DS 4 review

While France is famous for producing some of the world's fanciest food, the perception of its cars has long been more croque monsieur than haute cuisine. But since splitting from Citroën, DS has been on a mission to change that with models like this DS 4.

So what is a DS 4? Well, categorising it can be difficult because it has its finger in several tartes, but we class it as a small SUV, like we do the Ford Puma and Volkswagen T-Roc. However, it sits right at the top end of the class, in terms of both size and price. 

As a result, we also consider it a rival to family SUVs such as the Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40. Its sleek styling might have you thinking of coupé-style SUVs including the BMW X2 and Cupra Formentor too.

So is the DS 4 a worthy alternative to those and other rivals? Read on as we rate it in all the important areas, including performance, practicality and pricing...

We believe most people will be best off with the DS 4’s 134bhp mild-hybrid petrol engine, called the Hybrid Automatic. It delivers good acceleration, even if it could do with a little more punch at higher speeds – the VW T-Roc 1.5 TSI 150 offers quicker acceleration. 

Motorway drivers looking for more low-end shove should consider the DS 4’s 129bhp diesel engine, the Blue HDi 130.

Meanwhile, the quickest version is the 221bhp DS 4 E-Tense plug-in hybrid (PHEV). It responds pretty much instantly to accelerator inputs thanks to its electric motor, and 0-62mph is achievable in a respectable 7.7 seconds.

On a full charge, the E-Tense will officially cover 38 miles before its petrol engine is forced to kick in. That's on a par with the Citroën C5 X PHEV, a bit less than the Peugeot 408 PHEV (40 miles) and way off the Cupra Formentor PHEV’s 78-mile official range.

The DS 4's standard eight-speed automatic gearbox is slick enough on the way up through the gears but it can be jerky on the way back down, making it difficult to slow smoothly. It’s at its weakest when you’re in stop-start traffic.

More positively, the DS 4's comfort-oriented suspension set-up makes it one of the smoothest riding SUVs around, enabling it to float over most bumps and potholes, especially in town. At higher speeds on uneven roads the softness can have you swaying from side to side, and there's significant body lean in bends.

The ride in the Formentor isn’t as cushy but does give you a more settled feel at speed, and both the Formentor and the Audi Q3 have meatier steering that helps the driver feel more engaged. The Ford Puma is much more agile too.

You hear a bit of road rumble on motorways in the DS 4, but you're well isolated from wind and engine noise.

“I appreciate the variety in the DS 4's engine range but I don’t see any of the available options as class-leading.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

The DS 4's interior really puts on a show and takes the fight to the Audi Q3 and BMW X2. It's also very uncluttered, with the few buttons that do exist, such as the window switches on the driver’s door and the physical controls for the air-conditioning, blending seamlessly into the design.

Everything in the DS 4 feels solidly put together – in fact some materials even eclipse those in the Q3, especially the soft-touch dashboard top and the leather that adorns other surfaces you touch a lot, including the steering wheel. It can’t quite match the Volvo XC40 but it’s still excellent.

All DS 4s get manually adjustable lumbar support as standard (electric lumbar adjustment isn’t an option) but the seats are not particularly supportive and allow you to sink into the base like a cheap sofa. That, combined with the low-set seating position, means it takes quite a bit of fiddling with the seat height and steering wheel to get them in line and feel totally comfortable.

A 7in digital driver's display is standard on all versions and shows key information clearly and precisely. On the top Étoile trim, it’s supported by a large head-up display that projects your speed on to the windscreen and can be configured to show sat-nav directions.

The DS 4’s 10in infotainment touchscreen has reasonable clarity but takes a while to respond to inputs, and the icons are rather small, which makes them tricky to hit on the move. The large number of sub-menus can make it difficult to find the function you want.

A second, smaller touchscreen just in front of the armrest allows you to shortcut to different applications, but we found it more distracting than simply using the main screen. It's nowhere near as user-friendly as the infotainment system in the Mazda CX-30 and Mazda CX-5 – both those cars have a handy rotary controller.

A DAB radio, sat-nav, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, and Bluetooth connectivity are standard across the DS 4 range. 

You’ll have no issues with forward visibility, due to slim windscreen pillars that make it easy to see out at junctions, and bright LED headlights.

Rear visibility isn’t quite as good because of the large rear pillars that restrict the view when you look over your shoulder. Fortunately, all versions get front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera to help with manoeuvring.

“The DS 4's small secondary touchscreen screen is positioned so far down and back in the interior that I found it tricky to use while driving.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

There's lots of leg and shoulder room in the front of the DS 4. However, it's best to avoid the optional sunroof if you're tall because it reduces head room.

Despite the minimalist dashboard design, you’ll find plenty of storage spaces, including a covered cubby containing two cupholders, a USB port and a place for your phone.

There's also a small recess in front of the armrest for your keys and a deep bin inside the armrest itself. The door pockets aren’t the largest, but you’ll still be able to fit a small drinks bottle in there.

Sadly, rear space isn’t that generous, and six-footers will wish they had more knee room. There's a good amount of space under the front seats for their feet, which alleviates the issue a little, but head room is disappointing, especially if the optional sunroof is fitted.

The DS 4 has a ski hatch in the back seats so you can feed long items between two passengers. The seat backs split and fold down in a 60/40, which is not as versatile as the 40/20/40 split in the Audi Q3 and Kia Sportage.

Both of those rivals, as well as the VW T-Roc, give you more boot space than the DS 4’s 430 litres. That figure is for the non-PHEV versions – the PHEV has less capacity, at 390 (only a little more than you get in a Ford Focus).

“I found the ski hatch handy for passengers wanting to reach and grab something out of the boot.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Whether you're buying outright or on PCP finance, the entry-level DS 4 is a bit cheaper than the equivalent Audi Q3 or Cupra Formentor. That said, both those rivals get built-in sat-nav as standard, unlike the DS 4, and both are expected to hold their value better.

For company car users with a keen eye on BIK tax payments, the DS 4 E-Tense 225 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will be the best choice. But its official range of 38 miles falls short of the 40-mile threshold needed to put it in the same tax band as the Peugeot 408 PHEV – let alone the 78-mile Cupra Formentor PHEV.

High-mileage drivers might prefer the Blue HDi 130 diesel, which should return more motorway miles per gallon than the mild-hybrid petrol (Hybrid Automatic). That said, they have the same official average of 56.5mpg. 

In the cheapest trim – called Pallas – and DS 4's list of standard equipment includes keyless entry and start, automatic wipers, power-folding door mirrors, touchscreen infotainment, lane-keeping assist and cruise control.

Pallas 55 brings with it tinted rear windows, a different style of 19in wheel, a head-up display, sat-nav and a second touchscreen, but we don’t think it’s worth the price premium. 

Range-topping Étoile is a smaller step up in price: it adds plenty of Alcantara to the interior, electrically adjustable front seats, LED headlights and different 19in wheels. You can switch the Alcantara for Napa leather if you pay extra.

DS did not feature in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey so we can't tell you how dependable the DS 4 will be. It does come with a three-year warranty, matching most rivals, and the E-Tense 225 gets an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on its drive battery.

The DS 4 scored four stars for safety when it was tested by Euro NCAP in 2022, but if you add the optional Safety Pack Plus, it gets five stars.

Without the pack, you get automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keep assistance. With it, you get upgraded AEB that works at up to 85mph plus the rear cross-traffic alert system that's otherwise reserved for Étoile models.

“The DS 4 PHEV feels in need of an upgrade to me because its electric range is becoming substandard compared with newer rivals.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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