualistic design cues such as the ‘shark fin’ B-pillar, the front LED lights, and the sexy black alloys. There is something of a curiosity in the overall design, however, as the front grille and bonnet manages to incorporate the old Citroën double chevron identification, as well as the new DS badging.

You’d have thought that if they were intent on bringing in a new identity, they’d have ditched the old branding. But then, what do I know?

As a driving proposition the DS3 is actually a very nice car. It is quite different from the squishy C3 in that dynamic ability rather than absolute comfort is at the head of the priority list and that the driving experience is therefore all the more rewarding. It is a well-balanced little car with few apparent handling vices.

One of its main strong points though is the three-cylinder turbocharged petrol ‘PureTech’ engine, which is a little gem that has oodles of grunt with little effort. It will rev freely, and to way beyond 6,000 rpm, if you’re feeling frisky. The 110 bhp on offer is on the money here, giving a nice power to weight ratio.

Top speed is just over 190km/h and the sub-ten-second 0-100km/h time is impressive enough, but this little engine just keeps on delivering and occasionally you will look at the speedo and realise you’re doing waaaay over the limit without even noticing. That’s a credit to engine and chassis.

A good drive then and while the dynamics are impressive, I have to say I liked the interior décor as well. The imaginatively styled dashboard is a treat to live with. Boot space is good, although the same could not be said of the room in the back. It’s quite tight in there, but that should not particularly bother the majority of buyers at whom this car is aimed.

It’s a good little car which is stealthily chipping away at the established class leaders here. Quite why Citroën had to reinvent the C3 as the DS3 is something of a mystery. If they knew they had this much potential to exploit, why didn’t they do it right from the get-go?

Ah, the great mysteries of life.