What is it?
An ambitious and, let’s face it, rather questionable attempt to blend Parisian style with hot hatch substance. To DS, the idea of creating a DS 3 Performance sans roof makes sound business sense. Us Brits have an insatiable appetite for convertibles and a long-standing affection for hot hatches, so clearly combining the two would result in a best seller, right? Well, perhaps.
First impressions are positive. Like the hatchback, the Cabrio is powered by a 205bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder THP engine, a six-speed manual gearbox and lowered (by 15mm) sports suspension. The DS 3’s tracks also go out by 26mm at the nose and 14mm at the rear and Brembo-calipered 323mm brake discs are housed behind 18in alloy wheels.
Surprisingly, the Cabrio is only 25kg heavier than the standard DS 3, which represents a relatively small weight penalty for a cabriolet. Factor in an impressive 221lb ft and a Torsen limited-slip differential and the Cabrio shouldn’t be far behind the hatch in terms of real-world performance.
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Shocking forecast
Maybe the small weight
Gold Dashboard???