Citroen announced during 2015 that it was separating its Citroen and DS business. While Citroen still own DS, they have decided to let it be a standalone brand. At the launch they pretty much admitted that it'll be some time before they are truly at the races with the likes of Audi and BMW. The DS4, is new to the Irish market and our view in the office is that it is perhaps the best of the current DS brand.
This is arguably the best looking of the current DS range. While it doesn't have the same dimensions as the DS5, it seems more comfortable in its own skin. There is a nice range of engines available to the Irish market. The smallest on offer is the only petrol engine available. It is a 1.2 litre 4 cylinder PureTech and it offers an attractive 130hp. The rest of the engines are BlueHDi that range between 1.6 and 2.0 litres. The most powerful offers 180 hp and will take you from 0-100km/h in 9.3 seconds.
On the road, we would rate this as a better drive than the DS5. Everything, including the suspension seems better. Once again, we'll use that phrase, "more comfortable in its own skin". The car itself is based on the C4 and the do look slightly similar. While it can be jumpy over uneven surfaces, it's very comfortable on corners.
Like the C4, the diesel engines are muted enough and they respond well to rising to motorway speeds. However, wind noise does creep in when cruising at 120 km/h on the motorway.
Citroen goes for their top of the range stuff when building the DS range. While the graphics on the infotainment system look a bit dated, the system itself is intuitive. The interior is also less Claustrophobic than the ultra futuristic DS5 interior.
The DS4 currently holds 5 stars in the Euro NCAP. It scored 90% for adult safety, 80% for child occupancy and 43% for pedestrian safety. It’s safety assist programmes scored a whopping 97%.
The boot is competitive in terms of style. Row one is spacious and kids will easily fit into row two. However, we would say that two adults would be more comfortable than three and that the rear leg room is not excellent.
Arrange a