We love concept cars! Those things of fancy where manufacturers give their designers a clean sheet of paper and tell them to indulge themselves. The results are beautiful sculptures that excite us enthusiasts and gives the world an insight into future design. Alas, these statements of freedom very rarely make it into production, or if they do their designs are castrated to be made more “real world.” Our Citroen DS5 test car bucks that trend and has stayed very true to the designers conception. The result is a car that looks like no other…
Just look at this machine! It is a magnificent thing to behold with its long proud profile and beautifully intricate details. The sloping roofline, large grill as well as its deliberate creases and curves make it truly unique. It is like looking at a modern skyscraper such as London’s gherkin, it has a majesty about it. The longer you stare at it the more design features you find. Simply parking this car in a public place results in people taking a good look as they walk past.
The art continues as you slip inside the DS5’s masterfully crafted cabin. In my opinion the interior is truly class leading, and I don’t say that lightly, with aircraft inspired consoles narrated with aluminium standing tall amidst top quality upholstery. Each button is also aluminium and stand as little individual monuments. However, this mobile palace’s star attraction is its triple glass roof that is seductively revealed by electric blinds. There is vast amounts of space inside the DS5 and it can comfortably seat five adults, though that sloping roof line does restrict rear head room for those of the taller variety. The seats themselves are very supportive and the front ones are also heated with the drivers supporting a massage feature. This DS5 is the top specification model and sports other features such as heads up display, DAB radio (which in conjunction with the premium audio system is excellent), automatic lights and wipers, keyless entry as well as cruise control.
Pushing the starter button fires up the 2.0 litre 163BHP diesel engine and provokes the HUD to rise from the dashboard. Acceleration is brisk and dominated by the great torque of the diesel engine. There is no getting away from the fact that this is a BIG car and the reduced rear visibility, thanks to its styling, does make it a bit tricky to park even with parking sensors and a rear camera. On the move the DS5 is quiet and refined creating a very relaxing environment to settle down for a long journey. It is on the motorway where this car is most at home when you simply set the cruise control, activate your massaging seat and let this luxury limo do the work. Just how comfortable is it? Well, setting the dual zone climate control “just so” makes it about as snug as a warm bed on a winters day. The steering is light which makes maneuvering the car easy and the gear changes in this 6 speed manual were effortless. Though the tight streets of Bath and busy industrial town centre of Bristol were a bit of a squeeze at times, the tranquility of the cabin reduced my stress levels dramatically. Yet, the DS5 has an Achilles heel. For such a big luxurious car the suspension is quite stiff. Potholes do tend to send a loud thud through the interior and Britons battered surfaces sometimes make the car feel unsettled. Like I previously said, the motorway is where this car is at its best with that torquey diesel surging you along in comfort. Fuel economy wasn’t too bad with our combined testing producing 46MPG from this 2.0 litre model.
The Citroen DS5 is a car that must be applauded for staying so close to its initial concept car roots. Though at £29,085 it is stepping on the toes of cars such as the BMW 5 Series, the Germans do not give you a package that is unlike anything else. This car is for the extravert, those who want to be different and don’t intend to blend into the background. In the very true words of Steve Jobs “Here’s To The Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world – are the ones who DO.”
Fashion is something many of my friends would say I know nothing about. Whilst they all go chasing big brand names and wearing tight fitting shirts, I’m often found in smart/casual sporting my notorious orange shoes. Ok, so maybe they have a point when it comes to my fashion sense but something that I know is “cool” that is currently in my possession is this Citroen DS3. I don’t think the adjective of “funky” has ever been so appropriately used! With genuinely unique styling, something that is hard to come by these days, this little supermini turns many heads especially in the eye catching red our test car was wearing.
To be more specific, this DS3 is the DSport and it is equipped with a new diesel engine for 2013. Producing 113BHP from the 1.6 litre turbocharge engine and claiming impressive MPG figures, we came up with quite the test for this car. A road trip was devised consisting of transporting five fully grown adults and their luggage along the south coast to Portsmouth and then northward bound to the urban assault course that is London. This would test not only how comfortable the DS3 was, but also how it would cope with both motorway and the densely populated city.
First impressions from my traveling companions were that the car looks great and the interior was very accommodating. The boot swallowed sleeping bags and rucksacks no problem, and though our fifth passenger in the middle seat at the rear did wish he had a bit more legroom, he was plenty comfortable. The cabin of the DS3 is just as stylistic as the exterior. This car had a carbon effect dashboard that surrounded the sat-nav and led on to the beautifully designed instrument and dials. Seating is supportive with the fronts being nicely bolstered to hold you in place. The steering wheel gave us our first clue as to the more sporting nature of this little Citroen as its flat bottom is something found on some keen handling cars.
Throwing the DS3 into a corner reveals high levels of grip and very little understeer indeed. Steering is light but direct allowing for good accuracy when placing the car on an apex. The chassis setup is good and the whole car feels as if it wants to play when the roads get twisty. Its diesel engine may not be the sportiest for this car, a rather potent petrol is available, however it does have its merits with nice amounts of low end torque to use to your advantage. At junctions the car is never hesitant with turbo lag being minimal and the aforementioned torque surging you along. On the motorway it settles down to a tranquil cruise with its soft suspension soaking up those nasty bumps. Acoustics from the premium sound system were excellent and pleased everyone, as long as my iPod wasn’t connected to it that is.
Though very well accomplished on the motorway, it is in the city where the Citroen DS3 shines. Not only does its appearance demand the attention of the general public, but in the hectic stop-go traffic of London it is a nice place to be. You can sit there, whilst others blaze their horns, being gently cool by the air conditioner. The cars stop/start system is a very effective measure of saving fuel when it takes you half an hour to cover a couple of miles. Its engine is quiet, gear changes smooth and the car nippy enough to cheekily dart into a gap in the traffic.
The Citroen DS3 DSport is a brilliantly complete package offering all-round usability in a very attractive body. We even managed to average 54MPG. It is a very hard car to fault, in fact my biggest problem with it was that the key was a bit too bulky for my liking. The suspension is much softer than that of the Mini, trading less body movement for comfort. Some people won’t like that, but then that comes down to personal preference. The truth is that the DS3 can hold its own against the highly popular Mini, both in terms of performance and as a fashion statement.
Citroen have had a traumatic 10 years as the beginning of the new millennium marked the dawn of a reputation the company is still trying to shake today. Cheap utilitarian transport may be the goal, but when you say Citroen in a crowded space you soon find yourself standing alone with only words like rot-box and tedious for company. The truth is that the Saxo was the last good car the company made for two reasons… The sheer lack of equipment inside the car meant nothing could fall off and with the car being as empty as the Gordon Brown fan-club; it could be chucked into most corners at any speed whilst you rev the nuts off it.
And so, being tasked with reviewing the new DS3, I wasn’t getting my hopes up. In fact on the way to the dealership I consciously remember thinking why did I pass up the opportunity to check out a special edition MX-5? Must have been that false of hope that was extinguished as I reflected upon the sea misery that was the forecourt. At this point I had very little faith in the DS3, and so you will be surprised to hear what I have to report.
I was presented with what can only be described as a little box of joy! The DS3 is one of those cars that come along every so often and just makes you smile. Aesthetically this car is on a different planet in comparison with its competitors. The designers must have been on steroids, that or genetically modified in some way as its predecessors were about as exciting a vegetarians dinner. With its shark-like B pillar and LED fins, this car is the new retro. Allow me to clarify. What we call retro today were iconic designs 40-50 years ago, and so it makes sense that what is modern now could be retro in 50-60 years’ time. However, with the majority of car on sale today all look rather dapper; nothing stands out from the crowd. Enter the new DS3 “future retro”.
Ok, down to the nitty-gritty. The DS3 has a wide range of engines starting at a nippy 1.4 VTi ranging to a monstrous 16 valve, 1.6 with 150BHP. Naturally we haggled for the 1.6 and that is what we got! Our test car, with its 150BHP, will cost you £15,900, and that’s a lot in comparison with competitors such as the Mini and Fait 500. Luckily for your chunk of change you get a lot of kit standard such as; Bluetooth, a premium sound system and bolstered seats. All that is available out of the box on any model. But our range topper also had leather, a double chromed exhaust and aluminium pedals…
The interior continues the ultra-modern atheistic with a shiny coloured dash and an intriguing floating speedo shade. The architecture within the car is tasteful but also brings forward the new standard layout for all Citroens, so whilst revolutionary now, over the next few years will age conservatively. I presumed the rear quarters would be cramped but thanks to the designers raising the rear bench by an inch, the rear feels part of the same space as opposed to being segregated from the front. Cubby holes fill every corner to maximise practicality (and to compensate for the loss of a proper glove compartment) whilst staying tastefully within the design.
The car on the road is quite and much more comfortable than its competitors but unfortunately there is a lack of feel from the steering around corners. That said the handling overall is smooth and until you hit the noisy pedal, refined. But when the time comes use those galloping horses they are all too ready to jump the fence. In the same way the Saxo was a riot around the bends, so is this! It manages to be composed yet still eligible for an ASBO.
Overall this car really has changed my attitude towards Citroen; I now see that the potential to make a cracker of a hot-hatch is still there. We can only hope that is comes through in future models and that the DS3’s fantastic attributes don’t die away.
