Citroen DS3 150 THP (M) Review

I had the opportunity to have a go in the Citroen DS3 150 THP (M) at the dealer situated at Leng Kee in Singapore. Coming from an island filled with the iconic MINI Cooper, I was eager to find out if this French “Supermini” was able impress, and eventually grab a slice of the highly competitive hatchback market share.

Truth to be told, never in my wildest dreams did I expect Citroen to be as highly customizable as a MINI. The paintwork and subtle trimming of the two cars on display were entirely different, which explains the reason behind 38 funky color combinations for customers to choose to suit their personality. Being spoilt for colour choice was only half the fun, when I discovered that there’s much more intangible goodies beneath the “anti-retro” looking skin, which will be revealed in future sections.

The very first thing that caught my curious eyes was the sporty seat with generous alcantara leather wrapping the exaggerated side lumbar support. Once seated, I was pampered with plenty of legroom, unheard of for a car in this segment. The steering feels pleasant to the touch, with well-designed angular holding positions for your thumb, providing ample grip when cornering enthusiastically. Brushed aluminum trimmings on the steering and central console adds a refreshing touch to an interior that doesn’t lack finesse, mainly due to the “carbotech” dashboard, which works its way to complement the style of the car as a whole. We can definitely sense that Citroen didn’t hold back their plans to create one radical looking machine that can turn heads.

Our planned route for the test drive consisted of challenging twisties as well as some freeway action. The instrument cluster turned full sweep once I ignited the engine, which seemed like a hint for many greater things to expect, and the rest of the action that followed didn’t seem to disappoint. We couldn’t fault the DS3’s 6-speed manual transmission, as it allowed the driver to execute each shift with utmost satisfaction. Although throws were rather long, gearing inputs were precise and quite notchy, a feeling all boy racers would swear by when carrying out each change. The clutch was also user friendly and I didn’t have a problem feeling the biting point during congested traffic. Drag the gears a little longer and we will be greeted with a sweet growl courtesy of the sporty twin exhaust configuration.

One point of worthy mention will be the steering. I was rather frustrated with its light and uninspiring steering at first, but then I realized that although it didn’t feel as weighty as the MINI, the steering felt direct and precise enough to instill confidence during high-speed maneuvers. It manages to take corners with a tinge of poise and maturity, a sensation that couldn’t really be explained in words until you try it for yourself. Simply put, the drive of the DS3 felt like a breath of fresh air when compared to the MINI, A1 and Mito. We wouldn’t feel as taxing in the DS3 as compared to the three main rivals, especially when Citroen had managed to develop such a well engineered steering that can be turned with assurance and ease, without sacrificing much driving pleasure and involvement.

The “Prince” engine (co-developed by BMW AG and Peugeot/Citroen), which developed 156bhp and more impressively, 240nm of torque way down the rev range (1400rpm), is an absolute joy to use. I didn’t really have to step hard on the throttle to propel its feisty 1165kg frame from a junction. Overtaking was a breeze and accelerating in 3^rd gear in particular felt punchy, and the chassis felt more than up to the task. It certainly felt nippy and zippy, and faster than the claimed 0-100kmh timing of 7.3 seconds.

All in all, I was rather impressed with the ride as a whole, but it was certainly not without any flaws. The sharks fin B pillar wouldn’t suit conservatives, and the bright yellow paintwork reminds us of Lego bricks. Crucially, it didn’t feel a whole SGD$60,000 cheaper than the MINI Cooper S. In fact, ignoring the costs, there’s more to love than hate about this French hatch and I wouldn’t be surprised if Citroen manages to sell a significant number here. Give it time for the DS branding to set in and we’ll probably notice a slight shift in the continental car market segment.

In all honesty, Citroen had managed to package the DS3 into a driver’s machine that looks more stylish than sporty. Is it full of contradictions? It might be, but the pros far outweigh the cons in every aspect, which is why my family had put pen to paper on the dotted line for a Thorium Grey/Carmen Red piece, due to arrive in a couple of months. You might think that my choice would be filled with regrets, but coming from someone who had experienced the horrors of VW’s jerky 7 speed DSG, our decision would be more than justified.