Right, please do bear with us on this, because it might get a little confusing. The sporty and stylish Citroen DS3 hatchback was launched in 2010 and enjoyed several years of success. So much success, in fact, that Citroen decided to cash in by removing its DS models (inspired by the 1950s classic) from the regular Citroen lineup, spinning them off into a new prestige sub-brand known as DS. 2016 was the year this happened, so while the car began the year known as the Citroen DS3, by the end of the same year, it was called simply the DS 3 (note the extra space between the letters and number).

Strengths:

Individualistic, sporty styling
Lots of personalisation options
Fun to drive

Weaknesses:

Hard ride will be too harsh for some
Rear seats tight for space and hard to get at
‘Cabriolet’ model is just a hatchback with a big sunroof

Is the 2016 Citroen DS3 better than the 2016 MINI Hatchback?

Both cars are small and stylish, compact on space, strong on interior quality and fun to drive. You have to make compromises on ride comfort with both cars, but the compromise with the MINI is slightly less severe, and overall, it’s the sharper car to drive, too.