With the DS E-Tense, the French luxury brand brings the fourth model onto the market. The handsome SUV scores with fine materials and a high level of comfort.
The DS E-Tense is causing a stir. During a short stop in the medieval town center of the French town of Senlis, passers-by stop, step around the compact SUV at home, push their lower lip forwards in appreciation before they press their noses flat against the window panes. The DS 4 is the most handsome representative of the French premium brand: The crossover is sturdy, with its comparatively deep roof line. In combination with the length of 4.40 meters, the DS4 has an impressive presence.
However, this length advantage is only reflected to a limited extent in the princely space. You can always travel like a king at the front. In the second row it gets tight around the head beyond the height of 1.85 meters and the knees would also want more freedom of movement. The end of the space theory is the trunk, which has a capacity of 390 liters, which is 40 liters less than the models with a combustion engine.
But DS’s core competence is not space management, if you are looking for that, please have a look at the French-Romanian competition. Those in charge of the DS 4 emphasize design, comfort and technology time and again if you choose a DS 4. The words are followed by deeds: In terms of materials, the DS 4 sets itself apart from the Stellantis relatives such as the Opel Grandland and the Citroën C5 Aircross, which are also on the EMP2 Evo platform. Soft leather, forged carbon in the steering wheel in the Performance Line equipment line or a large Alcantara cover on the dashboard.
This metabolism is also necessary, because in terms of drives, the compact crossover offers nothing new compared to its group brothers. With the DS 4 e-Tense 225 that means: A four-cylinder petrol engine with 133 kW / 181 PS in combination with an 81 kW / 110 PS electric motor. In total, 165 kW / 225 PS then do their work via the front axle. The energy for the electric motor comes from a 12.4 kilowatt hour battery, which is charged with the single-phase 7.4 onboard charger within 115 minutes. The French car manufacturer specifies a purely electric range of up to 55 kilometers in the WLTP cycle, while our on-board computer showed 54 kilometers before starting the journey. The D4 can reach a maximum of 135 km / h on electric power alone.
With all the forces available, the compact SUV can reach speeds of up to 233 km / h and sprint from zero to 100 km / h in 7.7 seconds. DS specifies consumption of 1.4 liters per kilometer according to the WLTP cycle. We needed 4.8 liters / 100 km for our test drive, which started with fully charged batteries and took a few kilometers with empty energy stores. If the battery is charged, the thirst for gasoline is reduced to 3.6 l / 100 km. Most of the time we were on the road in hybrid mode and left the system with the authority to make decisions about the coordination of the drive components.
The DS 4 is not a flagship athlete. He is about the French way of traveling. So more comfortable than dynamic. And whoever chooses the Comfort driving mode for the crossover is also offered comfort. Because only in this program does the DS 4 activate the triad of the chassis consisting of adaptive dampers including hydraulic stops, which work both when pushing and pulling, and the camera, which detects unevenness in the ground at an early stage. The fact that the crossover leans politely to the side in the curves, the comfortable seats offer hardly any lateral support and the leg rests that are too short is more relaxed in the Grande Nation than in agility-minded Germany. The relaxed travel, not the speed bolt, is at the top of the specification sheet. This applies to all driving modes – whether sport, hybrid, comfort or electric. It fits into the concept that the drive train acts smoothly as long as you take it easy. During an intermediate sprint, the combustion engine growls its displeasure.
The infotainment is based on three pillars: the seven-inch instrument cluster, a ten-inch touchscreen and a five-inch input area in front of the center console. Thanks to the palm rest, we were able to navigate through the apps while driving without taking our eyes off the road. Tablet fans use the app swiping motion on the monitor. Alternatively, voice control is available with “Iris”. The DS 4 is equipped with acoustic glazing so that the commands arrive clearly and distinctly. The head-up display appears to project a 21-inch image onto the street. Even if the system works without flying arrows, it makes navigation much easier. Anyone who is now in the mood for this nonchalant travel a la française should go to the DS dealer at the end of November and have at least 37,900 euros in their pockets.
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