Two European B-segment (subcompact) hatchbacks, so close and yet so far apart. A German generalist and a direct Mini-competitor from France. Old Age, as in a 20th century design, vs New Age.
The third gen VW Polo is powered by a 1.4 liter 16v engine, good for 75 hp. Maximum no-nonsense level for sure. Plenty of 1994-2001 Polos III (Types 6N and 6N2) can still be found on our roads, just minding their own business.
Citroën DS3 Racing may sound like an exaggeration. But you know you’ve got a winner when 207 hp is combined with a registered empty vehicle weight of 1,140 kg (2,513 lbs) and PSA’s road-hugging expertise. The power comes from a direct-injected, turbocharged 1.6 liter four-cylinder.
White with gray accents or black with orange accents, those were the only DS3 Racing color schemes to choose from. Either way, you found yourself behind the wheel of the fastest factory Citroën ever.
The upscale Citroën DS3 was unveiled in 2009, it got an update in 2016 and was renamed DS 3 – so in that year it lost the famous double chevron. Its production run ended in 2019. Currently, the smallest model of the DS brand is the DS 3 Crossback. A crossover, what a surprise.
Meanwhile, the Volkswagen Polo is still minding its own business. The sixth generation these days, type AW, ranging from 80 to 207 hp. What a coincidence.
Our son was in Germany and Austria recently and rented an A3. He paid a slight upgrade for the Audi over a Polo, which was the cheapest option. The Polo was also MT and the Audi an automatic, no choice there (he told me he would have preferred a manual Audi). Either way, a huge upgrade over the Opel Corsa 4 speed 1.2? that I rented on my first adult trip to Europe in 1984. Would all those cars be considered B-segment?
Audi A3 = C-segment, Opel Corsa = B-segment.
According to the internet the Citroen DS3 THP 200 does 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. I’ll take mine in the black and orange combo please.Then I would swap those giant DS3 stickers with some Harley Davidson ones just to confuse the crap out of everybody. Bet it would be a blast as a commuter car yet still get decent milage.
I see VW Polos on a regular basis and near new Citroens seem popular too though I dont think Ive seen a racing version turbo DS3s yes Ive seen that badging it would be a real rocketship on the right roads, untill you drive that brand too fast for the conditions you dont really know what youre missing.