Day 1 – Citroen DS3 DSport Cabrio THP 155 – Let’s see it
The fabulous Citroen DS3 DSport Cabrio was delivered to me whilst I waited with much anticipation. I drove the DS3 DSport just last month and I loved it, I was very keen to see how converting the already captivating DS3 DSport into a cabriolet was going to change things.
Once the car turned up, I jumped straight in and hit the roof off button. Did it give the car a different feel? Of course it did, I will explain in more detail below. The first impression of the car as a whole was great. I loved the icy silver paint work, black and chrome wheels and blue roof. This in my opinion was the ultimate configuration for the DS3 DSport.
Day 2 – The sun is out, let’s test it out!
Ok, jump in, wind back the roof at the touch of a button, and let’s hit the road. You can read here about my 7 days with the awesome DS3 DSport hard top, but does it work in a cabriolet, or as Citroen say a Cabrio? Citroen claim that the DSport Cabrio is one second slower from 0 to 60mph, at 8.2 seconds but I couldn’t tell that at all. The car felt just as fast as the hard top version.
With the roof down, on a sunny day it really does put the icing on the cake for enjoying the driving experience. And one of the great things about being a Cabriolet rather than a complete drop top version, is that you still get the windows and A, B, C pillars around you, so you don’t feel too exposed, you feel protected and the wind is kept completely outside of the car.
Day 3 – What has changed?
Other than the cloth roof, the other major change on this car is the boot. To cater for the additional functionality of a collapsing roof Citroen were not able to keep the conventional hatch boot, and a small amount of boot space was used. So what you do get is this super cool looking gliding up boot panel that covers the back window. I can’t think of any other car which boot opens like this, so it is pretty unique. However the down sides to it are that the hole you put things through is pretty small, and it is a little impractical for seeing what you have in there at times. But still, it is a cabriolet and you still have a useable boot. Not a bad job if you ask me.
Day 4 – How does losing the roof change you?
4 days into the test drive, and I had found myself having the roof off every day, just to understand the benefits and drawbacks of course! You do find that any passengers you have will automatically stick their hands in the air to enjoy the extra space, which is strange…but everyone does it, and I guess it just shows that it isn’t that common to have an open top car.
Having the removable roof is not only a lot of fun, it is also really useful. You can just swing your bag or jacket onto the back seat through the roof, I have no idea why this was some compelling to do, but I guess you just want to make the most of having a car that has the soft top functionality.
Day 5 – Photo shoot fresh!
The sun was out and it was a great chance to capture some pictures of the DS3 Cabrio, after a quick clean the car was back at its best. Studying the car you notice lots of finer details that you may not have picked up without getting right up close. I really liked the LED daylight running lights and how deeply they have been scraped back into the bumper. The headlight design is immensely complex, and houses a lot of details that look great, but it can only be fully appreciated up close. It’s safe to say that Citroen have put a lot of time and effort into perfecting the DS3 body design.
Take a look through the roof and you will see that super funky DS3 interior that looks even more impressive with a bit more light on it. My particular favourite point is the carbon fibre effect dashboard that will never get old.
Day 6 – Taking a weekend trip
It’s a bank holiday and like most, I went away for the weekend. I packed 2 people’s worth of stuff into the boot, except one suitcase which fitted nicely on the back seat. Setting off I then took the joyful DSport on a blast down the motorway. The punchy 1.6-litre turbo engine is great on the motorway, and the cruise control and decent sound system make the travel a little bit easier, which I adore. You do notice a little bit noise from the traffic, because of the cloth roof, but this isn’t a serious issue and was better than I had anticipated.
Day 7 – When the weather turns bad
Returning from our trip the weather was terrible with heavy rain and winds. But I’m happy to report that the DS3 was fine inside, there appeared to be no compromise on insulation to the cabin. With the heaters on, I felt just as comfortable as I did in the hard top. Although, it’s safe to say, I kept the roof on for the entire day.
This did prove that the DS3 Carbio is suitable for the typically wet English weather, and will make you appreciate the sun even more when we do get some.
Summary – Great Sporty Small Citroen
During the week with the DS3 Cabrio I managed to do over 400 miles, and I can easily say I would do another 4000 with this car, and be just as excited about it. It’s fun to drive, fun to look at, and there is plenty of fun to be had with your friends in it. The DS3 DSport as a sporty hatch is perfect, and the Cabrio is another great option to unlock a little more fun out of the car. If you are after a hot hatch, and like the idea of the sun of your skin whilst cruising along, then the Cabrio is the way to go.
Supplied By: Citroen
Citroen DS3 DSport Cabrio THP 155 7 Day Diary
