Cool down in the Citroën DS3 Cabrio

The Citroën DS3 Cabrio is a stunning looking car

If you’re feeling the heat and air conditioning or a sunroof just isn’t doing it for you then now is the perfect time to check out the Citroën DS3 Cabrio.

This little soft top is a real looker and perfect for the city on a sunny (or not so sunny) day.

I don’t think I’ve ever had so many complete strangers come up to chat to me about a car as I had with this one.

The Citroën DS3 Cabrio really is Tardis like – on the outside it looks quite dinky but has space for three in the back and we found the car comfortably seated four adults.

Legroom and headroom in the front is good and quite adequate in the back for someone of my height (5ft 5in) sitting behind a driver of my height.

The cabin in the Citroën DS3 Cabrio is much more spacious than it looks from the outside

Our pregnant passenger, on turning down an offer of the front seat, was delighted that she had no problem getting into or out of the back, overhead bars in the back making it easier.

Large wraparound rear windows also made the back seat area feel more spacious and the cleverly recessed (but small) glove compartment offered great legroom to the front seat passenger.

The retractable roof in this car is a canvas one and a number of settings allows you to choose exactly how much fresh air you’re getting. It closes in 16 seconds, at speeds of up to 120kph.

Soundproofing with the roof up is quite good and when it rains, it sounds like you’re in a tent.

The roof literally rolls back, giving options from a small sunroof-like opening at the front to having it completely open.

I found that rear visibility was restricted with the roof totally rolled back, however.

As with all of the cars in the DS range, the beautiful design of the outside of the DS3 Cabrio is carried through to the interior, with a lovely use of glossy surround and large easy to see controls.

The seats were hard wearing and comfortable and the rear ones could be folded to increase luggage space.

The boot in this car is a bit of an enigma though and it seems that aesthetics won out over practicality in the access point.

The canvas roof in the Citroën DS3 Cabrio closes in 16 seconds, at speeds of up to 120kph

The luggage space is massive for a car of this size but the beautifully designed but very small circular-up door makes it difficult to access and means that you really have to plan your packing to get the most out of the space.

The mid-range DStyle trim test car was very well specced, with cruise control, sat nav, USB, auto lights and wipers to name but a few of the available features.

While the buttons on the radio were quite fiddly, I really liked the scroll-through radio list on the control stalk on the steering wheel shaft.

Our test route kept us mostly in the city, with urban motorway thrown in as well.

The test car was fitted with Citroën’s automatic electronic gearbox system (EGS), which I’m not a big fan of as I don’t like the lag in the lower gear changes. However, you do adapt to this and the more you drive it the less you notice it. It’s not evident at all in higher gears.

It is exceptionally easy to use in the six-speed automatic mode, with just drive, reverse and neutral to think about.

However, manual mode using the gear lever (there are also paddles) suited me better and provided a much smoother drive.

The DS3 Cabrio was great in the city and on the motorway, with the eco start stop system, which cuts the engine when you’re idling in traffic, adding to its fuel efficiency.

While it wasn’t the fastest at the lights, it is a swift climber.

It was also very easy to park and the test car came with reversing sensors.

Overall, I found the Citroën DS3 cabrio to be a stunningly beautiful and spacious car and once you settle on your preferred driving mode it’s also a fun little drive.

The Citroën DS3 Cabrio is available now, with prices starting from €21,195. Prices for the mid range DStyle test car start from €25,045 with options on the car I was driving bringing it up to €27,295.

Tech Spec
Engine: eHDi 90 EGS6
Acceleration: 0-100kph in 12.5seconds
Top speed: 182kph
CO2 emissions: 99g/km
Annual road tax: €180

Visit the Citroën Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.

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