SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.
*To read one of our road tests, just select from the menu on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.


We drive Citroën’s entry-level DS3, the VTi 82 Design

Gutsy price leader

Published in Weekend Witness Motoring on Saturday July 13, 2013

The world of motorcars is very competitive, fraught with perceptions both positive and negative, and extremely sensitive to price points. In order to break in below the psychological R200 000 barrier, Citroën released a slightly stripped version of its luxurious and customisable little DS3 this past February. While it was at it, the company released news that these models had overturned a long-held South African truism as well.

The price barrier was broken by introducing a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, PureTech petrol engine that puts out 60 kW of power and 118 Nm of torque from a ridiculously low (for a naturally aspirated unit) 2750 rpm. Its gearbox is a five-speed manual unit. In order to cut costs further, Citroën deleted the air conditioner, alarm system and the USB connector with Bluetooth although these, an alarm and LED running lights, can be added back in a Style pack priced at R16 990. Alloy wheels remain optional.

The truism, or negative perception that Citroën parts are expensive, was turned on its head with news that sister car DS3 1.6 VTi had scored very well in the 2012 edition of the Kinsey Reports parts pricing survey. Not only was its parts basket comfortably the lowest in its market segment as a percentage of the retail price of the car (22,92 percent) but the total Rand value of all items was the third lowest  in that particular group of 11 popular vehicles.

The Citroën fared particularly well in the section for ‘crash’ parts – an area where there is still a perception that the brand is expensive. For example, it had the cheapest headlight, air conditioner condenser and radiator; items often damaged in frontal collisions.  The bonnet was also very competitively priced, while at the other end of the car, its tail light assembly was second cheapest of all.

For most of us air conditioning, music interfaces and Bluetooth are not negotiable, so the Citroën fleet manager very wisely included the Style pack on our test car. The air cooler and purifier is a basic unit with simple rotary controls and no pretence at automation. You guess where any temperatures warmer than frigid should be and dial them in; just like in the old days. The RDS radio and CD player, to which connectivity is added, is the same six-speaker and MP3-compatible surround sound unit fitted to more upmarket models.

We hear you already: “Oh-ohh, only three cylinders and just 1200 cc. It must be gutless.” Not so. This is the same engine described in our launch report on the new Peugeot 208. Remember us saying it felt almost as if it was turbocharged because maximum torque kicked in at such low revs? With one reservation, this thing pulls like a pit pony in all gears and still has enough grunt in top gear at 120 km/h to tackle slight inclines without needing to change down. The reservation is that first gear feels a bit too high for easy take-off. You need a few more revs than normal to get going easily. One or two teeth fewer on the bottom cog would probably fix it.

In keeping with the DS brand’s upmarket image, standard equipment on this one includes the usual ABS brakes with EBD and ESP, six airbags, ISOFix anchorages, automatic drive-away locking, electrically powered windows and mirrors, cruise control, fog lights in front, height adjustment for the driver’s seat and a reach- and height adjustable steering wheel.

Getting practical, a fairly deep boot measuring 285 litres under the parcel shelf expands with seatbacks folded to 980 litres up to the roof. The steering needs just over three rotations from lock to lock and it has a 10,3-metre turning circle for nimble city driving. Vision out to the sides is comfortable because the rear windows are nicely shaped, although the back screen could be a little bigger. Let’s simply say that the back seat is best reserved for smaller people, although three belts and head restraints are provided.

Those in front fare better. There’s plenty of space, firm but comfortable seats, easy-to-use controls and reasonable storage even though the cubby remains typically French and tiny, despite its huge lid. To gladden the hearts of those who insist, a rest is provided for the clutch foot.

As an entry-level small luxury car that just sneaks in under the R200 000 barrier, this DS3 is worth considering.

Test car from Citroën SA press fleet

The numbers
Price: R199 900 basic, R216 890 as tested
Engine: 1199 cc, inline three-cylinder
Power: 60 kW at 5750 rpm
Torque: 118 Nm at 2750 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 12,3 seconds
Maximum: 174 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 5,8 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km; with roadside assistance
Service plan: 4 years/60 000 km
Extended warranty and maintenance plan available

To see other DS3 reports, please visit our Citroen pages. Go to the menu on the left, hover your cursor over 'Citroen' and choose from the drop-down menu.

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

My reviews and launch reports appear on Thursdays in the Wheels supplement to The Witness, South Africa's oldest continuously running newspaper, and occasionally on Saturdays in Weekend Witness as well. I drive eight to ten vehicles each month, most months of the year (except over the festive season) so not everything gets published in the paper. Those that are, get a tagline but the rest is virgin, unpublished and unedited by the political-correctness police.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

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