The New DS4 is a decent looking car actually and is available in two distinct body styles.
The one you are looking at here is called the ‘Crossback’ which I would say is the better looking out of the two. DS Automobiles say that the DS4 embodies the spirit of avant-garde in being luxurious, beautifully finished and inspiring to drive. Well let’s see if what I found matches that statement perfectly.
Power and Efficiency:
Powered by a 4 cylinder diesel engine that is modern in its ability to produce some stunning performance figures as well as a decent return on fuel economy and power. Top line figures; 180hp with 400Nm of torque, a top speed of 117mph and a 0-62 time of a shade under 11sec.
My test car was also fitted with a 6 speed automatic gearbox that was smooth and offered some additional ultra-fast gear changes along with a decent amount of power delivery. To be honest – I’m struggling to find the reasons why anybody would buy a DS4 with a manual gearbox when it’s clear to me that the automatic gearbox is the one to have.
On the road:
I was expecting the suspension to feel a little bit soft actually– but to my surprise it felt really sporty into the corners. The steering also felt very light and well weighted which was yet another nice surprise.
Road noise at high speed is also very minimal – even with those big 18in gloss black diamond-cut alloy wheels – but the best bit was how the suspension managed to mask even the most formidable of road surfaces.
Design & Technology
Inside you will find lots of modern technology such as; Mirror Screen which uses Apple CarPlay & MirrorLink for Android so you can seamlessly mirror your compatible smartphone. Then there’s the DS LED Vision which provides a broad beam that’s 51% more powerful on dipped beam and is close to the spectrum of natural light and will help clearly illuminate the road ahead.
Some of the standard equipment on the DS Crossback starts with; 7in colour touch screen, ABS with EBD and EBA, colour reversing camera, cruise control, DAB digital radio, automatic lights & wipers and dark tinted rear windows. This is also just a small amount of what you can expect to get.
In terms of safety – you also get ESC, driver & front passenger air bags, front lateral/curtain air bags and Isofix child seat anchorage points (x2).
To sum up: I like the DS4 Crossback – but I don’t like the pricing. The base model Puretech 130 S&S 6-speed manual starts at around 22k and if you decided to buy the model I am reviewing here – then it will set you back a staggering £27,045 with (Basic OTR costs). Add in a few extras and you are starting to push towards 30k. For me that feels like a big ask and I am really struggling to deal with that too. By Anthony Yates
