Citroen DS3

Our Citroen DS3 is proving a great all-rounder. Whether you’re in town, on the open road or cruising along the motorway, it’s an incredibly polished performer. 

I never had any doubt that I’d enjoy running the range-topping DSport pocket rocket, but it has surpassed my expectations. And I’m not alone in being impressed – as I often struggle to get the keys back from other members of the test team.

This cheeky Citroen has three personalities, which I love. For starters, it’s a great town car, and is perfect for my stop-start commute into central London. It takes the poorly surfaced roads in its stride, and copes well with the congestion, too. The light and agile steering allows me to nip in and out of traffic safely and its compact shape means I rarely struggle to find a parking space.

But the DS3 is equally at home on the motorway, as I found out on the trip to the Anglesey Circuit in North Wales for our annual Performance Car of the Year showdown. 

Usually, there’s a stampede in the office, as we have some of the hottest, fastest and most desirable new cars delivered to Auto Express HQ for the journey north-west. But this year, I was happy to leave it to the boys to squabble over the supercars – as I opted to drive the Citroen on the 560-mile round trip. 

While its motorway manners are impeccable, the car really comes into its own when you turn on to the twistier B-roads. Driving through the beautiful Welsh countryside was a real joy in the autumn sunshine. 

The well judged suspension soaks up any lumps and bumps, and it never loses its composure. Plus, I knew that all of my kit would fit in the boot. After the recent arrival of my beautiful granddaughter, I’ve been loading the car with buggies, bags and boxes galore, so the equipment I needed for the three-day PCotY trip was never going to cause a problem. In fact, a number of recent visits to the tip have proven more of a challenge to the Citroen’s practicality.

Although its rear seats don’t fold totally flat, the 60:40 split backrests flop forwards easily enough, and have allowed the car to swallow huge amounts of garden rubbish.

For the most part, life with the DS3 has been plain sailing. However, I have encountered a couple of niggles. The car seems reluctant to wake up in the morning! The driver’s door mirror, which automatically folds when you lock the car, sometimes won’t unfold and the power-steering is a little sleepy for the first few seconds. But the biggest drawback I’ve experienced is weather related. 

As we approach winter, and the temperature begins to dip, I’m more aware than ever that our car isn’t fitted with heated seats. The optional leather upholstery is a tad chilly on the old posterior first thing, and you won’t find heated chairs on the options, either. So I’m hoping we have a milder winter than we did last year...