DS 3. Heiress of the Goddess
The DS 3 is a city car manufactured by DS Automobiles (France) since 2015 in 3-door hatchback and convertible bodies. The DS 3 was designed by Frédéric Soubirou, current Head of exterior design for the DS brand at PSA Peugeot Citroën. He took the iconic ‘Goddess’ DS, produced in 1955-1975, as the basis for the design.
The new DS 3 keeps pace with the times. It has a stylish and modern design that will perfectly emphasize the character and personality of its owner. Such a car will not get lost in a large parking lot and will stand out in the flow of similar cars. Despite its modest size, even a long trip will not cause unnecessary inconvenience to passengers. Inside you can find a lot of useful systems and ingenious devices that do not let you get bored behind the wheel and greatly facilitate the operation of the car. Moreover, the hatchback is equipped with a powerful and modern engine.
The company offers DS 3 buyers many options for customizing their car. Thus, the future owners can choose from 38 color combinations. At the same time, aside from the body color, they can also choose the color of the roof and rims. Even rear-view mirrors can look different. And the roof can additionally be decorated with an ornament. The interior can also be decorated in accordance with your preferences. In addition to various finishing options, you can choose the color scheme of the dashboard and gear lever, or order interior floor mats that repeat the ornament of the car’s roof. According to DS, the DS 3 owners can become designers, which is actually not far from the truth.
Origins
In fact, the very first DS 3 dates back to 2009 when the DS brand was part of Citroën. First, the manufacturer presented the DS Inside concept car on the Internet. In fact, the DS Inside was a luxury version of the Citroën C3 B-segment compact car. The final version was ready in August 2009.
The first DS 3 is identical to the C3 in terms of its powertrains. However, it offered more powerful turbocharged engines with 156 hp and 202 hp. Citroën worked with Valeo to develop 3D LED headlights for the convertible. The interior matched that of the C3, but the interior featured higher quality materials and more advanced seats. The car was restyled several times, acquiring more advanced and powerful engines, as well as new interior elements.
DS as an independent brand
DS Automobiles was spun off from Citroën in 2015, becoming an independent brand. In the same year, the updated DS 3 was announced. The DS 3 was the first model of the new luxury brand. It entered the market in 2016 and was restyled almost immediately. Formally, it was the beginning of the first generation.
The first generation
The 2015/2016 DS 3 is a small hatchback introduced as an alternative to the top-end MINI Hatchback, but also capable of competing with the Fiat 500 and Alfa Romeo MiTo considering its glamorous looks. The car was available in Chic, Elegance, Prestige, Ultra Prestige, Performance Line, Performance and Performance Black versions.
The DS 3 model was distinguished by the original vertical radiator grille, called DS Wings, surrounded by chrome and ‘wings’ under the headlights. The new LED Vision headlights were developed by the company and combined LEDs and xenon technology for both low and high beams.
There were almost no buttons on the dashboard and center console. The car was controlled via a multimedia system with a 7-inch touch screen. Bluetooth, air conditioning and Active City Brake (a system that helps prevent low-speed collisions), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera were standard. The new DS 3 could be equipped with seven engines: five gasoline and two diesel units, including the most popular 1.2-liter 3-cylinder PureTech (82, 110 and 130 hp) engine paired with a manual or automatic transmission.
2016 restyling
As part of the restyling, the manufacturer has created a powerful version, DS 3 Performance, featuring a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine producing 210 hp and 300 Nm of torque with its own suspension setup and a limited slip differential borrowed from the 208 GTI 30 Edition.
To emphasize the elitism of the ‘Goddess’ (DS sounds like De-Se, which is consonant with the French word ‘Déesse’, meaning ‘goddess’), in 2016, DS partnered with the French fashion and perfume company Givenchy and released a special version, the DS 3 Givenchy Le MakeUp. A total of 500 Givenchy models were released with some unique exterior and interior features, and with the same powertrains.
This marketing ploy best illustrates the basic concept of the car. The DS 3 is a trendy, beautiful car, distinguished by graceful lines and technical sophistication. As time has shown, the DS 3 has a successful concept, which is evidenced by a constantly high level of sales. In 2019, the DS 3 was replaced by the more advanced DS 3 Crossback, which became the first PSA Group model to be built on the CMP platform. At the same time, the production of this model continues.
