Glendal's Favorite Reviews: DS 3 Crossback vs MINI Countryman

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2019-06-11 14:15

The classy new DS 3 Crossback has the MINI Countryman in its sights, but can it win the posh small SUV battle?

DS 3 Crossback vs MINI Countryman - header

How do you establish a new premium car brand? That’s a question the PSA Group is continually attempting to answer with its infant DS brand, which is only just starting to find its feet after a tricky start as a rebadging of a Citroen supermini – the DS3. After a few years of building below-par alternatives to upmarket German saloon cars and hatchbacks, DS has turned its attention to SUVs – and it seems to be working.

Last year’s DS 7 proved that the brand wasn’t just going to carry on producing reimagined versions of Citroens. The firm had cemented its own identity and style, and this car was the closest DS had come to making a genuine rival for the established premium brands. Now there’s this, the DS 3 Crossback, a new small SUV with big aspirations, just like its larger sibling.

• Best small SUVs and crossovers

DS has always aimed at MINI, so the DS 3 has been priced to match the Countryman, a convincing upmarket car with British style and German engineering. But that’s an ambitious strategy, because it will have to justify its cost. Here we’ll find out if the new model has the design, engineering and material quality to take on one of the best small premium SUVs around.

DS 3 Crossback

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Model:	DS 3 Crossback PureTech 130 Auto Prestige
Price:	£27,955
Engine:	1.2-litre 3cyl petrol, 129bhp
0-60mph:	9.3 seconds
Test economy:	35.8mpg/7.9mpl
CO2:	109g/km
Annual road tax:	£140

The DS 3 Crossback is an all-new model from the French brand, and at £27,955 in PureTech 130 Prestige form with an automatic gearbox, it’s not cheap. Can it match the MINI?

Design & engineering

This is the first new vehicle to use the PSA Group’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), which is a new small-car architecture that will also underpin models such as the next Peugeot 208 supermini. It’s been designed to allow electrification, so there will be a pure-EV version of the DS 3 Crossback, the E-Tense.

It uses MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear, which matches the Countryman. Both cars have a three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, too, although the 1.2-litre Crossback’s is smaller, and its eight-speed automatic gearbox has one extra ratio over its rival’s.

The DS is a design-led car, with a few interesting features such as the flush-fit door handles, and the interior follows in that vein. However, in the pursuit of style and luxury, the Crossback compromises usability and ergonomics. Its driving position is poor – and feels even worse next to the great one in the Countryman – visibility is limited and the lack of buttons in the cabin means controlling in-car tech, including the infotainment system, is a pain.

There are some high-quality materials around, but the image is let down by some very cheap-looking materials on the doors and centre console.

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Still, equipment is a strong point. Although the DS is expensive in Prestige trim, you do get a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and smartphone connectivity, as well as a digital instrument cluster, climate and cruise control, leather seats and AEB as standard.

Driving

The most impressive part of the DS 3 Crossback’s driving experience is its 1.2-litre petrol engine, which delivers its 129bhp enthusiastically. The DS was faster than the Countryman from 30-50mph in third and fourth gears, taking 3.7 and 4.7 seconds respectively. That’s quite a bit quicker than the MINI’s 4.4 and 6.0-second times in the same tests.

In fact, the DS was faster from 50-70mph in every gear, too, thanks in part to the extra ratio in its gearbox. It’s able to run with shorter gearing as a result, which improves its performance.

However, the gearbox itself is nowhere near as responsive or smooth as the MINI’s seven-speed transmission. At least the engine is quiet and punchy enough that it’s able to accelerate in gear without having to change ratios too frequently.

That’s the least of the Crossback’s problems when it comes to driving, though, because it suffers from a lot of body movement. It’s not too bad in corners, but the back-and-forth pitching when you come on and off the grabby brakes really makes the car uncomfortable. It doesn’t inspire much confidence when braking, either, because the nose dips right down and the car feels imbalanced.

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The steering is completely devoid of life and there’s no joy to be had in corners, either, even though the Crossback has enough grip. The compromised driving position means we also found ourselves knocking knees against the hard plastic trim in the cabin when turning into corners.

You’d think that the soft suspension that allows so much body roll would provide a comfortable ride, but it’s no better than the MINI’s at controlling harsh bumps and constantly fidgets over rough roads. On motorways it’s smooth and refined enough, though. Overall, the MINI is comfortable and great to drive, but the DS is below average in both areas.

Practicality

In its pursuit of style, the DS 3 Crossback is compromised when it comes to practicality. The driving position and hard seats are the start of the problem, but for some they won’t be too much of an issue. What will be is the poor rear-seat head and legroom, which is below average for the class and worse than in the MINI, which itself isn’t the most spacious choice.

Boot space is okay, at 350 litres, but that’s 100 less than in the Countryman; with the seats folded there’s only 1,050 litres, while the MINI has 1,390 litres.

Up front, the cabin design is interesting to look at but not much fun to use. The location and operation of some switches is counter-intuitive as well. All these small annoyances in the DS 3 add up to make a frustrating experience, despite its competency when it comes to chassis and in-car tech.

Ownership

DS featured in our Driver Power makers’ chart for the first time in 2019, but a very poor 28th-place finish isn’t very promising. Although MINI’s 18th place isn’t that great, either, it still puts it 10 places ahead of its rival.

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Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the DS 3 Crossback yet, but the car does come with AEB and lane keep assist as standard, along with six airbags and parking sensors. Blind spot assist is affordable at £200, too.

Running costs

If you’re looking for a small upmarket SUV as a company car, the DS is cheaper to tax than its rival. Its CO2 emissions are lower, at 109g/km, and it’s in the 25 per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) bracket, so it costs £1,389 a year in tax at the standard rate.

By comparison, the MINI emits 134g/km of CO2 and sits in the 30 per cent BiK bracket, so it will cost the same owner £1,658 a year.

Both cars were pretty economical on test; the DS 3 returned 35.8mpg and the MINI managed 36.8mpg.

Testers’ notes: “In Prestige trim, the Crossback comes with 17-inch alloys, but our car was fitted with larger, optional 18-inch rims. The ride was a bit nervous over bumps as a result, so we’d stick with smaller wheels.”

MINI Countryman

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Model:	MINI Countryman Cooper Auto Exclusive
Price:	£27,890
Engine:	1.5-litre 3cyl petrol, 134bhp
0-60mph:	9.3 seconds
Test economy:	36.8mpg/8.1mpl
CO2:	134g/km
Annual road tax:	£140

MINI recently changed its trim structure, so there are now a few versions to choose from. We’ve opted for the £27,890 Exclusive model with the Cooper engine to match the DS 3 Crossback.