DS Automobiles is a French luxury vehicle marque introduced in 2009 as a sub-marque of Citroen before becoming a standalone brand on 1st June 2014. DS can be an abbreviation of Different Spirit or Distinctive Series The name is also a play on words, as in French it is pronounced like the word déesse, meaning “goddess”.
The history of the DS name goes back to the groundbreaking Citroen DS: Following 18 years of secret development the DS 19 was introduced on October 6 1955 at the Paris Motor Show. During the 10 days of the show, the DS took 80,000 deposits; a record that stood for over 60 years, until it was eclipsed by the Tesla Model 3 which received 180,000 first day deposits in March 2016.
DS3
The new for 2023 DS3 is a mid life update, new front styling and pop out door handles add to the style of this luxury rival to the Mini Countryman and Audi Q2. Three trims, Rivoli: 18-inch alloys, flushed door handles, leather upholstery, 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 7.0-inch driver’s display, wireless smartphone projection, automatic air conditioning and a leather steering wheel. Performance Line+ is the sporty version with alcantara seats, black alloys and a sporty general look, the Opera tops the trims with a head-up display, a wireless charging pad and massaging front seats. The Electric DS3 is not available on the Scheme presently, only the 1.2 128bhp three cylinder petrol paired to a 8 speed dual clutch automatic gearbox, performance is brisk, 0-62 in 9.3 seconds and economy will be a claimed 44mpg. Three trims, Rivoli £1399 Advance Payment, Opera £1899 AP and Performance Line + (overpriced) £2999 AP.