New DS 3 shown with 500km-plus EV powertrain

French prestige brand DS has whipped the covers off its facelifted 2023 DS 3 at the 2022 Paris Fashion Week, brandishing a new-look front-end design and a more efficient electric powertrain.

Previously known as the DS 3 Crossback, the updated small SUV from Citroen’s premium brand – which has not been seen in Australia since 2017 – is easily recognised by its fresh face that includes new headlight clusters (available with Matrix LED tech) and resculpted dual vertical LED daytime running lights.

Built at Stellantis’ car plant in Poissy, France, the DS 3 is available with petrol, diesel and battery-electric powertrains, but it won’t be long before it eradicates combustion engines from its range, switching exclusively to electric propulsion from 2024.

And the all-electric DS 3 E-Tense is the headline act, with its single-motor powertrain generating 115kW/260Nm and drawing energy from a 50.8kWh battery pack that allows for a claimed driving range of 402km (WLTP).

It also has an impressively efficient energy consumption rate of 12.6kWh/100km, and DS reckons it’ll cover “more than 500km in city traffic”.

This is up from the 300km its predecessor could manage.

The electric DS 3 can absorb up to a 100kW current when plugged into a fast-charger, where it takes just 25 minutes to replenish the battery from zero to 80 per cent.

On an 11kW wallbox it takes five hours to achieve a 100 per cent battery charge from dead flat.

The combustion engines include 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre turbo-diesel units.

The interior of the 2023 DS 3 largely carries over from its predecessor, employing dramatic diamond-patterned central controls and buttons beneath a 10.3-inch central touch-screen.

Alcantara and leather trim are part of the package, as is a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display.

Australian importer Inchcape, which is responsible for Peugeot and Citroen (and would also oversee DS), recently told carsales there’s no priority to bring DS vehicles Down Under.

However, Citroen, which is still a very close relation to DS, is committed to bringing new models here, including the Citroen C5 X which is locked in for Australia.

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