KLIMS’13: Spunky Citroën DS3 supermini preview in Malaysia



Citroën appointed Naza Euro Motors on January 1st, 2013 as the new official distributor in Malaysia after PSA Peugeot-Citroën ended their franchise agreement with Brooklands Motors last year. This marks Citroën’s first participation in the KLIMS under its new distributor. There are two highlights at the Citroën booth in KLIMS’13;  the Numéro 9 concept car and the exciting supermini Citroen DS3.

Citroën Numero 9 concept

Presented for the first time at the Paris Motor Show in 2012, this concept car will be the mother of all DS’s in the future. Citroën says the Numéro 9 design cues will be passed on to the next three models, a C-segment premium sedan, a SUV and a D-segment executive saloon. This concept car does look stunning, and we do hope the design cues are passed on as promised.

Citroën DS3

One of the cars that really caught my attention is this spunky looking Citroen DS3. Although it’s has been around since 2009, it took 4 years for Citroen Malaysia to bring it into Malaysia. The intriguing design, with its eye catching ‘shark fin’ B-pillar, it is set to be appealing to the younger crowds. However, being a Citroen, Naza Euro Motors may have to work a lot harder to win over Malaysians’ perception on reliability and even resale value.

Citroën DS3

As a start, this DS3 is an award-wining Citroen winning accolades such as “Car of the Year” by UK’s Top Gear magazine and recently, voted the Best Supermini 2013 by JD Power Survey in UK. The engine used is developed with BMW, a non-intercooled version of the 1.6L turbo unit that generate 175bhp in the Mini Cooper S. The 1.6L engine may come in a few variants; a 1.6L VTi 4-speed auto or 5-speed manual which both produce 120bhp. If we are lucky, we may get the 1.6L THP mated with a 6-speed manual transmission that can generate 156bhp for this little car!

Citroën DS3

The interior is jaw dropping, well as least for me. Citroen did spend proper time designing the interior to ensure it carries luxurious touches and at the same time sporty look. The piano-black finishing on the dash and the speedo really made my day by just staring at it. I would love to wake up every morning in a DS3. If you are going to KLIMS, do spend some time in it.

Citroën DS3

You may also notice the dashboard is raised and you get more leg room. As for the boot space, the DS3 has the largest in its class, 285-liters of space. If you need more space, 60:40 split-fold rear bench can be tumbled forward with ease.

The unveiling of the Citroen DS3 here in KLIMS is just a preview, and is said to be launching in Q1 next year. You must be inching to know the price by now. It is speculated to be around RM125,000. Tell us what you think.

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