When Citroën re-introduced the name DS with the DS3, it only had one real competitor, which was the 3-door Mini.
We're ten years further now and DS is a standalone brand, a new DS 3 has been released in the form of the Crossback,
and it's a compact SUV which is incredibly premium. So it faces off with a Mini once again; the Countryman.
Let me start with taking away all of your doubts. The DS 3 Crossback isn't a rebadged C3 Aircross, Crossland X or 2008.
PSA has given this newcomer the honor of launching the new EMP1- platform, and thus this car is technologically different than the others.
It has a slightly bigger wheelbase than the C3 Aircross but at the same time, it's shorter and lower.
The shape of the body is different as well. It has a relatively long nose and a straight up windshield.
Then there's the styling. DS isn't afraid to use a lot of lines or gimmicks, and that's why the DS 3 Crossback has a busy design.
Especially the nose is filled with gimmicks. Take the LED-strips underneath the remarkable headlights for example. It's a matter of taste.
The Mini Countryman doesn't have a clean design either. If you look long enough, you'll find all of the details as well.
However, Mini uses a different approach than DS. The British still look at the past, whilst DS has found a new way.
In the interior, there's a similar split in design. The Mini is still recognizable as a Mini,
which is mostly because of the big dial in the middle. Nowadays however, it's a big screen, but it's still very present in the middle.
The quality feeling inside is very good. You'll notice in everything that it's not some kind of cheap SUV or anything.
A lot of different materials have been used and sometimes, design seems to have been more important than functionality.
That means you've got to look a little longer for certain buttons, but when you find them, they look really good.
The DS 3 feels very special as well. PSA hasn't just leathered up an existing dashboard. Instead, their designers got carte blanche for their design.
The designers in turn chose to focus on a diamond shape, which is found in everything.
It starts over here with this pattern, which is full of buttons and vents.
The infotainment also has diamond shaped features, just like other parts of this car.
With that, it's a very consequent design feature. Again, it's a matter of taste, but if you like it, the finishing is remarkably good.
The qualitative feeling is very good, just like in the Mini. This just might be a tad better because of the special leather.
This La Premiere-version has very nice stitching. Very good indeed.
Something less good is the infotainment system. DS has clearly draped their own sauce on it, but it's still the same old and slow PSA-system.
If you touch it, there's too much time inbetween the reaction and your touch. That's unfortunate. There's a digital instrument cluster...
which looks very good and which can house your satnav, but that's about it. It has limited capabilities.
Just like in the DS 3, we already know the Mini's system from other products. Luckily, it's a BMW-system, which is better than PSA's system.
You're still looking a lot for certain functions, but the reactions are quick and you're able to choose.
You can choose it as touchscreen or use the famous BMW iDrive-button, which works just as well in here.
If we take a look at the rest of the interior, it stands out that the Mini, for the first time ever, is the bigger car in a comparison.
That's because the Countryman is bigger in every way than the DS 3, which translates in more luggage space and more space on the rear seat.
On the other hand, if space is what you want, I can tell you that this money buys better and more spacious cars.
Up until now, the DS 3 Crossback is keeping up pretty neatly with the Mini Countryman, but when it comes to the drive,
Mini has a name to uphold. Of course, a higher Mini is less dynamic than a 3-door, but you know it's sporty focused nonetheless.
It reacts incredibly direct to steering changes. If you even dare to look at the steering wheel, it already moves a little.
It remains nice and stable in corners, and because this is a Cooper S, the throttle response is very good as well.
In this case, it's powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder producing 192 horsepower, which is a lot more than the DS 3. And it's more than enough for this Mini.
There's a downside to that sportivity. If you encounter a lot of imperfections, you'll be sick of them quick enough.
The direct steering is a matter of taste as well. It's a choice made by Mini, so buyers have to choose for it as well.
DS makes a very clear choice as well when it comes to the drive of their cars. However, it's the complete opposite of Mini's choice.
DS admits that sportivity isn't among the key characteristics. Instead, DS cars are supposed to be comfortable, and the DS 3 Crossback...
surely delivers. That's not because it feels like a waterbed, but because there's a certain comfort in the cabin.
You can feel imperfections, but the ease returns very quickly. Also, the car is surprisingly quiet.
With that, the car is incredibly quiet. The quietness is partly because of the engine and gearbox. With the latter not being the quickest gearbox ever,
but that's not a bad thing. It's not a sporty car after all. It's never annoying either. In this strongest version of the DS 3 Sportback,
we have the famous 1.2 PureTec 3-cylinder engine, which produces 155 horsepower. So no sporty S-, RS-, or M-versions for DS.
That's a lot less than in the Cooper S, but still a lot for a car this size.
So yeah it isn't as quick as the Mini, but it's still powerful enough if you're not looking for sportiness.
That both of these cars were going to be costly won't be a surprise to you, but the exact prices might hit you as a train.
This particular DS 3 Crossback will set you back almost €48.000, whilst the Mini is over €50.000. Those are enormous amounts,
but they could be cheaper. If the DS 3 wins from the Countryman, is still a surprise. I can't say that yet, but the DS 3 surprised me.
Its interior and adult driving characteristics impressed me. When it comes to alternatives for the Mini, the DS 3 is a very good one.