DS 3 review

Luxury doesn’t always mean big: if you’ve ever been to a fancy restaurant, you’ll know that to be true. The DS 3 looks to be another example, because this small SUV is positioned as an upmarket choice.

Indeed, it sits above closely related Stellantis models, including the Citroën C4, Fiat 600 and Peugeot 2008 in price. In return, it promises a higher level of comfort, refinement and interior quality.

Like those cars, the DS 3 is also available as a fully electric car. You can read about the DS 3 E-Tense in our separate review, but here we’re focusing on the regular, mild-hybrid petrol model. 

Aside from other Stellantis cars, rivals include our favourite small SUV – the Lexus LBX – plus the Audi Q2, Volkswagen T-Roc and Skoda Kamiq. 

With so many great choices for the DS 3 to contend with, how does it fare? Read on to find out…

There’s just one engine available with the DS 3 and it’s called the Hybrid Automatic. It’s actually a mild-hybrid, although it can travel for short distances on electric power alone.

Its 1.2-litre petrol engine is pretty punchy, with 134bhp propelling the model from 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds – quicker than a Skoda Kamiq 1.0 TSI 116 (9.7 seconds) but not quite as sprightly as the Audi Q2 35 TFSI (8.6 seconds). The slightly sluggish response of the DS 3's automatic gearbox, particularly at low speeds, doesn’t help matters. 

The DS 3’s ride leans on the softer side and it’s a pretty comfortable cruiser, cushioning you well over all but sharp bumps – more so than the firmer Ford Puma. Its body movements feel a bit more controlled than those of the Citroën C4 but it still bobbles about more than an Audi Q2, Lexus LBX or VW T-Roc. In other words, the DS 3 doesn’t feel particularly well planted on an undulating country road.

Similarly, it doesn’t feel as sharp or agile in the corners as any of those cars except the C4. It’s decent enough, with acceptably precise steering, but remains an average handler nonetheless. 

Wind, road and engine noise are relatively well contained at a steady cruise, but the DS 3 isn’t as hushed or as refined as a Q2 on smaller wheels.

“I slightly prefer the DS 3 to its Stellantis cousins to drive but against the wider class it’s still average at best.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

DS dug out all the mood boards when coming up with the interior concept for the DS 3. In fact, influences included a boutique and designer handbags.

Adding to its striking look is the dashboard’s unusual lay-out, with diamond-shaped touch-sensitive buttons and controls. Indeed, the diamond motif is everywhere, from the air vents to the speakers.

It can take a little while to get used to the quirkiness. For instance, the electric window switches are located on the centre console instead of on the doors like in most small SUVs. 

A lot of the buttons on the dashboard are touch-sensitive so they're not as easy to use as the physical buttons and switches you’ll find in the Lexus LBX. Mind you, the VW T-Roc and some other rivals have the issue, and the Ford Puma stuffs almost every button into the touchscreen.

Speaking of which, in the DS 3 you get a 10.3in infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, DAB radio and sat-nav. The system responds swiftly enough to commands but the air-con controls are buried within a menu, which is not ideal when you need to make changes while you're driving.

You’ll find another screen behind the steering wheel, in the form of a 7in digital driver's display. The picture is crisp but the display is quite small by small SUV standards and doesn’t have the functionality you get with the screens in the VW T-Cross and VW T-Roc.

The DS 3 feels more upmarket inside than other Stellantis models, slightly beating even the Peugeot 2008 with how plush it feels. The problem is that build quality doesn’t feel quite as impeccably robust as that of the Audi Q2 or the LBX, and if you start poking around you’ll find the same scratchy plastics much cheaper Stellantis products have.

As for the driving position, there’s enough adjustment with the standard seats to get comfy, but people after a proper SUV driving position will be disappointed. You only sit up marginally higher than in a regular small car. 

Visibility is poor for the class. The wide front pillars and the kink in the side windows inhibit your view around corners and to the sides, while the thick rear pillars block out much of what's behind. On the plus side, every DS 3 gets front and rear parking sensors, as well as a 360-degree camera. 

“Although outright visibility is poor, I never had any issues. It’s a fairly small car and the 360-degree camera gives you a decent view of your surroundings.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

There’s a decent amount of space up front in the DS 3, with enough head and leg room for even tall drivers to stretch out. There’s also plenty of shoulder room, so even if you and your front-seat passenger are broad, you won’t be rubbing shoulders. 

Storage space is less generous. The door pockets are small and it's awkward to reach into the rearmost parts of them, while there's only a small cubby under the centre armrest and a tiny glovebox.

In the back it’s similarly tight next to the Lexus LBX and space is poor next to the Skoda Kamiq and VW T-Cross. Leg room is limited if there's someone tall in the front, and the view out of the side windows is restricted as a result of the side pillar design. Likewise, the window line swoops up and cuts a chunk out of your view, while the downward-sloping roofline cuts into head room.

The DS 3's 350-litre boot space can't match small SUV rivals for practicality. It won't swallow anywhere near as much as a VW T-Roc (445 litres) or a Kamiq (400 litres). As proven in our testing, the DS 3’s boot can take a respectable five carry-on suitcases, while those two rivals can swallow seven. What’s more, the Ford Puma can take eight.

The DS 3’s seats don’t slide forwards and backwards to improve boot space, as they do in the Renault Captur and the T-Cross. The rear seats split and fold in the less-versatile 60/40 configuration and there’s no ski hatch as there is in the Citroën C4.

“The DS 3's interior doesn’t feel very airy to me. A sunroof or a brighter interior colour scheme would help, as would more space, of course.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The DS 3’s Achilles' heel is its pricing, because its starting price is higher than those of direct rivals, including the Audi Q2 and Lexus LBX, as well as bigger, more practical small SUVs like the Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq. The list price of every DS 3 exceeds £30,000.

Our data shows that deprecation is pretty steep too – steeper than for rivals. That has a knock-on effect on PCP monthly payments.

On the plus side, the DS 3's engine is pretty efficient, with an official average of 56.6mpg. In the real world, we averaged 46.2mpg, which remains fairly respectable. There’s also the all-electric DS 3 E-Tense if you fancy not burning any fuel at all or want a tax-efficient company car.

There are three trims to choose from, and we’d stick with Pallas to keep the price reasonable. Pallas comes with LED headlights, 17in wheels, wireless phone-charging, a central armrest and keyless start. 

Pallas 55 has 18in wheels and you can pick from any exterior colour at no extra cost. Etoile is too pricey to recommend, but if you’re interested it gets LED rear lights, keyless entry and Alcantara in its interior.  

The DS 3 and DS as a brand were both absent from our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but sister brand Citroën finished in an impressive seventh place out of 31 manufacturers. You get a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is pretty standard for the class.

The DS 3 received the full five-star Euro NCAP safety score in 2019. All versions come with plenty of standard safety kit, including blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and a speed limiter.

“If it were sub-£30,000, I’d consider recommending it the DS 3, but you just can’t justify that price when you’re getting so little space and not class-leading luxury.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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