PARIS -- DS Automobiles will launch the DS 4 compact premium car by the end of this year with a plug-in hybrid option, but buyers will have to wait until 2024 for a full-electric drivetrain.
The DS 4 is built on an upgraded version of Stellantis' EMP2 architecture for compact and midsize vehicles. It will be built at Opel's Ruesselsheim factory in Germany, which will also build the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra on the same architecture.
It will take on established players from German brands in Europe's compact premium segment, including the No. 1 Mercedes A-Class (157,620 sales in 2020), the second-ranked BMW 1 Series (107,499 sales) and the third-place Audi A3 (96,280 sales).
Mercedes also holds the fourth and fifth spots with the CLA and the B-Class, while BMW's 2 Series AT/GT is sixth and the 2 Series Gran Coupe is seventh. The rest of the Top 10 for 2020 included the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, now discontinued; the Lexus CT; and the Volvo V40.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of DS parent Stellantis, is mainly aiming the brand against Audi. When he launched DS as a standalone brand, Tavares said he wanted it to be the French alternative to Audi.
Since it became a standalone brand in 2014, DS has carved out a niche in the premium segments, especially in France, with a focus on comfort and distinctive interior designs with finishes that recall jewelers' techniques. The DS 4 continues that strategy, with a camera-controlled suspension that adjusts dampers to road conditions ahead and heated, cooled and massage seats available in Nappa leather.
The DS 4's design was influenced by the brand's Aero Sport Lounge concept, which integrated SUV and crossover design cues into a compact hatchback shape. "It's aimed at customers attracted by two body shapes: The new aspirational coupe SUV and the traditional compact hatchback," product director Marion David said in a news release Monday.
It will be available in three basic versions: DS 4, DS 4 Cross and DS 4 Performance Line. The Cross version has roof bars, additional lower-body protection and optional traction control and hill descent control. The Performance Line has additional black trim and black alloy wheels. Each version has multiple trim levels.