DS 3 Crossback review - Reliability and Safety

The standard, European-spec DS 3 Crossback was awarded a four-star safety rating from Euro NCAP – not a great result for this class. However, the addition of DS’s Safety Pack (standard in the UK) bumps that up to a full five stars, with an impressive 96% adult occupant score. All Crossbacks sold here come with an emergency brake system, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, speed limit recognition and intelligent speed adaptation.

The Advanced Safety Pack is a £500 option on Elegance models, £400 for Performance Line cars or £200 on Prestige models; it adds more sophisticated AEB (Auto Emergency Braking) and lane-keep systems along with blind-spot detection. This pack is standard on Ultra Prestige and La Premiere models. A Premium Safety Pack is also available, which adds even more active systems.

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The DS 3 Crossback is too new to have featured in our 2019 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. DS itself is a fairly young brand and so hasn’t had much time to garner a reputation or loyal following – it finished 28th out of 30 manufacturers. Owners enjoyed driving their cars but reliability proved poor – just over 25% of owners surveyed reported experiencing a fault with their car. However, we don’t have the same worries about the French brand’s latest, more modern products like the DS 3. 

Warranty

All DS 3 Crossback models are covered by a two-year, unlimited mileage manufacturer’s warranty that’s extendable with a three-year retailer’s warranty with a 60,000-mile limit as a no-fee option – though this only applies to cars ‘sourced from DS Automobiles’. A DS Assistance roadside assistance package is free for three years. 

Servicing

DS provides the option of fixed-price servicing for all of its cars. A first-year, 12,000-mile service costs £249, followed by £299 for the year-two, 20,000-mile service. Minor servicing every 12 months or 10,000 miles costs £225; a major service every two years or 20,000 miles is priced at £375. DS also offers brake fluid changes for £69 and MoTs for £54 – but it’s unlikely you’ll need these on an average three-year PCP ownership cycle.