ONE thing about French makers Citroen, you can always trust them to buck the trend and come up with something that's completely different.

Remember the Traction Avant, made famous in the early 1960s as the car of choice for telly's original Maigret detective series.

Then there was the DS, years ahead of its time and still much in demand as a highly sought after collectors item today.

Now comes the Cactus compact SUV, with its high-tech, twin-screen interior and exterior airbump protective door panels. Could it be another star in the making?

In 2010, Citroen introduced another stunner in the form of the DS3 compact hatch, with its flowing lines, acute angles and shark's fin pillar.

Citroen created the DS3 to take on the MINI Cooper, Alfa MiTo and Fiat 500, but using a mix of new styling rather than going down the retro-style road.

And what they came up with was a truly cracking little gem complete with its own personality which quickly endeared it to a growing band of owners.

Sexy, sporty, sophisticated and superbly put together, this French fancy was the first model in what has now become a highly-successful sub-brand within the Citroen family.

The hatchback's cracking good looks starts with the bold "shark fin" door-pillar and floating roof and continues to its sculped front end complete with LED daylight running light signatures.

The little Citroen also has one of the best interiors around. The instruments are easy to read and the piano black finish screams quality.

From an exterior point of view, the majority of new DS3 buyers will have gone for a two-tone paint finish. With a great selection of bright colours available along with a host of upholstery designs, buyers had plenty to think about before ordering their new car.

Add to that a range of alloy wheel designs along with the car's three distinct specification levels and the number of permutations for individuality became pretty much virtually limitless.

The DS3 proved an excellent drivers' car, with a firm yet comfortable ride. The steering came well weighted and noise levels were remarkably low.

Take the DS3 1.6i THP 150 for starters. According to Citroen, "this was the car that had it all".

On the road the little hatchback, with its unusual wrap-round rear windows, behaved well in heavy city traffic. However, plant in on a motorway and it immediately takes on a different life.

Standing to 62mph in 7.3 seconds, and with a redline speed of 133mph, this compact flier enjoyed mixing it with the big boys.

With its beautifully weighted steering, powerful brakes, firm suspension and a hearty growl when the accelerator was pushed towards the floor, enthusiastic drivers just loved it, as of course did the boy racers of this world.

But for the more reserved among us, then the 110bhp oilburner will equally delight. With a top speed of 118mph it takes 9.8 seconds to reach 62mph and, while it was less sporty than its more powerful brother, it could still handle nicely.

Later in 2010, Citroen added the e-HDi 90 Airdream oilburner, which broke through the magical 100g/km CO2 banding, meaning it came free of road tax.

For those now seeking out a used DS3, that's the one I would go for. And if you can, look out for one in DStyle Plus trim, for it offers central locking, cruise control, electric front windows, air-conditioning, front LED daytime running lights and tinted rear windows.

Price-wise, you should be looking at paying from around the £6,440 mark up to £8,440 for a 2010 e-HDi Airdream DStyle Plus on a 60-plate with 50,000 miles on the clock.

A slightly less equipped but still well specced out DStyle should be anything between £400 to £600 cheaper.

Move up to a 2012 year model on a 62-plate with around 30,000 miles and the price increases to between £8,265 and £10,275 for the DStyle Plus, with the less-equipped car coming in from around £7,690 to £9,565.