Citroen DS4 driven - Under the skin

At the heart of the DS4 is the Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) mid-size platform that is the core element of everything from the Citroen C4, C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso to the Peugeot 308, 3008, 5008 and even its Audi TT-rivalling RCZ. The powertrains are a mixture of PSA 1.6- and 2.0-litre diesels, and 1.6-litre petrol engines co-developed with BMW.

The range will include 118, 153 and 197bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines, and 108 and 157bhp turbodiesels. The EGS semi-auto 'box will be fitted to the mid-power petrol engine and will be an option with the smaller diesel in conjunction with an engine stop-start system to create a low-CO2 e-HDi company car tax-buster. Citroen is not revealing economy and CO2 figures yet, but comparable versions of the C4 average between 44.1 and 67.3mpg, and emit between 109 and 148g/km of CO2. Most other models will have manual 'boxes.

Citroen has tuned the springs and dampers to compensate for the DS4's higher centre of gravity, fitted a more direct steering rack and shortened the front and rear overhangs compared with the C4.

The result, the company claims, is a car that will be ‘very dynamic' to drive, and more suited to the younger age group it is aimed at. Citroen hopes the new car will appeal to those in their 40s – 10 to 15 years younger than the average C4 buyer.

Take a closer look…
Get closer to the Citroen DS4 by having an intimate look around its dashboard. Simply click on the icon in the bottom right corner of the photo below, then move your cursor around the photo for a closer look.


Click the 'magnify' icon in the bottom right corner of the image: then use your cursor to navigate around the photo.