DS 3 Crossback SUV - Interior & comfort

DS is the standalone luxury brand of Citroen, similarly to Lexus models being part of the wider Toyota family. To help set it apart from lesser cars, the DS 3 Crossback is well equipped even in entry-level trim, with a touchscreen and plenty of features. Smaller wheels also play dividends here, making the ride even smoother and with less tyre noise at motorway speeds.

DS 3 Crossback dashboard

The Crossback's dashboard is something of a mixed bag, because while DS' designers are to be applauded for its originality and style, the recurring diamond shapes inside do come at the cost of some user friendliness. For a start, the button clusters that sit between the air-vents are fiddly and difficult to see, and frustratingly, you still have to use the touchscreen interface to change the temperature of the climate control. You may notice that the smaller seven-inch touchscreen is positioned closer towards the driver - it’s good for reachability, but does make the dashboard look a little unwieldy.

On a more positive note, there are lots of attractive design touches, including the use of attractive materials like leather and Alcantara suede-like fabric. Top versions even have a 'watchstrap design' for the Nappa leather seats, something you'd only have found in a far more expensive car a few decades ago.

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Equipment

There is an array of trim levels for buyers to pick from. Elegance, Prestige and Ultra Prestige have been replaced by Montmartre, Bastille and Rivoli, while there are also two Performance Line versions with a sportier look. Far from being bare bones, the Montmartre trim level offers a reasonable level of standard equipment, with the remainder of the trim levels boasting additional styling and technology upgrades. At entry-level you get 17-inch wheels, air conditioning, a seven-inch touchscreen (with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), Bluetooth and digital dials as standard. You’ll need to upgrade to Bastille for parking sensors and auto wipers, though.

Rivoli adds leather upholstery, bigger wheels, LED headlights, a reversing camera, keyless entry and additional safety features. In 2022, DS also introduced a limited-edition Louvre trim, which allows you to see 182 of the French gallery’s artworks displayed on your touchscreen, with an accompanying podcast detailing each one.

Performance Line adds a unique interior trim package with Alcantara suede, and features a similar level of kit to Bastille. Performance Line+, like Rivoli, adds bigger wheels, upgraded headlights and a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen.