IN a more uncomplicated age Henry Ford famously told customers for his Model T, that they could have any colour they wanted – as long as it was black.

More than a century on, Citroën has turned that simple idea on its head. With its distinctively-styled DS range, you can choose just about anything you like.

Never mind choice of colour, now you can specify roof and body shades, exterior and interior colour combinations, materials, finishes, trims and equipment. Even the key fob is tailored to the vehicle.

This desire for personalisation has been a key to success for a number of models, most notably the Oxford-built Mini, with the carmaker claiming that there is virtually no chance of any two Minis on the road being identical.

Citroën’s Mini-rivalling DS3 “premium” supermini offers a similar level of choice, in fact claiming a “virtually infinite array of combinations”.

But enough of this. What’s it like to drive? In short, it is a little cracker.

At under four metres long, the DS3 is a perfect city car while also offering a surprising amount of cabin space. With five seats, a 60:40 split-folding rear bench and the biggest boot in the segment, the versatile DS3 handles people and luggage with ease.

It is also far more capable than a simple urban runabout. The test car, fitted with a 115-horsepower turbodiesel engine, offers the cost-saving combination of no vehicle excise licence to pay and the potential of covering 70 miles for every gallon of fuel. In my spell at the wheel covering several hundred miles of mixed town and motorway driving, I managed just over 60mpg.

The ride is firm, but not uncomfortable, and settles down to make long-distance driving relaxed. The gearbox on the test car was a slick, short-shifting, six-speed manual which was both light and positive.

Split-folding rear seats that fold almost flat at the tug of a lever make the car surprisingly practical, While safety is top notch, with the car carrying a five-star Euro NCAP rating for occupant protection. The cabin is comfortable and classy, with a mix of leather and chrome giving an upmarket air.

Oxford Mail:

A luxurious interior 

The luxury feel is booasted by low-slung, body-hugging seats, a leather-trimmed flat-bottomed steering wheel, steering wheel-mounted controls and on the test model, a seven-inch colour satellite navigation system.

So if you fancy a stylish supermini with more than a little Gallic flair, and you enjoy choosing everything from the colour of the roof, size and colour of your wheels, dashboard and even the gearknob, this could be for you.

At a glance

  • Cost £17,750
  • Insurance group: 21E 
  • Fuel consumption (combined): 74.4mpg 
  • Top speed: 118mph 
  • Length: 394.8cm/155.4in 
  • Width: 171.5cm/67.5in 
  • Luggage capacity: 10 cu ft 
  • Fuel tank capacity: 10.6 gallons/48 litres 
  • CO2 emissions: 99g/km 
  • Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles