Five years ago, the idea of Citroën selling more than a few thousand high priced cars each year would have been rightly ridiculed. How things have changed. And will keep changing, due to the many more DS models now under development.
A change of strategy means PSA now sees DS as a brand in its own right. What that means is the dropping of the Citroën name from marketing and other promotional communications, though the cars already carried stylised DS badging. The Citroën DS4 will, at the time of its mid-life facelift, become the DS 4. This also applies to the DS5 and follows the example of the newly-updated DS 3 hatchback and cabrio.
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As we know, the model line-up for this division consists of the 3, 4 and 5 in Europe but in China, there are additional models such as the 5 LS sedan, with a 6 crossover about to be launched and a smaller 4 CS crossover due in 2015. There could also be a larger vehicle on the way, which might be either a sedan or an SUV. You can see the logic of PSA’s thinking, as well as the opportunity to steadily nurture an expanding, upscale brand. For the moment, Europe won’t be getting all of these additional cars but in time, there seems no reason why something like the new Citroën C1 couldn’t be used as the basis for a theoretical DS 1.
The DS 3 is the big seller in this region and the DS5 has done a lot to push the boundaries of what pricing levels people are now prepared to pay for French cars. In the sweetspot between these two sits the DS4 which, strictly speaking, is a crossover even if it looks more like…well it doesn’t really look like anything else, and that’s in a good way. The team who styled this car inside and out did a remarkable job disguising its origins as more or less a C4 with a bespoke body. It uses the same PF2 platform but is 60mm shorter, 40mm taller and 20mm wider and both are built in the same French plant: Mulhouse.
In the four years since this model was presented to the public at the Paris motor show, there have been no changes to the styling, and even now, this is a car that people look at and admire. It also helps that even though it sells well, unlike an Audi or BMW, there’s not too many about. The sassy exterior finds its complement on the inside too, though oddly, the stylists did a strange thing by not specifying small secondary panes of glass for the rear doors. This means overly large windows that not only can’t roll down but don’t flip out either. I condemn the designer who signed off on this to spend time in the back of a DS4 that’s been left in the sun. Waiting for what will seem like forever until the A/C’s chilly breeze finally overwhelms that trapped super-heated air should make them realise their mistake.
The silly fixed glass aside, there’s not much else to criticise about this car. The ride is on the firm side but that’s a good idea given how high the body sits, and perhaps there’s a little too much room under the wheel arches even with the 19-inch ‘Cairns’ alloys of the test vehicle. This was a DSport HDi160 six-speed automatic, which is listed at GBP25,305. Insurance group is 24E and CO2 is 149g/km. The 1,997cc diesel produces 120kW/163hp with maximum torque of 340Nm.
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By GlobalDataThe auto transmission didn’t have paddles but perhaps I’ve been spoiled by other press vehicles in recent months? You do get used to them and they’re hard to give up, especially for downchanges. It’s not a sporty drive, especially as the engine’s redline is at 3,750rpm but for a diesel it sounds quite good and the gearbox is jerk-free. Acceleration is good rather than great, with zero to 62mph taking 9.9 seconds and top speed is 129mph.
As an alternative to similarly sized premium alternatives such as the Audi Q3, BMW 1 Series and X1, Volvo V40 Cross Country and Mini Countryman, the DS4 stands out. Its looks would be the number one reason why people buy it, and as global DS sales keep on demonstrating – 63,800 in the first half of 2014 – there’s a new generation who have new ideas of what a luxury brand can be.
