Scrunchy roof brings extra breeze
without spoiling a good hatch
OK, let’s get the bad tidings out of the
way first. The DS3 Cabrio doesn’t really cut it as a convertible. There’s a lot
of structure around you that occludes wide chunks of celestial real estate.
Rolling back the roof is more like opening a giant sunroof than going properly
topless.
The
new DS3 Cabrio is a logical extension of the successful DS brand
But let’s face it, people in Britain just
adore making a gesture the moment the sun poles out. When those sunlit moments
arrive, the DS3 Cabrio is more than open enough to enter into the spirit of
things. And when the rain returns, the electric roof mechanism is operable up
to 75mph, so, if a downpour hits on the motorway, you don’t have to get
drenched all the way to the next junction.
Small cabrios, whether they have a full
canvas roof or a folding hard one, tend to be woefully wobbly, heavy, cramped
and short of boot space. They often look awkward with it and where’s the
glamour then?
The
DS3 Cabrio is more than open enough to enter into the spirit of things
The DS3 roll-top suffers none of that. It
looks like a DS3 (good), has the same three-belt rear seat, and although the
noise from truck tires on the inside lane does disrupt things, it’s far from
unbearable. Best of all, it still drives like a DS3. The Cabrio weighs just
25kg more than the hatch, and it’s as rigid what stiffness is lost to the
canvas is regained by replacing the hatch’s papier mâché parcel shelf with some
steel braces.
The
folding roof adds to the DS3’s appeal
So the sweet and game 1.6 turbo petrol
engine in this THP 155 version is still able to provide convincing motivation.
And because the body isn’t flexing and flopping about, the suspension and
steering ensure the handling keeps the playfulness we know and love. The ride’s
a bit bobbly but still detectably supple.
Basic goodness unmolested, we can now
examine what’s new. The boot lid opens upward in a neat parallelogram motion,
and above it is a heated-glass rear screen. The view backward is OK, unless
it’s the sort of weather when you’d need a rear wiper, because there isn’t one.
Control
system
Normal procedure for open driving is to
slide the canvas back so it concertinas above that rear screen. At the front,
there’s a pop-up wind deflector above the sun visors which quells the worst of
the turbulence. Press the roof button again, and the rear screen hinges forward
to lie on the parcel shelf, and the canvas motors back to take its place. This
totally blanks the view rearwards. It also looks a bit silly from outside.
And that’s about it. The Cab will cost
about $3,750 more than the corresponding hatch, an brings a neat extra trick to
the DS3 without any other penalty.
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The specs
Citroen DS3 Cabrio DSport THP 155
§ The numbers: 1598cc, 4cyl, FWD,
155bhp, 240lb ft, 47.8mpg, 137g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 7.4secs,
132mph, 1156kg
§ The cost: $29,400 approx.
§ The verdict: Doesn’t give you much of
an open-air feeling, but at least the canvas doesn’t mess up one of our
favorite small cars
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