► We drive the all-new DS3 Performance
► Sharper looks, Torsen diff and 205bhp
► Remember, don’t call it a Citroën!
Completing the full set of makeovers since the DS brand threw off the shackles of sharing headed notepaper with Citroën, the DS3 supermini has been given a tickle. The bestselling DS receives a sharper look concentrated on the ‘DS Wings’ grille, some updated tech and further personalisation options. But as we’re a nation of hot-hatch lovers in addition to being the world’s biggest DS3 market, of particular interest is this new Performance version.
Unlike the limited edition DS3 Racing that preceded it, the Performance is a regular model, with a more rounded brief. DS has recalibrated the dampers, revised the springs, fiddled with anti-roll bars and added a Torsen limited-slip diff. The result is 15mm lower than standard yet intended to be more of a ‘grand tourer’ than the Racing – or the 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport, which donates its 205bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine.
It certainly looks the business – though how many will be brave enough to fork out a further £2k for the ‘Performance Black’ in its matte-black-with-gold-roof livery remains to be seen. The square Performance badge motif is quirky and the optional graphics packs appeal to the self-differentiating aesthete, while the minimal gap between tyre edge and wheelarch suggests a fervour of purpose, if also a limited degree of compliance. Hold that thought.
As well as adopting new touchscreen infotainment, the interior gains bucket seats without sacrificing any of the awkwardness in the DS3’s driving position; somehow the gearlever is never where you want it to be. Once apprehended, it stirs a ’box happily equipped with shorter ratios, but occasionally only reluctantly. Similarly, the Brembo front brake calipers deliver plenty of bite but with an initial sharpness that can be difficult to modulate.
Though the Performance comes as both hatchback and convertible you’d have to be a committed melanoma enthusiast indeed to put up with the shuddering discomfort wrought upon the latter by the unsettling suspension tuning. It’s hard to fathom that the DS is supposedly ‘everyday’ driving friendly versus the ‘extreme’ 208 GTi.
This sort of uncompromising demeanour is fine in a car like the sublime Fiesta ST, but in the DS3 it quickly becomes annoying because the rest of the experience is so flat. For all that the engine does offer crisp response and impressive depths of muscularity, it never sounds exciting, and though it grips hard and rolls little there’s no spark to the steering, no thrilling edge to the handling. Sadly, it’s another DS we’re resigned to categorising as an also-ran.
The specs: DS3 Performance
Price: £20,495
Engine: 1598cc 16v turbo 4-cyl, 205bhp @ 6000rpm, 221lb ft @ 3000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive with LSD
Performance: 6.5sec 0-62mph, 143mph, 52.3mpg, 125g/km CO2
Weight: 1175kg
On sale: Now
Love: Loud looks, muscular engine
Hate: Bumpy ride, recalcitrant gearbox
Verdict: Feisty, but no Fiesta ST
Rating: ***
Read more from the May 2016 issue of CAR magazine