Happenings

Citroën's New DS4 In Detail

BY Krado Low

Citroën’s DS line breaks new ground with the arrival of the new DS4, a mid-size coupé with its unique blend of bold design, elegance and versatility.

The second model in the distinctively styled DS line, the DS4 is designed with head-turning good looks with an unrivalled driving experience. With the lines of a coupé, but with 5-door flexibility and a commanding, raised stance, DS4 takes “Créative Technologie” to a whole new level.

There is room to seat five adults in comfort with generous head, leg and shoulder room throughout. A large 359 litre boot increases to 385 litres with the under floor storage. The cabin design includes a raised centre console with a cooled, illuminated and protected compartment that holds up to four 50-cl bottles and houses a connectivity area with a USB port and a 12-volt socket.

Unlike many cars, the DS4 offers the opportunity to personalise the onboard ambience with a range of polyphonic sound themes for the controls. The colour of the dials and the instrument cluster can also be changed to further refine the driving experience. Additional premium touches such as massaging front seats with electric lumbar adjustment, an advanced Denon audio system and Citroën’s integrated eMyWay navigation, entertainment and communication system are available to further personalise the cabin.

The new car is powered with a choice of three 1.6 litre petrol engines that were co-developed with BMW: The VTi 120 (117 hp, 160 Nm), THP 155 (turbocharged, 154 hp, 240 Nm) and THP 200 (turbocharged, 197 hp, 275 Nm). The THP 155 is mated to 6-speed EGS (Electronic Gearbox System) automatic gearbox, while the VTi 120 and THP 200 engines are mated to 5 or 6-speed manuals.

The THP 200 enjoys dizzying top speed of 234 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds, while the THP 155 maxes out at 214 km/h and completes 0-100 km/h in 9.9 seconds. The VTi will hit 193 km/h with a 0-100 km/h time of 12.2 seconds. The manual models are fitted with a Gear Efficiency Indicator (GEI) and the 6-speed EGS transmission has an ‘Auto’ setting, features that aid the driver to achieve a lower fuel consumption.

The new DS4 is quite a quirk. It's positioned to go up against 3-door coupés like the Scirocco and Mégane Coupé, 5-door hatchbacks like the Golf and Euro Civic, as well as crossovers such as the Qashqai and Countryman. Citroën also highlighted other key rivals such as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 Sportback. Trim levels, prices and date of local availability have not been announced yet but we will keep you up to speed as soon as we get them!