Citroen DS3 e-HDi 90hp Airdream DStyle Plus 3dr Car Review - March 2012

With a maximum output of 90bhp with torque figures of 169 lb-ft at 1750 rpm, this small family car is able to give a decent burst of power when driven. A top speed of 113 mph is more than adequate for a family car and capable of accelerating from 0-62 mph in 12.5 seconds means that this car is neither the fastest nor the slowest vehicle on the road.

Inside the car there is plenty of standard equipment offered to keep drivers and passengers entertained. Power steering, central locking, stability control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control and an advanced stereo with MP3 connectivity are all fitted as standard and buyers can choose to enhance their vehicle with a few additional extras. Rear parking sensors and climate control are standard features, as is climate control.

Unfortunately, Bluetooth connectivity and a built-in sat nav are no longer options on this model meaning buyers will need to make sacrifices when choosing their preferred model. Leather seats are also unavailable and a metallic paint finish still costs an extra £440 on top of the higher purchase price.

With an overall rating of five stars in the NCAP safety tests, the Citroen DS3 e-HDi 90hp Airdream DStyle Plus offers a great range of safety features to keep families content. Driver, passenger and front side airbags are all offered as standard features and this model also comes fitted with an immobiliser to deter thieves.

Practicality is fairly standard for a family car with a boot capacity of 285 litres expandable to 980 litres with the rear seats folded down.

The vehicle also comes with a three year warranty at 60,000 miles and a service is recommended every 12,500 miles meaning costs should remain fairly low.

Priced at £15,395 this is somewhat expensive for a small family car and the additional £595 on the standard DStyle model doesn’t necessarily offer the benefits to justify it. However, the low running costs and high efficiency mean the car is very cheap to keep on the road and that means it could be a worthwhile investment for families looking for long term ownership.

The car achieves an impressive 76.3 mpg on a combined cycle but this is marginally poorer than the 78.5 mpg offered by the DS3 e-Hdi Airdream DStyle 95g model despite having the same power credentials. Elsewhere, strong green credentials remain similar across the models by keeping carbon emissions under the 100 g/km threshold and firmly in road tax band A. Whilst the DS3 e-HDI Airdream DStyle 95g emits just 95 g/km the DStyle Plus raises this slightly to 98 g/km.

Insurance premiums fall under group 15 which is fairly mid-range for a family car. Whilst this could be cheaper the combined savings offered by the road tax and fuel consumption more than make up for it.

Deciding between the trim levels will be the biggest consideration for families and buyers will need to give careful thought to what features they consider essential and what are luxuries.