I am a fan of the 50s motoring icon the Citroen DS (DS as an abbreviation for Deesse, french for Goddess) and have long been an admirer of Andre Citroen’s quirky cars…
There is now a new DS3 which is elegant, stylish and innovative; as you might expect from Citroen.
We think it could be a serious contender to the Mini for women drivers shopping for a new car, especially with its £199 servicing pack (3 years/35k miles) alternative to Mini’s TLC pack. And it’ll give the Fiat 500 and Alfa’s MiTo a good run for their money…
Feminine and chic, the DS3 ticks all the boxes for safety with a 5 star NCAP rating for the driver and passenger. It also comes with ESP which we always recommend to FOXY Lady members.
Yes it’s compact but it has more boot space than the Mini and the MiTo. There are five proper seats which can fold down (split 2:1) and two ISOFIX points for child seats.
The HDi 90hp engine is the best CO2 performer at 99g/km; it does up to 74.3 mpg; offers a Gear Efficiency Indicator (high revs = not good, that sort of thing); insurance groups from 12E to 22E and prices start from £11700 for the petrol Vti 95bp engine.
There are a fantastic number of customisable options include 38 body and roof colour combinations, chrome mirrors, alloys, bumper LEDs and various dashboard and upholstery combinations.
You could also have digital air conditioning, parking sensors (I’d have those), auto headlamps and auto windscreen wipers when it rains. Nice one Citroen.
The only uncertainty is the discount you might expect to negotiate post scrappage. It used to be that Citroen did good discounts but there’s a new school of thought and the brand is being re-positioned which may or may not produce the sales volume that’s needed. We’ll keep you posted when we know more…
And if you are in Cheltenham, the DS3 is on show in the Regent Arcade until 28 March and female friendly main car dealership Warners in Blaisdon Way will surely tell you all you need to know…
FOXY Steph
