Citroën DS3 (10 on) - Review

The DS3 only comes as a three-door, so getting into the back seats can be a little challenging, but it's no worse than any other car of this size. Once there, you'll be surprised at how generous headroom is and there's plenty of space for two adults, although taller passengers might find knee space a little restricted. You can fit three across the back seat, but it's tight on space. The seats themselves offer good comfort, especially for the driver and passenger, while top models are available with sports seats which have extra side support. Citroen has focussed on improving sound insulation and the DS3 is certainly a very quiet car with minimal engine or road noise, even at higher speeds.

Few small three-door cars are especially practical but the DS3 is better than many alternatives. For starters it has a large boot with 285 litres of luggage room - more than double that of a MINI and slightly bigger than a Volkswagen Polo. The tailgate opening is wide, so getting larger items in and out is simple, plus the boot floor itself is wide. The rear seats split 60/40 and fold down to create a larger space. In the front there's decent storage with a useful cubby in front of the gear lever, but the door pockets are disappointingly short and half of the glovebox is taken up by the fuse panel.

The DS3 builds on the interior seen in the 2010 C3, with a similar layout and style. But the quality and finish is a step above its counterpart and features such as the glossy dash panel which can be chosen in a variety of colours, add to a more elegant appearance. Other elements such as the chrome-rimmed instrument clusters with their neat back-lit dials and the thick, flat-bottomed steering wheel combine to create an upmarket feel. There are some criticisms, such as the somewhat fiddly stereo, but the rest of the controls are well laid out and easy to use. The driving position is very good too with plenty of adjustment in both the steering column and the driver's seat.