Only 3 days after I reported that Citroen were going to revive the DS nameplate, Citroen have released these first pictures of a DS model. In fact, it is only a concept, called "DS Inside" which will be on show at Geneva Motor Show next month, but it seems suspiciously close to production, and the official line is that the production version of this model will be released only next year. So I can't imagine that they will make drastic changes at this late stage.I had said that the three DS models would be equivalents of the C3, C4 and C5, however this vehicle we have here appears to be C2 sized, which is a little confusing. Or perhaps the pictures are just decieving, and this really is a C3 sized car.

But can I say something I've been dying to say since the start of this article? WOW!!!! I love it already. Finally, I'm looking at a design for a 21st century car that has the attention to detail I want to expect from today's carmakers. I would happily pay quite a price premium over a C3 just to have a car that looks as good as this. The attention to detail is what I believe makes this car look more expensive than its competitors. Does the Mini Cooper look this good? Does a Volvo C30 look this good? Even the Alfa Romeo MiTo doesn't look quite this good. That's quite an achievement.

Although having said that, Citroen won't tell us what the interior looks like yet - it's been blacked out in these pictures, and ironically, even thought it is called the "DS Inside" Concept, it is still unknown whether the car's interior will be shown at the Geneva Motor Show. Time will tell whether it truly deserves to be a DS car - the interior of this car is crucially important, and Citroen will have to set a new benchmark in innovative design for their plan to work. While it's unrealistic to expect new and unseen technologies to debut in this car (it's not a Merc, after all), I think we should expect something rather special nonetheless. What we do now know from these pictures is that the DS models will retain Citroen's regular design language - it's just been pumped up to a new level.

In my opinion, the exterior of what will end up being the DS3 has definitely delivered. Of the many standout delicacies of this car, those bold alloy wheels hit the spot with me the most. It's reflective of the design talent at Citroen that they can create a design theme in their cars that can make their cars sexier than Alfa Romeos. That deserves applause.

NEWS: Citroen DS Inside Concept For Geneva 2009

Easily the coolest and most stylish executive sedan and wagon on the market, the Alfa Romeo 159 has stunning presence on the road, and unlike some German competitors, does not look like a real estate agent's car. The overall effect is of something much more youthful than the BMW 3-Series or Mercedes-Benz C-Class, especially inside. The interior does, admittedly look cheaper than it's rivals, but providing you choose the optional orange or red leather, I don't think you'll care - it still looks fantastic. In the past, Alfa Romeos have been notorious for their poor reliability, but Alfa has promised that this new 159 bucks this trend - we'll have to wait and see. Expect reliability to be higher than Alfa's previous standards, and on par with the class average, but not class leading (Audi A4). The 2.4 litre diesel engine is definitely the best, if you can afford it, but then again, diesel engines don't appeal to everyone. This one is one of the best out there, however.

As a used car? You want to be extra careful because of the reliability issues mentioned above. But because it is an Alfa, expect to pay significantly less than for an equivalent German car. It presents a great value for money option - just don't get a lemon.

Overall Rating: 8/10
Style: 9/10 Value For Money: 7.5/10
Practicality: 7.5/10
Safety: 5 Star EuroNCAP
Average Real Owner Reliability: 7.5/10 (www.carsurvey.org December 2008)

Engines:
Engine Type and Displacement - Power - Torque - 0-100kmh Time - Fuel Economy
2.2 Litre Petrol - 136kW - 230Nm - 8.9 secs - 9.4L/100km
1.9 Litre Turbo Diesel - 110kW - 320Nm - 9.5 secs - 6.0L/100km
2.4 Litre Turbo Diesel - 147kW - 400Nm - 8.5 secs - 6.8L/100km
3.2 Litre V6 Petrol - 191kW - 322Nm - 7.1 secs - 11.5L/100km

Features:
Alloy Wheels: YES
Leather: YES
Cruise Control: YES
Air Conditioning: YES - Climate Control
Steering Wheel Audio Controls: YES
Power Windows and Mirrors: YES
Airbags: SEVEN
Stability Control: YES
Foglamps: FRONT AND REAR
Speakers: EIGHT
CD Changer: 10 DISC
Bluetooth: YES
MP3 Compatibility: YES
Metallic Paint: OPTIONAL
Sunroof: OPTIONAL

YOUR CAR IN BRIEF: Alfa Romeo 159

Yes, it's been a long time since I've last posted - I took a break while I got my wisdom teeth yanked out, and living on tomato soup isn't exactly the ideal diet for the development of creative and witty automotive prose. Nevertheless, I will post the cars that will keep you at the height of your game should you indulge in buying a car in the sales rush before the year is out. Here are the dos and don'ts - kind of like my annual awards story. It's the Really Cool and Really Not Cool awards. Italian car-makers are well represented, as is Citroen, and Mazda walks away with the crucially important Real-World Family Car award. BMW has fared poorly, with no less than five "Really Not Cool" nominations, and other German makers (with the exception of Audi) are dusted around the other "Really Not Cool" awards and nominations. Oddly enough, this seems to be a reflection of the human populations in these two countries - in Italy, the ladies are like beautiful supermodels, whereas in Germany, you cannot tell the women apart from the men. Could the fact that German women are cosmetically challenged be the cause of a lack of inspiration amongst German designers?

"REALLY COOL SPORTS COUPE" Award 2008

Probably the only car that truly gobsmacked me not only when I first saw it, but the hundreds of times I've booted up my computer just to look at pictures of it. These few sentences are taking an age to write, just because it incapacitates my faculties and leaves my mouth gaping open. And yes, it must be in this "Infa Red" colour - the bodykit of the DBS was never my cup of tea, until I saw the car in this loud colour. I don't think I like the bazillion-dollar One-77 as much as I like this curvaceous beauty - I'm a straight guy, so I like curves. What else can I say?

Also Nominated:


Maserati GranTurismo S



"REALLY NOT COOL SPORTS COUPE" Award 2008
First of all, it's a Porsche. Second, how can anyone really believe that this isn't just a try-hard cut-price 911? It looks exactly like a 911, which is hardly at the cutting edge of design, but isn't as good. If you're going to be a wanker, you should at least have a car that is fast enough to smoke your aggressor's HSV GTS at the traffic lights. Can the Cayman even do that? Nope, the Holden will outpower the Porsche. Sad.

Also Nominated:


BMW Z4 Coupe




"REALLY COOL EXECUTIVE SEDAN" Award 2008
It sure isn't perfect, and I've always thought that the nose is ill-proportioned, but every time I see a 159 on the road, I'm convinced it deserves this award. What other executive sedan has the sheer road presence that this car has? Certainly nothing German does, although the Audi A4 comes close. This is a car that flatters the owner, because it insinuates that the driver has good fashion sense, is an automotive enthusiast, and probably has a spicy sex-life. But it's a sedan! Surely it doesn't get any better than that.

Also Nominated:


Audi A4




Citroen C5




"REALLY NOT COOL EXECUTIVE SEDAN" Award 2008
Is this car at all classy? Nope. It is as classy as tucking your business shirt into your (visible and above trouser-line) underpants. It screams "I wanna be an old-school socialite", if anything, and while the 159 is modern and probably timeless, this bubbly oddity loses it's sheen very quickly. Really, it doesn't deserve to have a leaping cat on the bonnet, but there you go - it sure does, unfortunately.


Also Nominated:


BMW 3-Series




Renault Laguna




"REALLY COOL LUXURY LIMOUSINE SEDAN" Award 2008Really, is this any surprise? The new Phantom is the last word in rich stylish transport. It's big, and square, and a face like a Mack truck, but it sure is cool. It infers that you are of as noble blood as all of the royal families in Europe, or you own all the royal families in Europe. It is truly brilliant in every single way, and I don't see why anyone with the need for a million-dollar luxury car buys anything else.


Also Nominated:


Maserati Quattroporte




Bentley Continental GT Flying Spur Speed (who needs a car with a 6 word name, though?)


"REALLY NOT COOL LUXURY LIMOUSINE SEDAN" Award 2008
Really, this involves all the Maybachs, because they all look cheap and anonymous and tacky, with paintjobs that are worse that your Ford Falcon. But this is just gross stupidity and snobbishness. Why on earth should you, a bazillionaire, get to ride in an open-topped limousine, while you're driver is in what is basically a black tinted box up the front? Are they not cool enough to soak up the sun's rays?


Also Nominated:


BMW 7-Series




It's just nice. That's how I would sum up the XC60. It is executed without flaw, yet it doesn't look bland or boring either. To be honest, it's one of the most classy luxury SUV out there - many other are vary garish and some are just rude. I wouldn't say this SUV is offensive in any way - on the contrary, it's rather likeable. It only seats five, but hey, for those who appreciate the high driving position and practicality of an SUV, this one is just perfect.

Also Nominated:


Mazda CX-9




"REALLY NOT COOL SUV" Award 2008
There will be somewhere in the world where the Hummer H3 is cool. Somewhere in America. For the rest of the world, it is gross stupidity and ignorance of a growing environmental problem, and a statement of American excess. And that is not cool at all. I really was thinking about putting the Porsche Cayenne up here, because it is hideously ugly also, but it does serve another purpose - it is (somewhat) a performance car. The H3 is a statement of idiocy.

Also Nominated: (here we go...!)


Porsche Cayenne (Close 2nd)




BMW X6




BMW X3




Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class




Ssangyong Actyon




Ssangyong Kyron




Subaru Tribeca




"REALLY COOL FASHION ACCESSORY" Award 2008I've raved about this little car here before, and I won't go into too much of that now, but the 500 manages to balance retro good looks, with a kind of European class that is missing from other fashion accessory cars. And then it's cute, too. Great! And you can make this car to be exactly as you'd like, so it will suit your fashion personality - not my thing, but I can tell that some others will be grateful for this. Bizarrely. I still really like this car. If I was an old pensioner, with little long-distance driving to do (mostly city stuff), I have no doubt in my mind that I would buy this car. Because it would put a smile on my wrinkled and aged face.

Also Nominated:


Mini Cooper




"REALLY UNCOOL FASHION ACCESSORY" Award 2008
I'm sorry, but I don't get this car. You would have to be living in a bubble to think that other people thought you looked funky or cool driving it. But then again, being inside a Beetle is living inside a bubble. The main irk I have with this car is that it doesn't have any substance to back up those superficial looks. I don't have any reason to love it - some women who must be taking hallucinogenic drugs will disagree, but that doesn't stop them looking uncool to the rest of the world living outside her pink bubble.

Also Nominated:


Smart ForTwo




"REALLY COOL REAL-WORLD FAMILY CAR" Award 2008
I think this car seems to have a positive outlook on life - I mean, look at it, you can't help but feel optimistic when it looks at you like that. But the design is so smooth, yet so characterful, that it puts all but the highest of Italian supermodels (the 159 of course) to shame. And it is available in what is probably the most intoxicatingly loveable light blue (which sadly isn't pictured) I have ever seen on a car. I sound decidedly female saying that, but there you go. It also happens to be the perfect family car - not too big, but roomy enough for a family of five. I don't understand why people buy Falcons and Commodores actually - why don't they buy one of these?

Also Nominated:


Citroen C4




Fiat Ritmo



"REALLY NOT COOL REAL-WORLD FAMILY CAR" Award 2008
Oh god, why would anyone feel the need to buy this? It looks awful! And it's American, very American. Shoddy quality, plastics that feel like a child's lunchbox, and an inability to function properly as a car. Not to mention that it actually looks worse in real life than it does in the pictures. I don't want to talk more about the Sebring - it makes me feel ill thinking about it.


Also Nominated:


Kia Magentis




Toyota Camry

FEATURE STORY: The Really Cool (and not) Cars of 2008