Pricing

Ask for the cheapest DS 3 E-Tense at one of the brand's ‘Salons’ and you will be expected to hand over £37,200. That will either seem about right when compared to something ‘premium’ like a MINI Electric or like a load of money for a car which is based on a Corsa.

It starts to look a little more flakey as you head to the top of the range, where the price tips over £42,000. That sort of money will buy you all sort of bigger and more technically impressive electric cars so you’d need to really love the DS 3’s styling and quilted diamonds to splash out that amount. Most DS 3s will be bought on some sort of finance of course, but even these aren't cheap. The cheapest deal we could find through DS's Online Store was £615 per month including a £500 contribution from the manufacturer.

Running costs

Electric cars have tiny running costs generally, and the DS 3 will benefit from lower fuel, tax and maintenance. Plug in to charge at home and it will cost about six quid to charge, which is about quarter of the cost of fuelling a petrol car to cover the same distance. 

Servicing is also about £50 per year cheaper and road tax is free too. Choose the DS as your company car and you’ll see massive savings compared to a conventional car. Benefit in kind taxation rules mean you only pay 2% tax per year on the electric version until 2025, saving hundreds or even thousands.But there are a couple of care points around the DS 3 when comparing it to other EVs – the first is the insurance. It’s been lumped into groups 35 to 38, which is the same cars like the Range Rover and much higher than the petrol versions. The second is depreciation – if you are buying outright, the DS 3 doesn’t hold its value as well as rivals. This will also have an effect on the finance payments you’ll be paying if using a lease or PCP.