#HorsePower – DS 4 E-Tense hybrid

What was once a posh badge for a top-end Citroen model has become a standalone brand all by itself amid the vast and sprawling Stellantis Group. DS was born as a Citroen – arguably the greatest Citroen of all time, arguably the greatest car of all time, the 1955 Citroen DS – but now it has to compete with the likes of Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes.

Up until now, DS’s model line-up has been at best mixed. The original DS 3 was sparky and fun to drive, but the DS 5 was dreadful, and the original Citroen C4-based DS 4 was middling at best. To wipe away those past failures, this DS 4 is truly a standalone model, based on the same ‘EMP2’ architecture that underpins the likes of Peugeot’s 508 and the new Citroen C5 X. The DS 4 a sleek and handsome crossover-hatchback that straddles the line between a low-slung luxury car and something bigger and more practical.

Is it actually any good, though? The French have long been able to ‘do’ luxury – Hermes, Veuve Clicquot, Mont Blanc to name but three – but doing luxury cars has been a tougher task. Does the DS 4 do enough to convince?

The DS 4’s line-up is divided into four trims:

Bastille +, Performance Line, Trocadero and Rivoli.

Prices for the Bastille + trim start at €36,295 for the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol version, the only engine choice for this base level. Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, flush-fitting door handles that pop out as you approach the car, a seven-inch digital instrument panel, a ten-inch central touchscreen, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, front and rear centre armrests, keyless ignition, LED headlights and reversing sensors.

Performance Line models start from €41,495 for the 1.2 petrol, €42,395 for the 1.5 diesel and €49,100 for the 1.6 plug-in hybrid. There’s also a Performance Line + version of the plug-in hybrid, priced at €52,540.

Performance Line models come with Alcantara upholstery, 19-inch alloy wheels, gloss black exterior trim, tinted rear windows, perforated leather trim for the steering wheel, front parking sensors, rear parking camera and rear passenger air vents. The Performance Line + model gets scrolling rear indicators, rear cross traffic alert and extended traffic sign recognition.

Next up is Trocadero, and you can buy a 1.2 petrol in this spec for €44,140, a 1.5 diesel for €44,835 or a 1.6 plug-in hybrid for €51,500. Trocadero models get diamond-stitched upholstery, 19-inch alloy wheels, chrome trim for the grille, the DS Iris system that includes connected navigation and voice recognition, the Smart Touch extra touchscreen down by the gear selector, a head-up display, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control and a more advanced emergency braking setup.

Finally, there’s Rivoli. You’ll pay €53,440 for a Rivoli model with the 180hp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, or €56,640 for the 225hp version of the same engine. There’s also the 225hp 1.6 plug-in hybrid for €54,650. Rivoli models come with black leather upholstery, 19-inch alloy wheels, DS Drive Assist (which is Level 2 assisted driving including lane keeping and active cruise control, as well as a traffic jam assistant), the DS Clean Cabin air filtering system and laminated and acoustically glazed front and rear windows.

The DS 4’s CO2 emissions run from a low of 30g/km for the plug-in hybrid E-Tense models, through 126g/km for the 1.5 diesel, 137g/km for the 1.2 petrol and 147-148g/km for the turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol models.