A Year of DS and a New Concept

At the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the Citroën DS5 broke the bond and became the DS 5. In the following year, the DS4 moved over and split into the DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback. Finally, and more recently, the DS3 and DS3 Cabrio went over. That means the DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio complete the DS range. For the time being.

On display at the Geneva Motor Show this year is the DS 3 Performance, alongside the DS 3 Cabrio Performance. Rivals to the MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper S Convertible, both DS 3 models produce 205 bhp and 300 Nm from a 1.6-litre petrol engine. CO2 emissions are a reasonable 125 g/km.

Celebrating the success of DS's launch, they have partnered with the French watchmaking sector BRM Chronographes. A precise 39 DS 3 models will be available with Brilliant Black mirror housings and roof, and Gold Pearl matt bodywork. The Gold Pearl dashboard and numbered plate emphasise its exclusivity. As part of the package, buyers will received a numbered copy of the 'BRM V6 44 SA SQ DS 3 PERFORMANCE' watch which is water resistant up to 100 m and measures 44 mm in diameter.

Lastly, the E-TENSE concept will be present. An all-electric grant tourer, the E-TENSE produces 397 bhp and 516 Nm and implies that DS may be exploring the possibilities of bringing electric power to production cars in the near future.

Refreshed DS 3

Citroën launched its DS3 premium supermini back in 2010. It was followed by both the DS4 and DS5 in 2011, all of which based on the pre-existing cars that were the C3, C4 and C5. In 2015, the DS4 and DS5 moved over to the DS marque, effectively becoming just the 4 and 5. This year, it's time for the final car to detach itself from Citroën and make its move over to DS, the 3, which has already sold almost 400,000 units.

Previous-generation Citroën DS3

The DS 3 is not a car for the faint-hearted. It has no less than 78 body and roof colour combinations, 4 fabric roofs and, according to DS, 3 million options for specific personalisation.

The striking new front end with its LED and xenon headlights, LED fog lights and sequential LED indicators all help to make the DS 3 a bit more appealing to those in search of a premium supermini. Note the lack of Citroën's chevrons. The new headlight system helps reduce energy consumption by up to 67%.

In order to reduce the amount of buttons cluttering the fascia, DS have fitted a 7-inch touchscreen into all new DS 3s. And an automotive favourite, CarPlay™ and MirrorLink® integration, is an option, making it more useable. In order to keep up with the premium giants like the all-new Mercedes E-Class, DS has made an effort to boost technology further. A free 'MyDS' app connects to the car in order to keep you up-to-date with fuel economy and other running stats as well as an often overlooked event - services. The reversing camera pictured below is standard on Ultra Prestige but can be specified as an option on all but Chic.

The DS Connect Box is standard across the range apart from entry-level Chic. It's able to automatically call the emergency services on the occupants' behalf, provide the driver with geographical information and inform the police of its location in the incident of theft.

Prestige and Ultra Prestige guises have Active City Brake as standard. The system is pretty self-explanatory, but what you need to know is that it works at speed of up to 18 mph. Front parking sensors are also standard on these trims, although rear sensors come on all trims apart from Chic (on which they're an option).

Its 285-litre boot puts it in line with rivals such as the Audi A1 (270 litres), although there is a decrease of 40 litres when it comes to the new DS Cabrio. Talking about the Cabrio, the fabric retractable roof can be operated at speeds of up to 70 mph, perfect for the British weather we receive too often.

A feature I'm particularly fond of is the leather-upholstered dashboard on the DS 3 Ultra Prestige, although I must say the watchstrap-style leather seats are my favourite.

I talk a lot about trim levels, but these have been changed from the old-stlye DSign, DStyle, DSport etc. The new lineup for the hatchback and Cabrio will consist of Chic, Elegance, Prestige, Ultra Prestige and DS Performance.

There are 7 engines destined for British turfs, but it's too early to say what they are. We do know that there are three 3-cylidner PureTech petrol engines, two 4-cylinder THP petrol engines and a further two BlueHDi diesels. The worst CO2 emitter produces 129 g/km, making it £110 a year to tax. Hill Start Assist comes as standard on all engines equipped with manual transmission and stop/start technology.

We do have specifications for one engine, though. The all-new DS 3 Performance. It uses a 1.6-litre THP engine with stop/start technology mated to a 6-speed manual 'box. It produces 208 bhp putting is in line with the 208 bhp Peugeot 208. It sits, therefore, above the VW Polo GTI (189 bhp) and Ford Fiesta (180 bhp), but doesn't quite reach the standards of its premium rivals, the Audi S1 (228 bhp) and MINI JCW 3-door Hatch (228 bhp). Its Torsen® limited-slip diff, 15mm lower suspension, wider tracks and high-performance brakes all make for an exciting DS 3. I'm certainly waiting with anticipation for it.