DS reveals details of the DS 4 PHEV

PSA brand DS Automobiles released information about its new plug-in hybrid DS 4. The compact premium model will be their first model to be produced in Germany starting next year, namely at DS’ sister company Opel in Rüsselsheim.

++ This article has been updated. Kindly continue reading below. ++

The new DS 4 is based on a revamped version of the EMP2 platform (Efficient Modular Platform) and, as a PHEV, bears the sales designation “E-Tense”. We already know the 165 kW plug-in hybrid drive that the DS 4 will have onboard comes from the DS 9 E-Tense, the Peugeot 508 Hybrid, Opel Grandland X Hybrid or the Citroën C5 Aircross Hybrid, among others. DS is still reluctant to give details about the battery, but states that the electric range will be “more than 50 kilometres after WLTP”. There are no official pictures of the DS 4 yet, however first pictures of the camouflaged model have been leaked.

According to the Group, PSA has designed the new version of the EMP2 platform in such a way that the latest generation of plug-in hybrid drive trains can be installed without compromising the available space in the cockpit. “The new version of EMP2 platform has enabled many useful features to be improved while imbuing the design with a new freedom of expression that gives a shape with unprecedented proportions,” it says. This would result in more storage space and a particularly clear design. The planned electric new editions of the Citroën C4, Peugeot 308 and Opel Astra should also benefit from this.

It is, of course, interesting that the DS 4 is to be built in Rüsselsheim from 2021. This is a novelty for DS, which will garland the brand with the slogan ‘Designed in Paris, made in Germany’. Opel boss Michael Lohscheller had already announced this step in an interview with the German FAZ at the end of October: “Starting next year, we will be producing a premium model of DS Automobiles here. It is very important that Rüsselsheim also produces for another brand in the Group and not just for Opel”.

The DS 4 is to score points as a premium model with a whole range of technological refinements. Here is a foretaste: Drivers of the compact car will receive the most important driving information projected onto the road on 21 inches. In concrete terms, the DS Extended Head-up Display uses optical illusion to superimpose the data about four meters in front of the windshield. DS describes this approach as “sensory and experience-oriented technology”. This is also reflected in the newly designed DS Iris infotainment system, which can be controlled by speech and gestures and in which user profiles can be stored, among other things.

The Parisian company updated the semi-autonomous level 2 driving system already integrated into other DS models for the DS 4. Among other things, this is to manifest itself in even more precise positioning in the lane and semi-automatic overtaking. Besides, the model will be equipped with a camera-controlled suspension (“DS Active Scan Suspension”). A camera mounted behind the windshield, together with four tilt sensors and accelerometers, provides analytical data on the road conditions and all movements of the DS 4, which are transmitted in real-time to a computer that in turn controls each wheel independently.

Besides, the DS 4 has an infrared camera in the radiator grille to detect pedestrians and animals at a distance of up to 200 meters at night and in poor light. The model will also have a new generation of LED headlights on board.

To date, versions with diesel, gasoline and plug-in hybrid drive are planned for the DS4. It is still unclear whether there will also be a pure BEV version at a later date – as suspected by French media. DS wants to offer only BEV and PHEV starting from 2025. Currently, the French company has a pure electric car in their range with the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, which takes over the drive technology from the Opel Corsa-e and Peugeot e-208. The larger DS 7 Crossback is available with a PHEV drive. The large DS 9 sedan is scheduled to be launched with three PHEV drives at the end of the year.

Update 04 February 2021: DS Automobiles has published first pictures of the new DS 4, whose market launch is planned for the end of this year. The compact class model will also be launched as an E-Tense variant with a 165 kW plug-in hybrid drive as described above.

In addition, there is now more information about the car itself: the data of the PHEV is largely known due to the platform. The DS will be 1.83 metres wide, 4.40 metres long and 1.47 metres high. The front is characterised by the LED matrix headlights and the large radiator grille. Other striking details include the aerodynamically retractable door handles.

In the interior, DS relies on a reduced design. New features include a second touchscreen on the centre console with a five-inch diagonal. In addition, DS promises new seats that, according to the full-bodied announcement, are supposed to “raise well-being to a new level”.

Update 27 May 2021: DS Automobiles has priced the DS 4, including the PHEV variant. As a plug-in hybrid, the new compact class model starts from €38,200 with the DS 4 Bastille + E-Tense 225 version. The order books for the new DS 4 are due to open in June, with the first deliveries scheduled for later this year.

Update 25 June 2021: The DS 4 can now also be ordered as a PHEV in the UK, but only in the Limited Edition DS 4 La Première for the time being. According to the manufacturer, the “DS 4 LA PREMIÈRE sits at the top of the DS 4 range, highlighting the model’s avant-garde style and luxury savoir-faire design.” The DS 4 is available to order as of now, with deliveries expected to begin “later this year”.

The motor system is based on the EMP2 platform, providing the plug-in hybrid model with 225 horsepower and more than 30 miles of range in zero-emissions mode on the combined WLTP cycle. Prices for the DS 4 La Première start at £39,950.

With reporting by Cora Werwitzke, France.

dsautomobiles.com, autocar.co.uk, dsautomobiles.com (update), dsautomobiles.com (update II), dsautomobiles.com (update III)