Citroen | LENSPEED

By Team Lenspeed

It has been a while since we posted an update of our staffer – the Citroen DS3 1.6THP. It has 140,000km on the clock, and I have to admit that the engine is starting to show signs of exhaustion – puffing away whenever the revs climb past 4,000rpm.

Other updates include fresh Bridgestone RE003 rubbers (replacing the RE002), a fresh coat of grey paint to replace the maroon roof and side mirrors and a de-badged DS logo on the front – primarily because it is starting to tarnish!

When looked in its entirety, we would be better off with a more reliable Japanese hatchback. But its quirks sometimes make it a more enjoyable experience.

More updates soon as it pushes past 150,000km…

May 18, 2017

Citroen DS3 100,000km report

It took us only four years to pile on a six-digit mileage, and yes, that comes as no surprise because the DS3 has always been the preferred family car of choice, even when we had the VW MkV R32. Comparatively, it’s more efficient, lighter and arguably more fun thanks to the 6-speed stick shifter.

The ownership experience wasn’t entirely smooth sailing to begin with.. a couple of hiccups with the battery and one major incident involving the high pressure fuel valve led us to call for the tow truck three times in total. It was during those “dark days” where we felt that the DS3 has serious reliability issues. But once we got it sorted, it proved to be a decent hauler – it hasn’t skipped a heartbeat for one full year. Pretty impressive!

The 100,000km servicing included an engine oil, brake oil and gearbox oil change, over and above a rotor swop and air filter change next week. The experience these four years has been bittersweet so far, but I’m leaning towards a greater liking for the car, especially when the running costs are not extravagant. It consistently managed 14.5km/l on a full tank (600km for 41 litres).

We’ll report back in for more updates!

Mid-Year Update: Achievement Unlocked

By Gerald Yuen

Best mileage per tank of fuel for Lenspeed’s Citroen DS3 Staff Car

Embarking on a self-motivated “eco challenge” with the DS3 ain’t that easy at all, with plenty of variables factor in. It wasn’t a complete stroll in the park the past two years, as most my driving was done in cut-thrust traffic right smack in the sweltering afternoon heat. On bad days, one tank of 42-litre fuel could gather at most 450km– not that promising for a car with tyre dimensions of 205/45/17, and one that weighs under 1200kg. This statistic can be rather discouraging, and that might also be due to my exposure to the diesel-like consumption of the previous Staff Car, the 122bhp Mk6 Volkswagen Golf (easily clocking up 15km/l on the combined cycle without breaking a sweat).

This time round, I decided to go even easier on the throttle, anticipate traffic, and keep in appropriate gears most of the time (not a difficult task as the 1.6 THP motor prefers to be left operating in its wave of torque under 3000rpm). 70% of driving was done on BKE, SLE and TPE, while the rest were reserved for food hunting in neighbourhoods at crawling speeds.

I noticed that the engine felt most at ease when left in 6^th at around 80km/h, and the computer indicated a range between 20km/l to 25km/h when wafting along at that comfortable speed. During city hooning, you can feel that much more fuel will be used when working through the 1st and 2nd gears, more so than from 3^rd to 4^th. That might be due to the long gear ratios, prompting me to hang onto a lower gear before it runs out of puff.

I managed to clock 620km with 42.5 litres of fuel. That works out to be 14.5km/l. The most encouraging number after 2.5 years of DS3 ownership. Better late than never, then. Not a bad scorecard for a petrol variant that can sprint to the century under 7.5 seconds. Faith in turbo petrol efficiency restored…

Citroen’s new coming

By James Wong

So this website’s supposed to be all about driver’s cars, right? What is a Citroen doing here, you may ask. It’s traditionally not known to be a sporty brand, instead more well-understood whenever it is mentioned with ‘air suspension’ and a floaty ride.

However, we don’t feature just any car. This particular DS3 is endowed with the Prince motor, also found in the R56 MCS as well as the Peugeot RCZ and the new BMW 118i. It’s a malleable engine that also happens to produce a rather exciting 154bhp/ 240Nm. Citroen has worked hard to make sure this car drives well, which is made all the more delightful when Cycle & Carriage Singapore decided to bring in the 1.6 THP model with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Surely, these are all ingredients for a hot hatch – something that surely qualifies to be on our pages.

The interior is wonderfully trimmed, comfortable and cossetting, although – I quote – it is a little like a designer handbag. Never mind that the gear knob is dark purple too, because it feels positive slotting in and out of its evenly spaced gear ratios. Acceleration is surprising, the engine giving a particularly strong punch between 2,000rpm and 3,500rpm before tapering off sharply in the top-end. It’s no point bringing this motor to its redline – you can drive more efficiently by riding on its torque wave and changing gear before it gets too tinny. A couple of blips and the engine betrays none of its turbocharged roots; in fact, it sounds and feels naturally aspirated and is very linear. No irritating sudden surges of power here.

The chassis feels whole and supple, delivering confidence on low to medium speed corners and a reassuring steering helps, too. However, the car’s handling limits are rather low as the body rolls quite considerably before you decide to go any faster and besides, by that stage the rear tyres are already chirping, signalling their grip limits. This is not a car you will be lighting up the track in, that is for sure.

What’s certain though is that the car is fun to drive, notwithstanding its rather excessive body roll at high speed. The engine and gearbox are a great combination (perhaps with a too high a clutch position) and it is easy to find the car’s limits. Consequently, you know when they are exceeded and when you can exceed them.

That said, is it a true hot hatch, taking into account of all of the legendary French hatches like the 205 GTI? No. Modernity has killed the high levels of fun you can have in the older cars. Things like lift-off oversteer is not easily accomplished in the DS3, which to be fair, happens to be fun for enthusiasts but a death keel for unknowing drivers. Safety regulations and more cushy limits ensure that we won’t see the ease of extreme handling in front drivers any time soon. Instead, they are likely to be more comfortable, practical, safe and powerful – not Lenspeed’s ideals.

Still, if you’re looking for a capable modern hatch with a manual twist, this is an interesting alternative. Just don’t try selling it in the next 5 years or so. You’re likely to need a comfortable chair to nurse your shock in doing so.

See our video review on this car here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjquxR7D5Ug

Thank you to Gerald Yuen for allowing me to drive his vehicle.

Posts tagged ‘Citroen’