DS 3 Performance
EVEN though DS is now a brand in its own right, the DS 3 hatch is still based on the original Citroen model that first hit the UK in 2009. However, this high-spec Performance Black version is aiming to breathe a new lease of life into the car. It’s only available with one engine and gearbox, so here we test the £22,995 DS 3 Performance Black hatch.
Styling 3.8/5
THE DS 3 Performance Black adds a host of bespoke styling details that aren’t available on the standard DS 3 Performance. It costs an extra £2,000, but brings worthwhile kit such as sat-nav, front parking sensors, a reversing camera and an upgraded stereo.
The Performance Black comes with a divisive gold dashboard as standard, as well as the matt black exterior paint finish that gives it its name.
Big 18-inch black alloys feature, as do DS Performance badging, some carbon door rubbing strips and an anthracite grey bumper insert.
The result is a sporty-looking supermini, with the large wheels pushed towards the corners to create a squat shape with short overhangs. The gold roof contrasts with the matt black body, even if it won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it’s the overall proportions that lend the DS 3 a striking look.
In the transformation from Citroen to DS, the supermini gained a new squarer grille that’s chamfered at the edges, while the deeper front bumper adds a little more visual menace, housing the striking bright LED running lights.
The wrapped A-pillars and dark, rising B-pillars support the ‘floating’ gold roof, while the little boot lip spoiler and tinted rear glass give the hatch a sportier look. The Performance also benefits from a 3D effect for its tail-lights.
DS Performance models get sportier two-piece bucket seats that hug your hips and wrap around your shoulders to hold you in place, but the driving position is awkward as the clutch pedal juts out at an odd angle. The gloss gold dash gets DS Performance stripes, while some carbon fibre detailing on the steering wheel and doors complements it.
These higher-quality materials are let down by the rest of the plastics inside, however; slam the doors and the harsher materials vibrate with a clang. Still, the switchgear is solid, and touch points like the steering wheel and gearlever are covered in soft leather.
DS’S Mirror Screen is a £100 extra for the standard multimedia system on Black models; it brings Apple Carplay and Mirror Link to improve integration with your smartphone, but the unit is slow to respond.
Driving 3.9/5
DS has tuned the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engine to produce 207bhp here, and with a competitive kerbweight of 1, 250kg, the Performance Black’s 6.4-second 0-60mph time was faster than the Ford’s.
However, the DS 3’s maximum 300Nm of torque doesn’t come in until a relatively high 3,000rpm, so it trailed on in-gear acceleration in the higher ratios.
It matched the Fiesta’s times between 30 and 50mph in third and fourth, but between 50 and 70mph in fifth and sixth, the Performance Black was five and six-tenths slower respectively.
This performance data highlights how hard you have to rev the engine to extract the speed. When you do, the DS 3’s straight-line acceleration is fairly startling, although it feels quite heavily turbocharged and the throttle response is soft. The engines in the Ford and MINI feel snappier, but there’s a nice parp from the Performance Black’s twin tailpipes on upshifts.
Unfortunately, the six-speed box’s shift action isn’t as precise as the Ford’s manual, and can baulk and crunch when going up the gears quickly.
The chassis is more responsive than the engine, as DS’S engineers have stiffened up the springs and dampers. The steering doesn’t wriggle with feedback like in the ST200, but it’s well weighted and direct, so you can really lean on the available grip and sling the DS 3 into corners at speed knowing that it’ll cling on.
However, it still runs out of grip earlier than the Ford or MINI, while there’s a glaring drawback to this stiff set-up: the ride is far too firm. With low-profile tyres on those 18-inch alloys, the DS crashes over potholes, rattling the trim and bouncing you round in the seat.
The ride settles down at speed, but even on smoother motorways the DS 3 sometimes pogoes up and down over undulations or expansion joints.
A lack of ride refinement isn’t the only issue; our car had a dodgy door seal that meant there was lots of wind roar at a cruise, as our noise readings show (Page 49).
Fundamentally, hot hatches like this need to be usable, but they’re more about fun, and although it’s fast and grippy, the DS 3 Performance just doesn’t set your pulse racing like its rivals.
Ownership 3.2/5
DS only split from Citroen last year, so the brand didn’t feature in Driver Power 2016. However, as the DS 3 is based on the original Citroen model, we’ve used the French company’s results to give an indication of what it will be like to live with.
It finished 26th out of 32 manufacturers in our satisfaction survey, and as you’ll have to get your DS serviced at a Citroen garage, a result of 18th for that brand’s official dealers is disappointing at best. The DS 3 fares better on safety, as the Performance Black has autonomous braking and six airbags as standard.
Running costs 3.8/5
ON test the DS returned 41.8mpg, edging the MINI’S 38.5mpg result and the Ford’s 36.3mpg. Its engine also emits less CO2 than either rival’s, at 125g/km, so lower-rate company car users will save £119 over those choosing the Ford and £110 over MINI buyers, with an annual Benefit-in-kind bill of £1,009.
For a limited time, DS is offering a three-year/35,000mile servicing pack for £99, which looks strong value next to Ford’s £550 three-year deal. But the JCW ’s £399 five-year/50,000-mile tlc plan is the most cost-effective.
Space
BOOT is only slightly smaller than the Ford’s, but fold the seats and it has the biggest load capacity on test. Rear headroom is a bit tight
On the road
STIFFER springs and dampers give the DS 3 Performance sharper responses than regular car, but this combines with low-profile tyres on 18-inch alloys to provide a ride that’s too firm
Practicality 3.4/5
A 285-litre boot means the Performance Black trails the ST200’S load bay by just five litres. However, fold the standard 60:40-split rear seats down and this rises to 980 litres, which is six litres up on the Ford.
There’s very little to split the cars in terms of luggage space, and while the DS has a pronounced load lip that you’ll have to lift bags over, the rear wheelarches don’t intrude on boot space too much.
The DS really loses out when it comes to interior ergonomics. There’s a storage tray in front of the gearlever, but the unusual centre console ledge isn’t even big enough to take a smartphone. A lack of cupholders is annoying, while head and legroom in the rear is tight, especially due to the bulky front seats.