DS 4 blurs categories to compete with Audi, BMW, Mercedes premium compacts

PARIS -- DS Automobiles is re-entering the compact segment with the DS 4, a high-riding hatchback that will be built at an Opel factory in Germany.

The hatchback will be available in three distinct trim versions and with an optional plug-in hybrid powertrain. 
 
It is the first vehicle built on a new version of PSA Group's EMP2 platform for compact and midsize vehicles, which allows for a plug-in hybrid powertrain but not a full-electric one.  
 
The DS 4 will go on sale in the fourth quarter. It will be built in Ruesselsheim at Opel's home factory where the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia midsize model is produced. The plant will add production of the new Opel Astra in the summer.

DS did not release prices, but the DS 4 is expected to compete with the Audi A3, BMW 1 and 2 Series and Mercedes A- and B-Class models. The Mercedes A-Class is the premium compact segment leader in Europe, with 158,170 sales in 2020, according to JATO Dynamics.  
 
Prices in France for the A Class, which is available in a wide range of configurations, including a sedan version, range from 28,900 euros ($34,760) to more than 70,000 euros for an AMG performance version. A plug-in hybrid A Class hatchback starts at 39,750 euros. 
 
DS executives, including brand CEO Beatrice Foucher, product director Marion David and design director Thierry Metroz, showed the pre-production DS 4 at an event in Paris on Wednesday. Some details about the car were released in December.  
 
The DS 4 intentionally blurs the line between a traditional hatchback and an SUV/crossover, David said, adding that it complements the DS 7 compact SUV in the brand’s range.

"We wanted to appeal to premium C-segment hatchback customers and also to C-segment SUV customers," David told Automotive News Europe. "It's kind of a balance between the both. We wanted to have the driving pleasure of a hatchback but also the same attractiveness as a C-SUV coupe."
 
Metroz and DS designers said the DS 4 has drawn much of its inspiration from the Aero Sport Lounge concept, a coupe-styled four-door crossover. Like the Aero Sport Lounge, the DS 4  has  long, vertical front running lights, narrow horizontal headlights and a steeply raked windshield.

The DS 4 is 4400 mm (173 inches) long, 1830 mm wide and 1470 mm high. It rides on 19- or 20-inch wheels. 
 
It will be available in three trim versions: a base model, called simply DS 4; a DS 4 Cross, with SUV styling cues such as black trim, roof bars. Advanced traction control and hill descent assist are available as options. A Performance Line version has black trim, alloy wheels and a specific interior.

The upgraded EMP2 includes a number of redesigned structural pieces, some made from composite materials; smaller components such as air conditioning units to free up space; new electronic architecture for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and infotainment; better acoustic dampening; and redesigned suspension and steering components. DS says the platform contains 70 percent new or exclusive to DS parts. 
 
DS says the revamped platform allowed designers to lower the fenders and hood, and the floor for rear-seat passengers.  

The previous DS 4 model was launched in 2011 as a subbrand of Citroen, and was last sold in Europe in 2018. DS became a stand-alone brand in 2014, and starting in 2017 with the DS 7 has launched four models specifically designed for the brand. The DS product plan calls for one new model to launch every year until 2023. 
 
Along with a revised platform, the DS 4 also receives an upgraded plug-in hybrid system with a 180 hp, 4-cylinder gasoline engine and a 110 hp electric motor, for a total of 225 hp, as well as a more-efficient battery with smaller cells. Electric-only range is given at "more than 50 km."

Other engine choices include 130, 180 and 225 hp gasoline engines and a 130 hp diesel.  
 
Under PSA, DS models have been the first to receive new technology, comfort and convenience features, which then trickled down to the Peugeot, Citroen and Opel/Vauxhall brands.

In addition to the revised plug-in hybrid system and platform, new features on the DS 4 include heated, cooled and massage seats in a continuous “shell” configuration; an extended head-up display that uses an optical illusion to “project” information onto the road ahead; and a separate 5-inch screen mounted low on the center console that responds to touch to control customizable vital functions. 
 
The DS 4 also debuts expanded Level 2 autonomous driving technology. There are three new features: Semi-automatic passing, speed adjustments in corners and anticipated speed adjustments based on signage. Enhanced “radar corners” allow for blind spot warnings for vehicles up to 75 meters (245 feet) away and also enable the passing function, DS engineers said.