When DS was relaunched as a separate brand, it was still part of Citroën. You had the Citroën DS3 and the Citroën DS4.
And after that small DS3, which was a true and fun Mini-rival, really dynamic, Citroën released the firm and sturdy DS4.
It was too sturdy if you ask me. Anyway, DS clearly was the more dynamic part of Citroën, which was really strange.
When the cars were facelifted, Citroën let go of the brand, so they disappeared from the stage. It then became the DS 4 and...
they kept going at PSA. And right now, there's a whole new generation of DS-cars. And with that niew generation, the brand has taken...
a whole new direction. The DS 3 Crossback, DS 7 and DS 9 were incredibly comfortable cars to begin with.
And right now, I'm standing next to a brand-new DS 4. It's the second generation, after a hiatus of a few years when there wasn't...
a DS 4, but this is the new one. And I can already tell you, it's worlds apart compared to its predecessor.
I can't really think of a car that differs this much from the car it's succeeding.
Right, I have to mention the design. Because it looks absolutely great. Maybe you'll think it's a little too shiny, but when you're...
standing next to it, everything seems right. The balance is almost perfect. It looks great from every angle.
The lines here look great, the front looks great, the rear looks great. And I saw the comments, and it's nice to know you agree with me.
And I can already tell you, the same goes for the interior.
And when I'm talking about the interior, you'll probably think I'm starting with the front seats. But no, I'm starting in the back.
The headroom is very decent. I've got a sunroof now, so it might be a little better without it.
Legroom then. I'm always a little bit further forwards because I like a dynamic driving position, but in here, my seat is still over here.
Having said that, my legroom is relatively cramped for such a big car. It's not like I have to fold my legs behind my head, but it could be...
more spacious in this segment. I do like the way the back seat has been designed. These vents, these speakers and door handles,
it's not only special in the front, you know what I mean? They've clearly tried their best with it, with this leather over here as well.
So let's mention the boot as well. It offers a luggage space of 430 litres, which isn't extreme for this segment. Could be worse, but could be better too.
That's partly because of the way the body is shaped, and beauty has clearly come at a price in here.
Right, I've moved to the front seat. And what I already said about the exterior goes for the interior as well.
The design is the absolute party piece of this car. It really looks good. Not only the design, but the used materials as well.
The steering wheel, the middle console, the materials over here. The shapes look good, the stitching, it's the core element of the DS 4.
And just look at the way the vents are hidden inbetween the buttons, or in the doors. At first, you'll have to look for them, but if you drive it...
for longer than a week, it'll sort out itself. The multimedia system is a similar system as found in other Stellantis-cars, at first. However, when you...
start scrolling through it, it's a completely new generation. However, which is very Peugeot-Citroën-like, is the fact that it's slow.
You have to press it, wait a minute, and only then you can progress. Also, very typical, when we first got into this car,
the system was set to French. And the gentleman handing us the keys said 'oh I'll change it for you', only to have the system crash.
Unlucky, you'd think, but he said that he'd seen that more often. Says a lot, doesn't it?
What I do like is this second screen over here, which actually isn't a second screen. Instead, it's a touchscreen, which lets you control the satnav.
Or you can write your destination, if you think that's faster than voice command.
Besides all of those cool features, this DS 4 has technology aboard which you might not expect at first.
It all starts with a big head-up display, which I can alter to my own liking. But it also has a system that scans the road ahead and...
adapts the shocks to the coming surface. The DS 9 has that as well, but this is a very different segment. It has to compete with cars like...
the Audi A3 or Mercedes-Benz A-Class. DS themselves say it's a hatchback, whilst I think it's more of a crossover really. Like it has to combat...
the Mercedes-Benz GLA. But that's in the eye of the beholder. Other than that, I think it's got a really good Autopilot.
It's able to change lanes itself by only using the indicator. Stuff like that shows that DS is growing to remain premium.
It's very clear that DS is trying to keep up with Mercedes-Benz, Audi and maybe even Volvo.
So let's talk about the available versions in the Netherlands. Or rather, let's talk about the versions that aren't coming to the Netherlands.
Other countries can have a diesel engine, which we can't have, or a 225 horsepower petrol version, which we can't have either.
We can have a turbocharged 1.2-litre 3-cylinder producing 130 horsepower, which we already know from a lot of other cars.
And we'll be getting a turbocharged 1.6-litre producing 180 horsepower. Next to that, there will be a plug-in hybrid.
We already know that from Opel and Peugeot, which use the same drivetrain. That has a 1.6-litre 180 horsepower engine and...
an electric motor producing 110 horsepower. They don't produce their peak powers at the same time, so the system output is...
225 horsepower. And that's the version I'm driving right now. According to WLTP, you can drive it fully electrically for 50 kilometres,
with a lot depending on your speed and the amount of throttle you give. But it's still very good for a plug-in hybrid.
More importantly, I think the drivetrain feels very smooth. The two power sources work together very well and it makes for...
smooth acceleration. And I'm going to use the word 'smooth' a little more, because it describes the DS 4 perfectly.
It's incredibly comfortable. I already mentioned it when I stood next to the car, but where the previous DS 4 was quite sturdy,
because they wanted to be dynamic, it's the other way around in here. However, it's done in a way that if you're looking for comfort,
do it like this. It's very comfortable, but not too weak. Sure, if you start weaving, the car will start heaving.
However, the handling is excellent and it feels very solid. Whenever you corner, it stands out immediately that it's very grown up.
If I compare that to the regular C4, which we have as a longterm... That feels much weaker, much less traction. That's mostly...
because it's on a different platform. They're the same size, but the C4 is built on a CMP-platform, on which the Peugeot 208 is built as well.
But this is built on the EMP-2-platform, on which the Peugeot 508 or 3008 is built as well. And you can clearly notice it's a different...
type of car. It's not only the design that has been changed, all of the technology is different as well.
I do wonder what the 130 horsepower-version is like. I'm really enjoying all of the torque when I'm setting off, but you don't have...
in that cheaper version. Anyway, we'll have to wait for that one to arrive in the Netherlands to test it.
Anyway, the combination of the looks and the smooth drivetrain and the comfort and the grown-up chassis, makes me very...
very enthusiastic about this car. It's a great car that absolutely delivers on what it promises.
It's not perfect though, I sometimes think the ergonomics suffer under the design. The button for the drive mode is too far backwards,
and you have to hold down the gear lever for too long if you want to change the driving direction.
Small things. I wouldn't not buy it because of them, but they are annoying and very unnecessary. Other brands do it good, why doesn't DS?
Small nuisances, but it is what it is. If I compare it with its predecessor,
it's not even on the same planet. The previous one wasn't that good of a car, but this really is.
They've really done a good job at DS.