First drive: the new DS 3, a Citroen no more

The new DS 3, eh? How exactly do you define 'new'?

Good question. The name is new, for this is the artist formerly known as Citroen DS3. Now DS has become a standalone marque, the model name contracts to just ‘3’.

That's the name. What about the car?

A new brand-specific grille is fitted, with chrome surrounds. It seems to cheer its countenance from a frown to a smile. Inside, the refresh brings a standard colour touchscreen across the range.

This means there's no need to go high-spec to get sat nav: just pay £100 for the 'mirror screen' option and you can use your phone's maps via Apple CarPlay or MirrorLink for Android. Plus there’s a general upscaling: no more hubcaps, and there are new colours and trims too.

No mechanical changes at all?

The three-cylinder petrol engine can now be had with 130bhp as well as the previous 110. Bear in mind that during its life as a Citroen, this car got several powertrain upgrades for performance and economy alongside mild aesthetic tweaks.

What about the DS3 Racing?

In a few weeks there will be hot hatch. The DS 3 Performance has 210bhp and a wider-track and stiffer suspension, a bit like the Racing, and on top of that it has a limited-slip differential for making proper use of all that power. Plus it's a permanent version, not a limited edition, and has more luxury kit. How it drives we cannot yet say as they're not building it yet.

What can you say?

That the little 1.2-litre 130bhp three-cylinder petrol is good for smiles. It's melodic when you want to hear it and quiet when you don't. Turbo lag is pared down to the minimum and there's real shove from below 2,000rpm. Pity it hits such a rigid limiter at 6,000rpm - it feels like it wants to go higher.

The figures are 0-62 in 8.9sec and a mere 105g/km CO2. It's bolted to a six-speed box with a quick if slightly wispy shift.

And they didn't touch the chassis?

No, but we always liked the DS3, and with this lightweight engine it's more agile than ever. The steering is alive and the cornering nicely biddable. The ride's fundamentally supple, but there can be a bit of audible thump and flutter at times.

But behind the new name, the car's getting on a bit isn't it?

Technically, it's not a lot more than a three-door version of the Citroen C3. And the C3 will shortly be replaced, with an all-new platform underneath. Actually, elements of the DS 3 platform go back to the first-gen C3 and C2. They can trace back to 2002.

You're making it sound decrepit.

Didn't mean to. The looks, inside and out, are wearing well. The latest connectivity options do just enough to keep the cabin on the pace. The engines are perfectly modern and it's mostly fun to drive.

Overall, it's not as polished as a Mini, but the prices are keen and the options substantially cheaper. It still sells well too. Without the 3, DS would be looking like a sales disaster. With it, the brand will be able to hold on until a new crossover arrives next year.