Citroen DS3

Citroen with the release of the new DS3 have produced a credible competitor for the three-door hatchback market, currently dominated by Mini, Fiat 500 and the ever-young VW Beetle. Whereas the others all have their heritage and retro styling to go with them, the Citroen DS3 is a completely independent modern car.  Typically French, stylish and fashionable the DS3 is the first in the new high-end Citroen cars.

The Citroen DS3 has lovely lines, thoroughly modern and with a sporty look to it, wide engine grills and flared front bumper and daytime running lights, which is a godsend for any travellers on the continent. It comes in a staggering 38 variations, 11 different colours, with plenty of additional patterning, border or tribal designs as added extras to personalise your Citroen.

 The roomy interior continues the trend set by the DS3 exterior, plush, contoured seats, even the rear can comfortably take two adults, but three is a bit of a squeeze. The entertainment system is good quality too, fitted with the same high quality stereo from the C3 that includes MP3 and USB connections. Other gadgets include sat nav, climate control and air conditioning.

The engines are well-built and powerful entities; choices are from the 1.4 litre or the turbocharged 1.6 litre petrol and the 1.6 turbo diesels with 91 or 110 bhp.  These make for a quite nippy little car with decent cornering.

The starting price on the road is £11,700 with the higher models going up to £15,900 and then you will have your own preferences to account for. All in all, out of the new Citroen models, the DS3 is a quality little car that will give the established models a good run for their money.