2014 Citroen DS3 DSport Cabrio BlueHDi 120 first drive

Citroen’s rag-roofed DS3 Cabrio now comes equipped with PSA Peugeot-Citroen’s latest BlueHDI 120 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine.

The engine is a new addition to the DS3 Cabrio range, fresh from its roll-out in other flagship PSA products, including the Peugeot 308 and Citroen DS5.

It’s an impressive engine on paper, mixing outputs of 118bhp and 210lb ft of torque with combined fuel economy of 78.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 94g/km. In a car that’s generally quite likeable in its class, it could be a good match.

As compact convertibles go, this one’s quite decent. It gets a nod of approval in most departments; for a car of its type, it rides and handles okay, the engine’s performance is easily accessible and economy is good.

That engine is at its strongest at lower revs. It’s brisk off the line and through the gears, although there’s not much point revving it beyond 3000rpm as the torque drops off. The six-speed manual gearbox has a pleasingly slick shift. Economy in the 50s is easily achievable even with a heavier right foot.

Refinement could be better, mind. The retractable cloth roof means there’s plenty of noise coming into the cabin at higher speeds, and the engine is vocal under acceleration. Something to waft silently through long summer nights in this is not.

You shouldn’t be looking at a compact convertible for the last word in dynamic performance, but this DS3 Cabrio is acceptable enough to drive. The ride is typically comfortable enough but has a habit of crashing badly over rutted surfaces, due to its combination of sports suspension, 17in alloys and absence of a roof. 

The chassis is stiff enough for there to be no nasty surprises in the handling. The steering is quick and offers decent feedback, and it’s surprisingly agile. Thankfully the bad old days of heavy, folding hard-top small convertibles which were largely dreadful to drive are largely behind us. 

Elsewhere, it’s typical DS3 Cabrio, with looks that show no sign of aging after a recent update, an interesting cabin and plenty of customisation potential. 

If you’re sold on the way it looks – and many will be – then there are no deal-breakers in the way it drives, although the petrol versions are nicer to drive and more in keeping with the car’s character.

This DS3 Cabrio isn’t cheap, though, because of that diesel engine (even more reason to buy the petrol), but then neither are its rivals. A Mini Cooper D convertible is roughly the same money in an equivalent trim level. A Fiat 500 convertible is cheaper but smaller. In a class like this more than most, personal taste will win out. 

Citroen DS3 DSport Cabrio BlueHDi 120

Price £21,415; Price as tested £23,895; 0-62mph 10.4sec; Top speed 118mph; Economy 78.5mpg; CO2 94g/km; Kerb weight 1275kg; Engine 4 cyls, 1560cc, turbodiesel; Power 118bhp at 3500rpm; Torque 210lb ft at 1750rpm; Gearbox 6-spd manual