What is it?
With the DS 3 hatchback not long for this world, the last physical ties between the DS brand and parent Citroën are almost cut.
The DS 7 Crossback was the first stand-alone model unique to the luxury-tilting DS marque and set out its stall with a distinctive cabin and an exterior that caught the eye. Now the DS 3 Crossback is here to take the fight to a bigger audience, albeit still a somewhat niche one.
The small premium crossover segment may be relatively small beans, but it is dominated by two big hitters in the shape of the Mini Countryman and Audi Q2 – and now the Volkswagen T-Roc is starting to muscle in.
The DS 3 Crossback is important to more than just the DS brand, because it provides the first taste of the CMP platform that will underpin a slew of forthcoming PSA Group cars that include the Peugeot 208 and the next Vauxhall Corsa. In addition, it will be the first DS car available with pure-electric power as well as conventional petrol and diesel engines when the E-Tense version arrives in September this year.
In the meantime, the 3 Crossback is available with three flavours of the 1.2-litre three-cylinder PureTech petrol: 100bhp, 128bhp and 153bhp, the last two featuring an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard. The sole diesel option is a 101bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit paired with a six-speed manual transmission.
Trim levels are Elegance, Performance Line, Prestige and the range-crowning Ultra Prestige, with a launch edition dubbed La Première that adds some unique design details and extra technology from the options list.
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ds3
That's my sixpence worth....
I assume VW and Audi diesels
I assume VW and Audi diesels that are equipped with emissions cheating software will not pass my state's motor vehicle emissions test.
DS
Mentioned before about their range and falling sales, with this £27k effort it's almost as if they know the writings on the wall
More to the Wall theme: Different Spirit
This car is destined to remain a wall flower. A left wing also ran. Which is a shame. The DS3 HB was / is a great funky car, still fresh after 6 years. The 'Sharkfin' element worked on the 3 doors HB, but radiates clumsiness here. For such a successful company as PSA (highest penetration of SUV's in the EU, highest margin, leaders in the lucrative LCV segment) it should have been wiser to tone down the DS3 CB design anomalies and chose a safer track not to lose a conservative client base.