• Lots of engine options on offer
• PureTech 110 likely to most popular choice
• Diesels offer low running costs

There’s a choice of seven engines in the DS 3 Cabrio line up: five petrols and two diesels.

DS 3 Cabrio’s petrol engines

Kicking off the range is an 80bhp 1.2-litre engine called PureTech 82. It’s only available in entry-level cars and offers 118Nm of pulling power, so is capable of accelerating the car from 0-62mph in 12.3 seconds. That makes it the slowest DS 3 Cabrio in the range.

Likely to be the most popular engine choice is the turbocharged  PureTech 110 and it’s the only engine which can be currently specified with a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearboxes. Its extra 28bhp and 87Nm of torque means this 1.2-litre unit can pick up speed much quicker than the PureTech 82 – 0-62mph takes just under 10 seconds.

Seen elsewhere in other DS and Citroen cars – such as the C4 Cactus – is the PureTech 130 that offers 128bhp and 230Nm of torque. This means the 0-62mph sprint is achieved in 8.9 seconds and it’ll travel up to a top speed of 127mph.

This engine also gets a six-speed manual gearbox fitted as standard and is a far more versatile unit for motorway driving. It’s our favourite engine of all those we’ve tried so far, with characterful performance and a distinctive off-beat sound that makes it the most likeable powerplant in the range.

Moving to near the top of the petrol line-up is a four-cylinder 1.6-litre 163bhp engine named THP 165 with 240Nm of torque. This engine makes the DS 3 feel nippy and powerful, covering 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds, but while it’s smooth and keen to rev it doesn’t sound as interesting as the PureTech 130 and the extra power doesn’t make a massive difference to the way the car drives.

Topping the petrol range is a four-cylinder 1.6-litre unit reserved exclusively for the Performance and Performance Black models. With its 208bhp and 300Nm of torque, 0-62mph takes just 6.5 seconds. Despite the extra performance, running costs are better than the THP 165 with a combined fuel economy of 52.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 125g/km.

DS 3 Cabrio’s diesel engines

There are just two diesel engines to choose from in the DS 3 Cabrio range, and both are four-cylinder 1.6-litre units.

The lower-powered option has 98bhp at its disposal along with 254Nm of torque. Frugality is the name of the game here and this engine is particularly likely to appeal to company car drivers thanks to its 83.1mpg combined fuel economy and 87g/km of CO2 output. The 0-62mph sprint is achieved in 10.8 seconds and the engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.

Need a little more power?  You can opt for a 20bhp more powerful option of the same engine that offers 285Nm of torque. Running costs do not suffer too much as a result with combined fuel economy of  78.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 94g/km. Pace-wise this engine will complete the 0-62mph sprint 1.5 seconds quicker than the above. 

Perhaps not as fun to drive as its MINI rival, the DS 3 Cabrio is characterful, compact and nippy on the road.

It’s a fun car to drive down country lanes, with lots of grip on offer and meaningful feedback available through the steering.  There’s little bodyroll either and the car stays composed in the corners at speed.

The suspension is very firm, though, so we’d recommend sticking with 16-inch alloys for the best ride quality.

Ideal for city driving, its small turning circle makes easy work of parking and manoeuvring around tight streets.