If Sébastien Loeb was as slow off the mark as his employers, World Rallying might look very different today. It's taken seven years and seven consecutive Driver's World Rally Championships for Citroën to finally seize the initiative and use its motorsport success as a device to sell performance-oriented road cars.
The result is the DS3 Racing, a supermini-sized hot hatch launched in time to capitalise on the imminent arrival of the company's DS3 World Rally Car.
The spec sheet reads as follows: 204bhp driven through a six-speed gearbox to the front wheels, 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds, a chassis honed by Citroën's new in-house Racing division, and pumped up bodywork in a choice of Sport Orange with Obsidian Black or Carbon Grey with Polar White.
The DS3 Racing uses the BMW-PSA 1.6-litre, single turbocharged engine from the MINI Cooper S JCW (and indeed, its own DS3 DSport, albeit in a lower state of tune). With 203lb ft of torque between 2,000-4,500rpm, combined with very respectable green credentials (44.1mpg on the Combined cycle, 149g/km of CO2), it's a unit that on paper gives the best of both worlds, salving the conscience of owners as they scythe from entry to apex to exit.
Scythe they should too, because chasing Renaultsport Clio levels of chassis sophistication has resulted in the Racing using 30mm wider tracks front and rear, as well as 15mm lower ride height and springs and dampers recalibrated to best achieve a balance between handling and ride comfort.
Another clear nod to the work of Citroën's Racing division is the car's ESP system, which has not only been tweaked to allow greater slip tolerances (read driver interaction), but can now also be disengaged entirely should you get an attack of the Loebs.
In addition, the four-pot Brembo brake calipers grip discs that have swollen in size to 323mm at the front, all hidden behind 18in alloy wheels.
You might well note at this point that however new and exciting all of this might be to Citroën, it is actually pretty predictable hot hatch fare these days. What matters is whether the French firm has been able to take these ingredients and build something with any merit.
Like any DS3, the Racing is a nice place to rack up miles, with supportive seats and light, easy controls. The stereo and satnav interface is as unfathomable and fiddly to use as any other Peugeot/Citroën, effort, but the dials are clear and there are no distracting Sport switches or flappy paddle gearboxes to worry about.
The drivetrain is slick, with a neat, positive shifting gearbox and smooth engine. Even more impressive is the determination with which the DS3 takes off up the road when the torque floods in. In the mid-range this is a seriously rapid car, acceleration only tailing off above 6,000rpm, right where a Clio's naturally aspirated 2.0-litre is at its best.
Our test route on the Col de Vence was frustratingly wet and foggy, and the road surface slippery under tyre, so a full dynamic assessment will have to wait. However, at six or seven-tenths pace the Racing is an engaging drive, marked out by excellent brakes and a chassis that is eager to change direction and responds swiftly to driver inputs. Take liberties with corner entry speeds and the ESP allows a small amount of slip before the electronics wake from their slumber, while also being quick to respond on the seemingly rare occasions when all of that torque asks too many questions of the front tyres.
The ride quality is also excellent, the DS3 being arguably the best damped small car on sale and comfortably putting rivals to shame. Somehow, it all at once manages to resist bodyroll, change direction quickly and not shatter spines when it comes to town and motorway miles.
The Racing is notable too for a lack of torque steer, or any kind of steering feel from the electric setup for that matter, but the rack is nicely weighted once up to speed. Cornering around hairpin bends proves particularly blinding, not for its accuracy or involvement, but rather because the A-pillars are so thick that they completely obscure your view.
Niggles aside, this is a very good little car. But it could be a great one. The downside of being so competent is that the Citroën can actually feel quite ordinary at times, a trait that doesn't sit easily alongside its aggressive styling or premium pricing. Oh yes, the price: at £23,100 the Racing costs £1,200 more than even the most expensive MINI, and is a shocking £5,390 pricier than the class-leading Clio. True, the Citroën is fully loaded with equipment (the only optional extras are the graphics and satnav, both of which should be avoided), but that kind of money also puts you into the likes of Peugeot's excellent RCZ coupé with the same engine.
Citroën hopes to counter this with exclusivity; of a total production run of 2,000 cars only 200 are coming to the UK, half of which have already been sold. Combined with the resurging public interest in the World Rally Championship, this little DS3 Racing could - and indeed should - mark the start of great things to come from Citroën.
THE FACTS
Price/on sale: £23,100/now
Tested: 1,598cc four-cylinder petrol, turbocharged, six-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive
Power/torque: 204bhp @ 6,000rpm/ 203lb ft @ 2,000-4,500rpm
Top speed: 146mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 6.5sec
Fuel economy: 44.1mpg (Combined)
CO2 emissions: 149g/km
VED band: F (£125)
Verdict: A big step in the right direction, the DS3 Racing is only a weight loss programme and a price drop away from fighting for ultimate class honours.
Telegraph rating: Four out of five
