Smart, stylish and sporty, the new DS 3 Crossback is exceedingly good

Maggie Barry It matched my handbag… I did not go out and look for a car that was the perfect fit for my Ralph Lauren tote but, as soon as I opened the door of the DS 3 Crossback and slung it in, I realised it had come perfectly customised for my bag.

Of course, I’m sure that DS – being a luxury French brand – would have preferred if my accessory had been Chanel or Givenchy but it went perfectly with the Art Rubis Nappa leather on the La Premiere special edition.

That’s a kind of wine colour with the watch- strap leather-type finish that DS does so well on the seats and retro, almost distressed leather at the sides.

Indeed, the interior is really sumptuous, borrowing lots of design cues from the top-of-therange DS cars and SUVs.

The chrome work is diamondshaped and the piano black gloss centre console comes in a diamond-shaped pattern aroundd each of the functions for music,, nav and aircon.

The steering wheel is small,l, leather and sporty and the aluminium pedals reflect this sportiness. The exterior is just as striking, with a deep front grille in black, boasting the DS logo, 18in black diamond- cut al loys, special DS Matrix LED headlights, twin exhausts at the rear and tinted windows. The handles sit flush to the door but pop out as soon as you draw near to the car with the keys in your pocket. It’s a special bit of French magic. The DS 3 Crossback sits in the B segmentg of the market for SUVs – that’sthat’ a compact model which is comingcom to replace the hatchback and offers more flexibility. In the La Premiere edition, DS has equippedequi the car with every bit of tech and feature you could wishwis for, such as a wireless chargingcha unit, two USB connections,con the DS Connect Box emergency and assistance system and a heads-up display with speed limits.

And, in this version, it is quite the rapid little mover, wheeling spiritedly along the motorway or nipping nimbly around city streets. It comes with Eco, Sport or Comfort modes, which offer a variation for every eventuality.

This version had parent company PSA’s award-winning PureTech petrol engine onboard, which is well and truly tried and tested.

Boot space is also impressive for a car of this size.

The DS 3 was always a much-loved pretty little car when it came under the wing of Citroen but, now that it has moved upmarket to the DS brand, its new livery reflects its status and it has lost none of its athleticism.