DS Automobiles is continuing its programme of upgrades following its separation from Citroen as a standalone brand. This time it’s the turn of the DS 3 and the DS 3 Cabrio to enjoy some rejuvenating improvements.

Among the changes – a revised front, increased opportunities for personalisation, and improved connectivity and driver assistance systems.

The reveal of New DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio will be of particular interest to British new car buyers; more DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio models were sold in the UK last year than in France or any other global market.

With the new upgrades, the aim has been to build on what DS thinks has already made the DS 3 a success – personalisation, styling and vitality – and to enhance it with contemporary technology and equipment, including efficient engines and a connected touchscreen.

“The New DS 3, a true success story, is reaffirming its brand kinship” said Yves Bonnefont, CEO of DS Automobiles, “With it, the DS family is complete. Refined, high-tech and high-performance, the stylish Parisian car appeals to customers looking for expressiveness, personalisation and motoring thrills. This sparkling model expresses an ‘art de vivre’ in town and country alike.”

The DS 3 was the first DS model to feature the “DS LED Vision” light signature and now it also boasts the DS Automobiles front end with “DS Wings” that are sculpted around a vertically-oriented grille wearing the DS emblem. Elsewhere, the DS design team has retained much of the car’s original look, including the floating roof, two-tone body/roof colours and the distinctive shark fins on the sides.

The new DS 3 has even more personalisation possibilities than before, including options for the roof, body, rear view mirror housings, dashboard and gear knob. Customers can now choose from 78 body/roof colour combinations and four fabric roofs for the DS 3 Cabrio. As with the latest DS 4 and DS 5, the new headlights – that were originally introduced on DS 3 in the summer of 2014 – combine LED and Xenon technology, reducing the energy consumption on the dipped beam setting by 50% (67% with the main beams switched on). There are also sequential LED indicators and new LED fog lamps.

New DS 3 models are equipped with Mirror Screen functionality, comprising Apple CarPlay or MirrorLink (for Android phones), bringing drivers all the personalised features of their smartphones.

There’s also a new 7-inch colour touchscreen. This latest-generation screen provides simpler access to all of the main vehicle functions (with 20 fewer buttons on the central fascia). It also houses Mirror Screen, a connectivity solution compatible with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink. Drivers can use “MyDS”, a free app informing them of their servicing schedule, fuel economy and parking location. MyDS is available for Android and iOS.

As with the rest of the range, from early 2016 DS 3 will be available with the DS Connect Box, which offers features such as SOS & Assistance pack, Monitoring pack (a virtual maintenance manual that monitors mileage and upcoming services, and provides eco-driving advice based on the technical information generated by the car) and Tracking pack, which can transmit the geographical position of the car to the police.

The new DS 3 also offers Active City Brake, designed to help prevent minor collisions at low speeds, and features such as front and rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera with visual indicator guide lines on the 7-inch screen and Hill Start Assist.

There are new trims and interior design schemes, a new body colour (Sport Red) and a new roof colour (Topaz, inspired by gemstones), as well as new alloy wheels.

The new DS 3 will be available in the UK with seven engines, of which two are BlueHDi diesels. There are two types of gearbox – manual and a latest-generation automatic. The result is CO2 emissions as low as 87g/km (for the BlueHDi 100) and no more than 129g/km for the range as a whole.

Since the launch in 2010, 390,000 customers have already bought a DS 3.