DS 3 Crossback

DS 3 Crossback: which version to buy

The DS 3 Crossback is a one-generation SUV 5-doors (from 2018, still listed with no end date) with eight versions. The buying choice is not between generations — there is only 1 generation — but between three powertrains on the same 170 mm ground clearance and FWD layout: gasoline 1.2 turbo triples, diesel 1.5 turbo fours, and three electric listings.

The DS 3 Crossback is a one-generation SUV 5-doors (from 2018, still listed with no end date) with eight versions. The buying choice is not between generations — there is only 1 generation — but between three powertrains on the same 170 mm ground clearance and FWD layout: gasoline 1.2 turbo triples, diesel 1.5 turbo fours, and three electric listings. Power spans 100–156 hp; 0–100 km/h spans 8.2–11.4 s; mixed fuel use (where measured) spans 3.7–5.1 L/100 km. The lightest kerb weight is 1170 kg (1.2 MT); the heaviest measured is 1525 kg (electric AT 136 hp and e-Tense CVT).

Generations and what the range actually offers

1 generation (from 2018, no stop date in the data) is a SUV 5-doors with 8 versions. There is no second generation to wait for and no restyling split in this catalogue. Every version is FWD. Front suspension is Independent, spring; rear is Semi-independent, springorts hélicoïdaux, sem; front brakes Ventilated disc; rear Disc. Ground clearance is 170 mm on every line. Wheel sizes, tank, CO2 and kerb weight do change — those differences are the buying brief below.

Specs: engines, gearbox, drive (all eight names as in the database)

Gasoline triples share Front, transverse mounting, Distributed injection (multi-point), and bore × stroke 75 × 90.5. Both diesels are Front, transverse with bore × stroke 75 × 84.8; fuel-system detail for the diesels is not measured. Eco class for all five combustion versions is Euro 6.

Specific output (hp per litre, displacement ÷ 1000):

• 1.2 PureTech 155 hp: 129.3 hp/L
• 1.2 PureTech 130 hp: 108.4 hp/L
• 1.5 AT: 86.7 hp/L
• 1.2 MT: 83.4 hp/L
• 1.5 MT: 68.0 hp/L

Electric versions have no displacement, so hp/L is not measured.

Performance, mpg and CO2: who is actually quicker

0–100 km/h (fastest to slowest):

1. 1.2 PureTech 155 hp — 8.2 s 2. AT 136 hp, e-Tense CVT, AT 156 hp — 8.7 s each 3. 1.2 PureTech 130 hp — 9.2 s 4. 1.5 AT — 9.9 s 5. 1.2 MT — 10.9 s 6. 1.5 MT — 11.4 s

The 155 hp 1.2 PureTech is 3.2 s quicker to 100 km/h than 1.5 MT, and 0.5 s quicker than every electric listing. The two AT electrics (136 hp and 156 hp) and e-Tense CVT all post 8.7 s — the extra 20 hp on AT 156 hp does not show up in the 0–100 figure in this dataset.

Top speed:

• 1.2 PureTech 155 hp — 208 km/h (highest)
• 1.2 PureTech 130 hp — 200 km/h
• 1.5 AT — 195 km/h
• 1.2 MT — 185 km/h
• 1.5 MT — 180 km/h
• all three electrics — 150 km/h (capped 58 km/h below the 155 hp gasoline)

Fuel use (city / highway / mixed, L/100 km) and CO2:

• 1.5 MT: 4.1 / 3.4 / 3.7, CO2 97
• 1.5 AT: 4.2 / 3.5 / 3.8, CO2 99
• 1.2 MT: 5.5 / 4.1 / 4.7, CO2 107
• 1.2 PureTech 130 hp: 5.8 / 4.3 / 4.9, CO2 111
• 1.2 PureTech 155 hp: 5.8 / 4.6 / 5.1, CO2 123
• AT 136 hp, e-Tense CVT: city / highway / mixed not measured, CO2 not measured
• AT 156 hp: consumption not measured, CO2 0

The diesel 1.5 MT uses 1.4 L/100 km less mixed than the 155 hp 1.2 PureTech, and 26 g/km less CO2. The automatic diesel 1.5 AT is only 0.1 L/100 km thirstier mixed than the manual diesel. Moving from 1.2 MT to 130 hp 1.2 PureTech adds 0.2 L/100 km mixed; the further step to 155 hp adds another 0.2 L/100 km mixed (highway rises 0.3 L/100 km; city stays 5.8).

Tank volume is 44 L on every combustion version and not measured on all three electrics.

Dimensions and weight: the 355 kg electric penalty

Kerb / gross (kg), clearance, wheels, tank:

• 1.2 MT: 1170 / 1650, 170 mm, 215/65 R16, 215/60 R17, 215/55 R18, tank 44
• 1.5 MT: 1205 / 1695, 170 mm, same three wheel sizes, tank 44
• 1.5 AT: 1205 / 1735, 170 mm, same three wheel sizes, tank 44
• 1.2 PureTech 130 hp: 1205 / 1700, 170 mm, wheels not measured, tank 44
• 1.2 PureTech 155 hp: 1205 / 1705, 170 mm, wheels not measured, tank 44
• AT 136 hp and e-Tense CVT: 1525 / 1975, 170 mm, 215/60 R17 and 215/55 R18 (no 16-inch listing), tank not measured
• AT 156 hp: kerb not measured, gross not measured, 170 mm, 215/60 R17 and 215/55 R18, tank not measured

Electric AT 136 hp / e-Tense CVT weigh 355 kg more at the kerb than 1.2 MT, and 320 kg more than the 1205 kg gasoline/diesel cluster. Gross weight on those two electrics is 1975 kg — 240 kg above 1.5 AT (1735 kg), the heaviest combustion listing.

kg per hp (kerb ÷ hp):

• 1.2 PureTech 155 hp: 7.77 kg/hp (best measured)
• 1.5 AT and 1.2 PureTech 130 hp: 9.27 kg/hp
• AT 136 hp and e-Tense CVT: 11.21 kg/hp
• 1.2 MT: 11.70 kg/hp
• 1.5 MT: 11.81 kg/hp (worst measured)
• AT 156 hp: not measured (no kerb weight)

Ground clearance does not help you choose: it is 170 mm on all eight. The 16-inch tyre (215/65 R16) exists only on 1.2 MT, 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT. Both 1.2 PureTech lines have wheel size not measured.

Which version to buy — arithmetic, not marketing

There is no generation-to-generation upgrade path. You pick a fuel and a gearbox, then a power step.

If you want the lowest measured fuel use and CO2: 1.5 MT. Mixed 3.7 L/100 km, CO2 97, 250 Nm at 1750 — 45 Nm more than 1.2 MT for only 2 hp more. Cost of that efficiency: slowest sprint (11.4 s) and a 180 km/h cap, 5 km/h below 1.2 MT. Kerb 1205 kg vs 1170 kg on 1.2 MT is +35 kg. Power per litre is the weakest in the table (68.0 hp/L). Buy this when litres and grams matter more than seconds.

If you want diesel torque with an automatic: 1.5 AT. Peak torque is the catalogue high — 300 Nm at 1750, 50 Nm above 1.5 MT and 95 Nm above 1.2 MT. You get 130 hp (same as the 130 hp 1.2 PureTech), 8 gears instead of 6, 9.9 s to 100 (1.5 s quicker than 1.5 MT), 195 km/h, and mixed use only 0.1 L/100 km worse than the diesel manual. Gross weight rises 40 kg versus 1.5 MT (1735 vs 1695); kerb stays 1205 kg. Versus 130 hp 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 AT is 0.7 s slower to 100, 5 km/h slower on top speed, but 1.1 L/100 km better mixed and 12 g/km lower CO2, with 65 Nm more torque. That is the diesel-vs-gasoline 130 hp trade.

If you want the cheapest-feeling combustion car by weight: 1.2 MT. Lightest kerb (1170 kg), only 6-speed Manual, 100 hp, 205 Nm. Mixed 4.7 is 1.0 L/100 km worse than 1.5 MT and 0.2 better than 130 hp 1.2 PureTech. 0–100 10.9 s is 0.5 s quicker than 1.5 MT despite 45 Nm less. Specific output 83.4 hp/L sits between the two diesels. This is the only gasoline Manual.

If you want gasoline with an 8-speed automatic, without paying the 155 hp step: 1.2 PureTech 130 hp. Same 1199 cc, 3 Inline, Turbo recipe as 1.2 MT, but +30 hp and +30 Nm, Automatic 8 instead of Manual 6, 0–100 9.2 s (1.7 s quicker than 1.2 MT), top speed 200 km/h (+15). Mixed fuel 4.9 vs 4.7 on 1.2 MT — you spend 0.2 L/100 km for that step. Same 1205 kg kerb as the diesels and the 155 hp twin. Versus 1.5 AT at the same 130 hp / 96 kW: gasoline wins sprint and top speed; diesel wins torque, mixed mpg and CO2.

If you want the strongest ICE and the best kg/hp: 1.2 PureTech 155 hp. 155 hp is 1 hp below electric AT 156 hp and 19 hp above the 136 hp electrics. Fastest 0–100 (8.2 s), highest top speed (208 km/h), best measured mass-to-power (7.77 kg/hp), highest specific output (129.3 hp/L). Versus its 130 hp namesake: +25 hp, +10 Nm, −1.0 s to 100, +8 km/h, mixed +0.2 L/100 km, CO2 +12 g/km, gross +5 kg. Highway use is the gasoline high (4.6 vs 4.3). City stays 5.8. Wheel sizes for both 1.2 PureTech lines are not measured.

If you want electric and the data twins match: AT 136 hp and e-Tense CVT are the same car on every measured performance and mass figure: 136 hp, 260 Nm from 300–3670, 8.7 s, 150 km/h, 1525 / 1975 kg, 17- and 18-inch tyres. The only labelled difference is gearbox: Automatic vs Variable. Fuel use and CO2 are not measured on both. You are not buying more speed by picking one over the other in this table.

If you want the electric with the highest listed power: AT 156 hp — 156 hp / 114 kW, 260 Nm, Automatic, CO2 0. Acceleration and top speed remain 8.7 s and 150 km/h, identical to the 136 hp electrics, so the extra 20 hp does not buy a quicker catalogue sprint or a higher cap. Kerb and gross are not measured; consumption is not measured; power rpm and torque rpm are not measured. You cannot compute kg/hp for this line.

Electric vs gasoline sprint, same 8-second band: 155 hp 1.2 PureTech is 0.5 s quicker to 100 than any electric and 58 km/h faster at the top, at 1205 kg versus 1525 kg on the weighed electrics (−320 kg). Electrics match 260 Nm to the 136 hp AT / e-Tense CVT and trail 1.5 AT’s 300 Nm by 40 Nm. The electric advantage in this file is CO2 0 on AT 156 hp only; the other two electrics do not have a CO2 number.

Short decision map

• Lowest mixed L/100 km and CO2 among measured lines → 1.5 MT
• Diesel + Automatic + peak torque → 1.5 AT
• Lightest, only gasoline Manual → 1.2 MT
• Gasoline Automatic without the 155 hp thirst step → 1.2 PureTech 130 hp
• Fastest, highest top speed, best kg/hp → 1.2 PureTech 155 hp
• Electric, identical measured performance, gearbox is the fork → AT 136 hp (Automatic) or e-Tense CVT (Variable)
• Electric with 156 hp and CO2 0, same 8.7 s / 150 km/h → AT 156 hp (mass not measured)

Prices are not in this dataset, so “what the extra money buys” is only what the extra hp, Nm, gears and kilograms buy: 25 hp and 1.0 s between the two 1.2 PureTech automatics; 28 hp, 50 Nm, two extra gears and 1.5 s between 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT; 355 kg and a 150 km/h cap if you leave 1.2 MT for a weighed electric.