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DS is betting the next DS 3 can recapture the original's spark
Photo: Autocar UK
via Autocar UK · Jan 9, 2026

DS is betting the next DS 3 can recapture the original's spark

"Chasing your heritage only works if you remember why people cared in the first place. The original DS 3 didn't sell because it was simple—it sold because it had character. That's not something you can brief into a design studio."

— Revvly Take

The first-gen DS 3 (2010-2019) was French quirk done right—affordable, styled with actual opinions, built on the PF1 platform. Now it's DS's forgotten child, sales in freefall, and the bean counters want nostalgia to fix what mediocrity broke. Sporty simplicity sounds nice. Whether they'll actually deliver it is another question.

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Autocar UK · Jan 9

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