DS 3 Cabrio (2013 – 2019) Review

The DS 3 Cabrio – formerly the Citroen DS3 Cabrio – isn’t a proper convertible. Instead, it’s a desirable hatchback with an electric folding canvas roof – more in the style of the Fiat 500C than the MINI Convertible. You shouldn’t see this as a negative, because there's a lot to admire about the DS 3 Cabrio, from its premium cabin to the way it drives. Launched in 2013 as a Citroen, but becoming a DS model as part of the amicable divorce of Citroen and DS Automobiles, the DS 3 Cabrio offers something different in an industry littered with identikit vehicles.

The Citroen DS3 was one of the most must-have cars of the past decade. A small hatch good enough to take on the all-conquering MINI, with avant-garde styling, a premium cabin, fun-to-drive dynamics and a range of efficient and punchy engines.

The car became the DS 3 Cabrio when DS Automobiles split from Citroen to do premium things, but the 2016 facelift did little to dilute the car’s appeal. In fact, the post-facelift cars benefit from an uplift in quality and improved tech. These are the cars to choose when you’re searching for a bargain on the used car market.

There are three ways to enjoy the DS 3 Cabrio: with the roof closed, with the roof open, or with the roof partly retracted. The electric canvas roof is operable at speeds of up to 70mph, so you don’t have to stop if you’re caught in a shower between motorway junctions.

You’ll have to make one or two sacrifices to enjoy life with a DS 3 Cabrio. Although the luggage space is reasonable for a car of this size, access to the boot isn’t, so good luck squeezing a suitcase through the narrow opening.

Things are no better in the cabin, where headroom and legroom are in short supply for anyone travelling in the back. Lowering the roof will help with the cabin, but it’ll do nothing to ease the pain in the legs. We’d suggest using the rear seats for your luggage.

With the roof open, rearward visibility is almost non-existent, so you might need the reversing camera that was optional on post-facelift models. Rear parking sensors were standard on all models, presumably because Citroen knew it would be a problem.

This is where the complaints end, because the DS 3 Cabrio is a highly appealing car. Although you won’t be able to take advantage of the three million personalisation options, it should mean that you will find a DS 3 Cabrio that’s right for you. Prices range from £4,500 for an early car to £11,000 for one of the latest DS models.

There are a range of engines to choose from, including punchy and efficient diesels, and smooth and economical petrol units. The more potent petrol engines enable the DS 3 Cabrio to give a good hatchback a run for its money.

Rivals are few and far between, but the closest competitors are the Fiat 500C and MINI Convertible. The DS 3 Cabrio is suitably different to the pair of them, so it should be on your shortlist if you’re after a classy supermini with an extra long sunroof.

The DS 3 Cabrio is just as good to drive as the standard DS 3. It helps that there’s no complex folding roof mechanism to add weight to the car. In fact, the Cabrio is just 25kg heavier than the hatchback. That’s impressive.

The steering is sharp, there’s loads of grip and you can corner with real gusto. The only negative is the ride quality, which is a little on the firm side. Avoid the 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels for the best ride comfort.

The DS 3 Cabrio Racing is worth seeking out if you fancy some topless hot hatchback fun. Only 100 were sold worldwide, but this is a hardcore and more exclusive rival to the Mini Convertible John Cooper Works.

The Citroen and DS versions were sold with a number of different versions, but you’re unlikely to be disappointed with any of them. The three-cylinder VTi 82 and four-cylinder VTi 120 are lumbered with a five-speed gearbox, so this is one reason to avoid them. The THP 155 offers hot hatchback levels of performance.

The THP 155 was replaced by THP 165 and THP 210 versions, while the old e-HDi 90 diesel engine was replaced by BlueHDi 100 and BlueHDi 120 units. We’d recommend the BlueHDi 120, not least because it’s paired with a six-speed manual gearbox.

For the best performance, find a Performance or Performance Black edition. The THP 208 engine is a cracker and a decent mainstream alternative to the rare DS 3 Cabrio Racing.

Overall, choose a diesel engine if you cover a lot of miles, or a petrol engine if you spend most of your time in the city. Avoid the five-speed manual gearboxes, especially if you drive a lot of motorway miles.

Although the DS 3 Cabrio wasn’t crash-tested by Euro NCAP, it would have achieved near identical scores to the standard DS 3. The car achieved a five-star rating when it was tested in 2009, but this was downgraded to a three-star rating when the car was crash-tested in 2017.

Active city braking was added to the DS 3 Cabrio as part of the facelift/rebadging in 2016, but the car lacks the driver assistance technology we take for granted in 2020. Rear parking sensors are standard on all models, with front parking sensors and a rear-view camera added to the options list as part of the facelift.

This is a proper case of form over function. Although you’d expect a convertible to be less practical than its tin-top equivalent, the DS 3 Cabrio falls woefully short in this category. A boot offering 245 litres of luggage space is reasonably good, but you’ll struggle to squeeze a suitcase through the narrow opening. If the roof is down, you even have to wait a few seconds for it to partly close before you can start loading.

The DS 3 Cabrio also loses marks for having hardly any rearward visibility, a small glovebox, no cupholders and few storage areas in the cabin. Getting in the back is tricky, while nobody will thank you for forcing them to sit in the middle rear seat.

If it’s just the two of you, the DS 3 Cabrio is perfectly adequate. We also like the way the roof can be operated at speeds of up to 70mph. 

Citroen was gunning for the MINI market when it launched the DS 3 Cabrio. It shows, because the cabin looks and feels like a premium product. Some of it is smoke and mirrors – there’s only so much you can do when you’re working with an existing Citroen supermini – but the feel good factor is high. This is especially true in versions built when DS Automobiles split from Citroen.

In common with the MINI, there were countless personalisation options to choose from when the car was new, helping to enhance the overall feeling of quality. You should be able to find a DS 3 Cabrio that suits your tastes.

We’d recommend a post-facelift car, as these come with a seven-inch infotainment screen with navigation as standard. Crucially, these cars also boast Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Many of the car’s functions were added to the touchscreen, removing 20 buttons from the centre console. The upgrade also included access to the MyDS smartphone app.

Some of the audio options in the Citroen version are looking very dated, so we’d recommend buying a post-facelift version if the budget allows. At launch, all cars came with a radio and CD player as standard. Bluetooth and a USB socket were only fitted to higher trim levels.

The good news is that the car is far more affordable on the used market. Early models start at around the £4500 mark, although it’s possible to find cheaper models.

These are best avoided, as they tend to have sketchy service history and many miles on the clock. Prices are stronger in the summer, so if you can wait until the winter months, you might find that you get more for your money.

The last Citroen models before the facelift cost around £7000, but for this price you should consider upgrading to the new and improved DS version. You’ll get more for your money and a noticeable uplift in quality.

There’s no difference in price between a 2016 Citroen DS 3 Cabrio and a DS version, so it pays to shop around. The most you’ll pay for a standard DS 3 Cabrio is £11,000, with some of the cars coming with the remainder of the manufacturer’s warranty. You’ll spend £15,000 to secure a DS 3 Cabrio Performance, but you’ll have to be patient, because not many were sold.

Monthly PCP deals start from around £100 for a DS version or a little less for a Citroen. This is a modest price to pay when you consider the quality of the product and the relatively low running costs. A similar budget would only be enough to secure a basic city car when buying new.

Rarely does glamour come with such low running costs. The BlueHDi diesel engines are the economy heroes, offering up to 80.7mpg on a combined cycle. Admittedly, this figure is based on the old, less reliable NEDC test, but the Honest John Real MPG data suggests that you’re likely to see 56.5mpg in the real world.

The PureTech petrol engines could deliver 57.6mpg to 65.7mpg, depending on the output and transmission. Opt for the excellent THP 165 engine and you’ll see around 38.2mpg, which is less than the 50.4mpg official figure.

Insurance costs should be reasonable, with the Citroen versions slotting into groups 12 to 29. The exception is the Racing performance model, with slots into group 36, making it difficult to insure for young drivers. The cost of insurance is roughly the same for the DS versions, although the Performance and Performance Black versions fall into group 39.

The rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) depends on when the car was registered. For a DS 3 Cabrio registered on or after 1 April 2017, you’ll pay between £155 and £175 a year. Some versions of the Citroen DS3 Cabrio cost nothing to tax, because CO2 emissions of 95g/km put them into the lowest VED band.

We’ve lost count of the number of trim levels and special editions that were available throughout the life of the DS 3 Cabrio. All cars left the factory with a good level of standard equipment, especially if you opt for a post-facelift car.

The various options and accessories means that you’re likely to find a DS 3 Cabrio that’s right for you. Enjoy the search process.