Citroën DS3 Test Drive: A 2010 World Cup Memory
During the 2010 Soccer World Cup, I invited some friends over for a braai. Justin, a Sales Manager at Citroën, arrived in his DS3. We were all captivated by its design as he pulled up to the house.
This car was truly setting its own trends; everything about it looked original and not a copy of other cars, and it looked good. I asked Justin if I could take it for a test drive the following week.
On test drive day, I took a friend, Rodney (pictured), with me. We drove our usual route to Sibaya and back, but this time, we took the M4. I drove to Sibaya, and Rod drove back.
The car came with a comprehensive list of standard features; optional extras were mainly for styling. It featured a 1.6-litre turbocharged 115kW engine, producing 240Nm of torque, coupled with a 6-speed gearbox. The suspension setup was more than adequate for the car’s power.
I drove the route from Durban North to Sibaya on the M4. I was eager to experience the gears, but I had to hold back a bit because this car was incredibly quick! In a blink of an eye, I was flying up the M4, and I hadn’t even reached 4th gear. I couldn’t suppress my smile, and it stayed with me even after we returned to the office. This car was awesome!
Things got a bit shaky when we passed Umhlanga; there was a bumpy section of the M4, and the car started to bounce a bit. However, a little evasive action and throttle control quickly rectified the situation.
We arrived at Sibaya, and Rod took over. As I expected, he couldn’t stop smiling either. He had a good opportunity to open it up on the N2 back to Umhlanga. As a passenger, I didn’t feel a thing; the car was smooth, the engine wasn’t too noisy, and if I hadn’t looked at the speedometer, I wouldn’t have guessed our speed.
Overall, this is a great car, and at approximately R250,000, it’s worth every penny. Rod wanted to buy one, but his father said “no.” Rod had to listen. The car came with a standard service plan, which could be converted to a maintenance plan. This car gets a thumbs up from me! 🙂
It runs a 1.6l turbocharged 115kw engine, and 240nm of torque with a 6 speed gearbox. The suspension setup was more than adaquate for the power in the little car.