Citroën has always been a quirky, distinctly Gallic car manufacturer – offering something design-led, daring and different from its competitors. And we applaud them for that, Vive la difference!

Citroen-DS-OriginalThe ground-breaking 1955 DS broke the mould and changed car design forever.

And as the ultimate, unique Citroën – the iconic, stunningly beautiful, technologically advanced DS just celebrated its 50th anniversary, so we thought we’d take a closer look at the full C21st ‘Premium Line’ DS range created in 2009 to “express French style and luxury with beautiful details and exceptional quality,” with a cursory look back at the legend where the DS brand began in swinging 1963.

Entry level is the fun, funky, fresh DS3 – with Sebastian Loeb backed WRC credentials – from £12,840. But the range goes all the way up to £21,620 for the range-topping Ultra Prestige, which we have on test. We’ve also driven the fresh-faced, £19,680 DS3 Cabrio. Are these premium specials worth the extra cash and does the DS3 provide the ‘Challenge Convention’ supermini buzz the TV ad harps on about?

Next up is the neat, chunky, more practical, mid-size DS4, starting at £17,580. Dynamic coupé-fashion styling is standard, but does the 2+2 format really add up to being practical, and still DS-fun?

Then there’s the range-topping DS5, from a value-for-money £22,960 right up to a strong £33,360 for the new diesel-hybrid tech version.

It’s bigger, more practical and comes loaded to the gills with goodies and a French luxurious finish, but does it deliver a fun drive? And does it warrant wearing the legendary DS brand name?

Join us on our celebration and investigation of DS life..

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