Practicality and Boot Space

The driver and front seat passenger are pretty well catered for in this DS, only spoiled by a lack of stowage space for the detritus of modern life. In the back the news isn’t quite so good, and taller occupants will find the roof rubbing against their scalp and legroom a little tight too. It will be fine for children, but they’re likely to complain about the small windows. The reversed shark fins on the bodywork will ruin their view and make I-Spy spotting almost impossible.

The boot is bigger than cars like the MINI Electric and the Peugeot e-208, but not huge for this class, especially when the seats are folded. A Kia Niro EV is a more practical choice if you need to carry stuff regularly.

Technology

As you might expect from a car which considers itself ‘premium’ there is a decent amount of kit to play with on the cheapest DS 3 E-Tense, and DS has added even more features for this new 2023 model. Entry-level cars get a new 10.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-inch digital driver’s display, and cruise control. Posher versions get an upgraded infotainment system called ‘DS Iris’ with 3D navigation and ‘natural’ voice recognition, just like you find on the latest DS 4 and DS 9. Oddly, for a premium model, features such as a head-up display are costly options on most trim levels, except the expensive range-topping ones, but all cars do come with the MyDS App which gives access to remote charging and air conditioning.

Safety

The new DS 3 hasn’t been tested by independent crash testers EuroNCAP, and probably won’t be as it’s just an updated model. The previous version received a full five-star safety rating and a decent score for occupant protection (96% for those in the front). It did well thanks to having an accident prevention safety kit fitted as standard across the range. Gadgets like lane departure warning, automatic braking and blind spot alerts are all fitted. The DS3 also has Active Cruise Control so it can maintain a speed while keeping a safe distance to the car in front and keeping the car in the centre of its lane.