Citroen DS3 Cabrio

Six word summary

Fun, but more style over substance

What is it?

Citroën has taken the guillotine to the DS3 to lop off the roof and create an open-top version to take on the Fiat 500C and MINI Convertible. The extended sunroof design is intended to retain body strength while letting the rays pour in, and the Cabrio comes offered with the same vast array of personalisation options as the hatch.

What’s it like?

Losing your head in France used to be all too easy. Call yourself a noble or claim a title and you’d soon never need the services of a barber ever again. The Citroën DS3 Cabrio, however, is a much less grizzly way to lose the head if you like to topless commes les francaises.

Rather than decapitate the whole roof from the DS3 hatch, Citroën has followed the example of the Fiat 500C and blessed its Cabrio with a retracting canvas hood. The doors and rear windows remain the same as the DS3 hatch’s, so there’s no loss of practicality.

Citroën bills the DS3 Cabrio as the only five-seat convertible in its class, but you’d be hard pressed to squeeze three on to the rear bench. However, the 245-litre boot is a decent size and beats the Fiat 500C’s and MINI Convertible’s.

Convertibles are not about practical considerations, though, they are about fun and the DS3 delivers a healthy dose of this vital ingredient. It looks good and is available in huge choice of colours, as well as the roof being offered in three different hues, so you’re unlikely to pull up at the lights next to an identical DS3 Cabrio. There’s also a reasonable amount of standard kit, including cruise control, electric windows and rear parking sensors, which are needed when the roof is folded as it obliterates all rearward vision in the rear view mirror or over the driver’s shoulder.

Folding the roof is simple and achieved at the touch of a button. It only takes a few seconds to let the fresh air in and the advantage of the DS3 Cabrio’s design is you get less buffeting from the wind at higher speeds than in a more exposed drop-top. It’s more than enough for the DS3 to feel like a full convertible, but it’s a shame the Cabrio has lost some of the hatch’s driving verve in the process.

The suspension stumbles and jolts over bumps, sending the occasional shiver through the car’s body and giving an unpleasant ride quality. This impacts on the handling, which allows the DS3 Cabrio to skitter over bumps when you want it to bite into a corner. The steering is also short on feel, so a MINI is by far the better driver’s car.

For cruising in town and enjoying the sun when it pokes out, the DS3 Cabrio is ideal and the driver is well looked after with a comfy seating position. Roof up, the DS3 Cabrio is quiet, but you need to upgrade to DStyle trim or above to gain standard air conditioning.

The DS3 Cabrio is likeable, but you can’t help feeling Citroen should have kept their heads on a bit more when sorting the way the car drives.

Verdict

The idea of the Citroën DS3 Cabrio has a great deal of allure, but the execution is not quite as successful due to the jolting suspension and dreary steering feel. However, it looks good, has the same cabin space as the hatch and there’s a panoply of options to make it your own.