DS3 Crossback review

If you want to make your mark as a relatively new manufacturer, launching an impressive product in an incredibly popular market seems a good way to go about it. That’s part of the masterplan behind the DS3 Crossback small SUV.

If you’re still not familiar with the brand, DS is the ‘premium’ division of the French PSA Group, parent company of mainstream brands Citroën, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

The DS3 name has been used before, on the brand’s first ever model: a hatchback that was initially launched as the Citroën DS3. The Citroën part of its name was discarded in 2016 to show that DS had become a standalone brand. After almost a decade, that model will soon be discontinued, and the 3 Crossback is its indirect replacement.

It joins the 7 Crossback, which is a large SUV, in DS's portfolio, and seeks to emphasise the fledgling brand’s focus on the premium side of things, as well as its chic – if you’ll indulge our GCSE language skills – French heritage. You see, it’s all very well saying you’re a premium manufacturer, but you have to have the products to back it up. So, expect swaggering design, serious scope for customisation and lots of French words in DS’s future brochures and marketing material.

Of course, at this premium end of the small SUV class, there’s more competition than you can shake a croissant at. The Volkswagen T-Roc may be lacking in interior quality, but it’s brilliant to drive and excellent value. The Mini Countryman is the practicality king of these small SUVs and has a top-notch interior, while the Audi Q2 is the best package overall.

The 3 Crossback is available with a choice of three petrol engines and one diesel, but unlike its rivals, there’s an electric version with a claimed 200-mile range on the horizon, too. That’s part of DS’s plans to make an electric version of every one of its models, starting from 2019.

Does the cosmopolitan 3 Crossback stand out from its established rivals? Read on to find out. And if you want to buy one, we can help you save some money in the process; head to our New Car Buying section to find out just how much we could save you.