As a kid I would have watched a lot of American TV where every second car on the box would be a convertible and in my naivety I would wonder why there were oh-so-very-few in Ireland. Of course the reason for the lack of soft-tops in this country is down to our biggest foe, the weather.
Over the years I've test driven a few convertibles, but for a number of reasons I've been reluctant to take the roof down and allow my flowing locks go free in the breeze. The first reason for my reluctance is of course the weather. Another reason is for the want of not looking like a posh git. Because there were so few of these convertibles driving around every time I saw somebody driving one my mouth always formed an expletive when they went by and I would think, "sure what would you want one of them for in this country? The weather is shocking." With this week's test drive things are a bit different, despite the weather. I've learned that times have changed a bit. The weather hasn't necessarily become better but the convertible seems to be more accepted in today's society.
This week I test drove the Citroen DS3 Cabrio, a stylish looking vehicle that has a lot to offer. It was a cold week but despite this I found patches of sunshine and I let the roof down, and although I no longer have as many flowing locks I let the open air massage my noggin.
Inside
This is a small car and although the front is very adequate the back seats will pose a problem from extra adults. This car does have three seats in the back unlike some of its rivals, but it's still tight. The question is though, why would somebody buy a car like this if they intended on ferrying adults in the back on a regular basis? The answer is, they wouldn't, so by saying that the back seats will pose a problem is pretty futile. With that said I set up my two baby-seats in the back for the week and both of my kids were very content to be in the back, especially my four year old who was astounded by the fact that I could open up the roof - no matter what the weather was like she was constantly asking me to open the roof. The roof itself is pretty cool and as strange as it sounds when it is open it is done subtly, in that passers-by wouldn't necessarily know that I was in a convertible because the soft-top is embedded between two roof pillars, so it may, to some, look like a very long sun-roof. Another nice touch about the roof is that it can be closed at speeds of up-to 120kmph and it takes just 16 seconds to close. Not bad!
Although the seats are comfortable and the dials in front of the steering wheel look great the infotainment system disappointed me. The centre console and the radio system is basic enough, even though it does come with Bluetooth connectivity, USB, etc. Now, for all of my negativity I will say one thing which is extremely positive towards this car and other Citroen cars in general, their interiors are made up of some high-quality materials, the dashboard surrounds for example are very nice and it doesn't feel like a cheap plastic interior.
Citroen tells us that the boot of this particular car offers among the best in class in terms of space, which is not something I would argue about. It offers 245 litres. There is a problem though, getting items into the boot throws up some issues. The boot opening is like a letter box and it opens with a circular motion, but because the opening doesn't stretch the width of the boot and because they opted for some strange opening dimensions you may find it difficult to get even a small suitcase into it.
Style
The DS3 Cabrio is really excelling here. This is a nice looking vehicle and personally I find it to be more stylish than the likes of the MINI or the Fiat500. It's not going for any kind of retro look. It is what it is, a modern stylish car.
To drive
I wish I could write a one word review under this section. If I were to write such a review the one word I would use would be "Vroom", because it best describes the 155 hp that comes with this car. That's a lot of horses for such a small vehicle and putting the foot down is a nice feeling. On the open road this is wonderful. It can be bumpy on the N-roads, but that didn't massively bother me. The steering could do with a bit of fine tuning, I didn't find it as responsive as I'd like.
As you would expect from a cabriolet like this road noise can be a bit of an issue and when you are cruising at motorway speeds this is noticeable, but again this raises the question that if something like this would bother you then don't buy a soft-top.
The engine of the vehicle I tested is a 1.6l four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and it will offer you 0-100kmph in 7.4 seconds. In terms of torque according to Citroen it offers 240Nm of torque at 1,400-4,000rpm. Citroen tells us that the top speed of this particular vehicle is 212kmph. It is available in the form in which I have tested but you can also opt for a VTi 82 engine (1.2l three-cylinder) or you can go for a 1.6 HDI 90 engine.
Prices, CO2, etc.
What I drove will set you back €26,545 and you will pay more for certain options. Starting price for the DS3 Cabrio is €21,195 and its main competitor would be the 500C and the MINI Convertible. I drove their THP 155 manual DSport. In terms of CO2 it burns 135g/km which means it falls into category B2 and at today's tax rates it should cost you €280 per annum.
The CBG.ie verdict
This car is a little cracker and it is great fun to drive. Entry level price is a little lower than a MINI which makes it more affordable. I very much like the design of the vehicle but I would like to see the model I drove with a better infotainment system. Another plus for the vehicle is the soft roof, I like the fact there are three opening settings and the fact that it can be opened and closed at speeds up to 120kmph. The boot confuses me, Citroen say that it offer best in class luggage space, the only problem is getting that luggage in.
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