DS 3 guide

The revival of Citroen's DS badge started with the DS 3. Initially sold as the Citroen DS3, before DS was separated from the company in 2016 as its own luxury brand (and the car was then simply called the DS 3), this upmarket three-door supermini offered a plush cabin, plenty of personalisation and engines that ranged from efficient diesels to potent petrol units.

With its posh supermini edge, the DS 3 can be seen as an alternative to the likes of the MINI hatch, the Audi A1, Opel Adam, Fiat 500 and higher-spec versions of the Volkswagen Polo and Peugeot 208, and also possibly the Citroen C3, a car sharing engines and running gear with the DS 3, but has a more practical five-door body.

What's it like?

The Citroen DS3 was launched as a more upmarket alternative to the Citroen C3. It came as a three-door hatchback or the open-topped DS3 Cabrio. The latter wasn't a pure convertible like a MINI, but instead had a roll-back roof with fixed side windows, like the Fiat 500C.

Petrol and diesel engines were offered, with the diesels offering exceptional economy. These were badged HDi in 90hp and 110hp guises, or the later BlueHDi introduced in 2014 was a 120hp unit. All of these were of 1.6-litre capacity, with a five-speed manual gearbox for the 90hp engines and six-speed units for the rest.

The petrol options included the underpowered 82hp 1.2 VTi with a five-speed manual, or a 1.4 four-cylinder VTi with 95hp and a six-speed manual. The PureTech 110 and 130 turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engines introduced in 2015 and 2016 packed more punch but with similar fuel economy to the VTi, while at the top of the range, the 1.6 THP turbocharged four-cylinder came with 155hp in the standard line-up, while the DS3 Racing was a special edition of around 2,500 models Europe-wide with a 207hp version of the same engine and unique colours, including a black car with orange accents. Later, a 210hp model was also offered.

While the DS 3 looks quite stylish and sporty, it's not as much fun to drive as a MINI, for example, but the diesels are good for economical cruising.

Which model to go for?

There aren't many DS3s for sale when compared with its contemporaries, and those that are available are varied in their specification because of the assorted trims and personalisation options on offer.

Heavy depreciation should mean that high-spec versions offer decent value, with specs such as DStyle, DSign and DSport available. Plus packs add extra equipment to these versions, while a number of limited-edition models were offered, too. High-spec Ultra Prestige cars had funky 'watch strap' style leather seats that were especially plush.

The switch to DS as a separate brand also introduced a facelift for the DS 3, while more equipment was thrown in, too.

Does anything go wrong?

Pay special attention to any 1.2 PureTech-powered DS3, because the engine's timing belt runs in oil, and if the incorrect oil is used in the engine, the belt can disintegrate, resulting in timing belt failure and a costly repair. This doesn't affect the chain-driven 1.6 THP, the non-turbo petrol engines or the diesels.

Recalls for the DS3 include bulletins covering the airbags, excess wear of the timing belt, damage to the brake vacuum pump, loose front suspension bolts, turbocharger oil leaks, more brake system issues, battery connection and a loose front subframe. Check with a main dealer that a potential purchase doesn't have any outstanding recalls against it.