The DS 3 Crossback has been unveiled at the Paris motor show, the second bespoke model since the upmarket brand was spun off from Citroën.
The DS 3 Crossback will sit in showrooms alongside its larger sister the DS 7 Crossback, and will enter one of the most fiercely competitive segments in Europe. Rivals will include the Audi Q2 and Volvo XC40.
The car is the first to use PSA Group’s new CMP (common module platform) architecture that is set to underpin a wide range of future cars from all of the PSA brands, including Vauxhall. The next Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa will both be built on the CMP.
Initial launch editions of the DS 3 Crossback will go on sale by the summer of 2019 with petrol and diesel engines, but soon after they will be joined by the brand’s first all-electric model.
Dubbed the E-Tense, the electric DS3 Crossback has its own display at the Paris show. Powered by a 100kWh/136hp electric motor and 50kWh lithium-ion battery, it is said to have a potential range of 200 miles under the new WLTP measuring protocol.
The car includes energy regeneration technology, which under deceleration can recover up to 20%. Using a three-phase wallbox the car will be fully charged in five hours, while on a public 100kW fast-charging system it can be charged to 80% in 30 minutes.
Like the DS 7 Crossback, the DS 3 will offer distinct styling and personalisation options, including a choice of five separate interior treatments.
Also on the DS Automobiles stand in Paris is a plug-in hybrid version of the DS 7 Crossback.
Combining a 200hp petrol engine with two 80kW electric motors, one on each axle, it offers a potential combined 300hp and 450Nm of torque. An electric eight-speed auto transmission drives the front wheels while the hybrid system’s lithium-ion battery is placed under the second row of seats.
The DS 7 Crossback E-Tense will be able to travel up to 37 miles on pure electric power. Charging will take overnight through a domestic three-pin socket, of two hours with a 32A wall socket and 6.6kW charger.
