I don’t like to sound too provincial, but one of the things that I enjoy about visiting the Big Smoke, Old Father Thames’ place, London town, it’s the people watching, the sitting on the Tube watching all those strange people who dwell within the city streets. The insecure, the try-hards, the fashion victims. They’re all a bit DS3.
Perhaps you’ll see through my blatant attempt to coin a new phrase, but Citroen’s latest car is sat on the Circle line wearing 8-inch platform shoes and a weird Gaga-esque PVC catsuit. This is because it’s a bit keen to be noticed.
Now don’t get me wrong here - underneath the glossy of-the-moment exterior there is a nice car...the C3, in fact, but Citroen has decided to wheel out the DS name as a signifier of cool. And the DS3 is quite cool, in a self-aware sort of way. I like those aimless B-pillars, the jaunty coloured roof and the gimp mask dashboard – and they’ve almost managed to out-Mini the Mini with the prodigious list of options to personalise your DS3.
The DS isn’t as darty as, say, a Twingo, but it’s less likely to do your head in. It’s not as fun to drive as a Mini, but you won’t be needing a spine replacement after an extended bout of reasonable driving. It feels big inside, and grown-up. Which is nice, because you
can be cool and grown-up at the same time. Not all sexy shoes need to make your feet bleed.
Yes, it’s not as single-minded as some of the hotter hatches out there, but do you know what? I think it would make a thoroughly pleasant prospect for day-to-day running. But not much longer than 12 months mind, because it will long since have ceased being fashionable by then.