DS 4 Performance Line | Review

Manufacturers are starting to try and diversify from the stock SUV shape and come up with some low slung alternatives such as the Polestar 2 and Cupra’s Formentor ‘estate on stilts’ shape. DS Automobiles too have attempted this with the DS 4, the model which uses the latest design updates within the DS range, to the full. It’s also got a new interior design and a new infotainment system.

Special mention : So very comfortable to drive, soft suspension is always on tap. Driving on electric mode is brilliant in congested traffic. Great lines of design, inside and out. That hybrid battery means a very low tax band.

Needs work : Driving dynamics would need to be brought in line with the Germans if that’s the market DS is after. 35 kilometers of range kind of cancels out the weight of the battery if you’re energy conscious. Smart open/locking every time you walk in/near/around the car with an added beep.

BHP 225 HPElectric / Auto
0-100 km/h in 7.7 secondsRoad Tax €140
Price: €53,540Boot space 430 litres
Range 34 km

The DS 4 is the model leading the DS range (from the DS 3 right up to the DS 9) and it should be the one from which all others take the lead. There are five engines in the DS 4 lineup from the petrol, diesel & plug-in hybrid powertrains. The range topping Petrol & Hybrid engines build 222bhp, with a lower powered version with 178bhp. The remaining 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines have 128bhp each.

The DS 4 now has the latest tech from the DS 7 with a much improved interface and driver-assist system. The interior is distinctive in its design. The centre console is laid out quite well, the touchpad is responsive but you can find yourself ‘drawing’ on it accidentally, there’s a convenient place for your phone and they’ve hidden the cup holders which is nice from a design perspective but more often than not it’s where your keys and other pocket fluff end up. There’s a row of physical buttons for climate control, but unfortunately they don’t adjust the temperature or fan speed.

The seats are covered in Alcantara which lend it a premium feel but with average passenger space in the rear, you can fit two adults comfortably but any more would make it a squeeze of a journey. The raised seating position does help create a little more space under the front seat backs for feet but the headroom is limited due to the tapered rear and the knee room is hampered by taller front passengers.

The infotainment uses a 10.0in central touchscreen with accompanying 7” digital gauge cluster. Higher trim levels get a head-up display projected onto the windscreen and this is done in a way so as not to distract the driver too much. I haven’t yet found the option to turn it off completely though. The gauges can be configured by cycling through selections and layouts on the gauge cluster and head-up display via the column stalks. Graphics are bright and clear, navigating some menus and selecting functions could be simplified. The DS Smart Touch pad on the transmission tunnel for shortcut options includes anything from your home destination, favourite radio station, a most called number or even heated seat controls. It’s another way to access the functions but it’s slightly more distracting than simply using the main screen and as I mentioned above, it tends to get dragged across whenever you move your hand.

You can configure the home screen to display both sat-nav and air-con controls and if you want you can still use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The configurable shortcuts on the touchpad are handy, but some physical buttons would still be great to have on the dash.

The DS E-toggle is a compact control for the auto gearbox on the centre console. Gearchanges can also be done manually with paddles fixed behind the steering wheel. There are also a number of Driving Modes available such as electric mode, hybrid mode, sport and comfort.

The electric mode is the default start mode which enables you to reduce petrol consumption. It’s possible to get around 35 kms on electric alone and this is something that would go towards reducing the cost of an average commute. The smoothness of electric mode is what comes across as the most comfortable way of dealing with heavily congested and badly designed roads in cities. It has a stress free way of handling the start / stop of city traffic. Couple that with light steering and you’ll be nipping about the city in no time.

With hybrid mode the car switches between 100% electric and 100% petrol or combines the two where required. The Hybrid mode adapts to all driving conditions for the best possible use of electric power.

There is a sport mode but honestly they’ve only used the DS racing tech to help reduce energy consumption, there aren’t any real performance enhancing effects. Which is a shame as the competition all sell themselves with that glint in their eye of the possibility of B road performance. What DS does is get you there the most comfortable way possible.

The comfort mode is based on the hybrid mode, it activates the DS Active Scan Suspension and adjusts the suspension to suit the road ahead. There are a few more interesting tech additions such as DS Night Vision which enables you to read the road ahead to enhance the visibility of hazards. The work is done by an infra-red camera in the grille which detects pedestrians and animals in the road ahead (up to 200m). You’ll see the road in the digital instrument display with potential hazards outlined in yellow and then red followed by an audible alert drawing your attention to the danger. The DS Matrix LED Vision projector headlamps adapt to traffic conditions, the steering wheel angle, speed and weather conditions with five pre-set modes: city, country, motorway, bad weather and fog. They enable you to drive constantly on main beam attempting to reduce the dazzling effect on other road users. Using a camera located in the top part of the windscreen, the intelligent headlamps adapt the beam automatically with a range of 300 metres.

If you feel like splashing out on a sound system, DS offers the FOCAL Electra® HiFi system. It features 14 speakers and 690 Watts of power. The glass is also coated in laminate with an acoustic film which enhances the sound, I haven’t heard it myself but it’s nice to see manufacturers offer decent stereo upgrades. Some other nice options on offer are the black leather upholstery (all interiors are pretty dark) alongside matrix LED headlights with high beam assist with the ‘Dynamic Bending’ cornering function. 

The body is well sculpted with the window edge starting above the passengers shoulder line to give a cocoon like feel to the cabin. Sliding rear seats and the variable boot floor are clever features which add to passenger comfort and the cabin materials give off a wonderful premium scent. The driver has excellent visibility, as the thin pillars make it easy to see out at junctions. Rear visibility is limited however, due to the tapered rear and the large B pillars restricting the view when you look over your shoulder. Fortunately, all versions get rear-parking sensors and a rear-view camera to help with parking maneuvers which adjusts with the steering wheel to give a slightly increased view in that direction.

The DS 4 Performance Line has an exterior trimmed in black with a Black Pack (DS WINGS, stripbetween the rear lights, grille and side window frames) and distinctive black alloy wheels as well as an exclusive interior. There’s swathes of Alcantara covering the dashboard, the doors and the centre console. A neat touch is the forged carbon on the lower section of the steering wheel.

The DS 4 is clearly intended to stand out with its quirky design. It’s an alternative choice to most Autobahn cruisers, as they compete with each other on the B roads, you’ll find the DS 4 pootling about the city unbothered.