Review: CITROEN DS4 1.6 THP - The High Riding Coupe Hatchback

Hello folks, I am back after a few weeks of getting hit by a ridiculously bad case of flu. It was so bad that I had to stop writing for a while Anyway I am back and here's a review of the Citroen DS4 1.6 THP. I was allowed to play with it a little around the time I got sick. Fortunately I managed to drive around with it a fair bit. Unfortunately, I did not have enough energy to go shoot a short in-car vid about it. So here you go folks, a traditional, read only review on the DS4 Do enjoy it anyway.

The design, engine and drivetrain

The Citroen DS4 is the second model in Citroen's premium DS brand over vehicles. But this was the first one on sale here in Malaysia and is the middle car in what is currently a three car line-up locally – the DS3, DS4 and DS5. It was launched internationally in 2011 and is based on the Citroen C4 (which we don't get here as Citroen only sell DS branded cars these days). The C4 and DS4 are based on PSA Group's FF2 platform. This means that it basically shares the same architecture as Peugeot's 308 from 2007 to 2013/4.

Some may think that the DS4 is a tarted up, Citroen badged Peugeot 308 turbo as it has the same platform and same 1.6liter turbocharged engine. That could be quite true but platform engineering has a lot of variety these days. I will explain further as we go along.

The first thing you notice about the DS4 is that it features a raised suspension setup. It is a high-riding hatchback in the mould of a compact SUV. It also has hidden rear door handles positioned at the C-pillars giving a coupe-like silhouette. The steeply raked rear doors and sharply shaped rear glass area mean that the rear windows are fixed and do not slide or open at all (a few of us got in and started to look for some rear window switches and found none – so there you go, even we motorheads don't actually start by reading the manual). So what Citroen is giving us is a mini-SUV like high-riding, coupe-like (especially those selfish no wind down rear windows and hidden rear door handles) premium hatchback. A lot of car into one is what I'm thinking.

The Citroen DS4 gets the familiar PSA/BMW collaboration engine that we find in the BMW Mini and the Peugeot 208/308/408 cars. It is a 1.6liter four-cylinder 16 valve unit that is turbocharged and pumps out 160hp and 240Nm. Here in Malaysia we get only the 6 speed automatic transmission as most of us don't like shifting by ourselves. Only one variant is offered (there are the 120hp non-turbo model as well as a 200hp version too) here in Malaysia.

The DS4 is actually a nicely styled car, although I would have loved it if Citroen didn't try to cover so many bases and actually made it into a proper low slung hatchback. Of course, being a DS model is targets niches in the markets. So according to Citroen, somewhere out there, there are those who want a high riding, swoopy coupe looking hatchback. I don't really know whether SUV-like and coupe go hand in hand but I suppose if BMW can sell that thing called the X6 and there are people buying it, I don't see why not for this Citroen.

Anyway, the overall styling of the car is quite distinctive. It may share the same lights as a normal C4, but the rest of the car has more aggressive bumpers (with a huge gaping intake and the Citroen double chevron grille on top) as well as a character lines on the sides which are more curvacious. I think the character line above the rear wheelarch is a nice touch as are the extra chrome bits that lift the car's looks slightly more upmarket. If you compare the DS4 with the other cars in this RM130,000 to 150,000 category, cars like the Golf TSI, Peugeot 308 and even cars like the Mazda 3 sedan or a Honda Accord, the Citroen looks pretty good. I suppose the DS4 could be even more mad like say a Citroen GS or the original DS from the sixties or seventies, but what other car do you know put design and styling over rear wind down windows?

When you get to the interior, you would find beautifully pleated brown leather front seats which look like something an expensive French handbag would look like (normal looking ones at the rear which I think is a let down – the more expensive and larger DS5 gives you that luxury handbag feel front and rear), a nice grainy looking soft touch dashboard and door trims which look the part in a premium C-segment hatchback. It could be better on some bits lower down and at the rear, but note that it is still a C-segment car and manufacturers still hold back some stuff even though this is considered more premium that what you'd normally getThe steering looks a little huge especially the center boss with all of its many controls on it but it feels easy to use and not out of place in the cabin.

There is an extra long 'panoramic' windscreen instead of a sunroof This extends till over the driver and passenger's heads It is only useful if the Malaysian sun isn't out and good during the evenings and at night where the extra view and empty feeling is appreciated. If it were mid-day, your scalp would be happy with the cover and sunshade brought forward to the normal position. I'd prefer a normal sunroof over this little gimmick but hey, its a Citroen, they don't do normal usually. There are also customizable instrument lighting which you can change if you want a slightly different ambiance whilst driving.

The seating and driving position in the DS4 is also good. If you are familiar with a Peugeot 308, I'd say that this car has a better ambiance inside it and for the driver, that higher that usual driving position makes it easy to drive in and around town. One drawback to the interior aside from those non-existent rear windows is the rear seats are quite snug. You cannot fit your feet under the front seats as it extends all the way down leaving a small hole which you must force your feet under. This limits the knee room and note that taller adults may also feel a little pinched in the headroom department at the rear due to that sloping rear. So people up front are all good, especially with seats that have built in massagers. Those in the rear not so much. Oh, boot space is decent. Can't complain in that department.

What I can complain about the interior is the glovebox. It is literally a glovebox in that only gloves and a pair or sunglasses can fit in it. The problem is that this PSA chassis keeps the fusebox on the left side of the car and this eats into the glovebox space. Of course there is a middle armrest storage box, but I would love to have a normal if not huge glovebox in my cars if possible.

Driving the darn thing.

As stated earlier, the driving position is good. The good thing is that Citroen didn't go all crazy inside and everything you expect to be located are where they are supposed to be. The switches are good to the touch and well laid out. It is quite refreshing to be driving in a French car instead of those from Japan, Korea or Germany.

The DS4 on the move does not feel like its a tarted up 308 Turbo. It actually rides better with the high-riding suspension and it also has an electro-hydraulic steering system which feels quicker than the 308. The steering is actually a little too quick for the chassis at times as I found myself having to correct myself from putting in too much steering lock whilst taking sharp bends or around U-turns. I would actually have liked the steering if it were as responsive as it was but with a slightly slower turn-in ratio.

Now having such a tall car makes the DS4 comfortable. The long stroke (normal springs and struts with a beam axle at the rear) suspension soaks up most bumps without fuss. Occasionally large ripples and humps would cause the rear beam axle to protest. One piece of metal does not allow the articulation of a totally independent rear suspension. A drawback of sorts and a compromise. This is somewhat like the feeling you get in a Peugeot 308 but this time, the engineers at Citroen have actually managed to make a car of the same weight and size feel more refined. Body control for such a tall car is decent and on the highways, it is actually better than the 308, as well as most cars in its category.

 On B-roads, you will detect body roll from its tall chassis but handling is predictable, even with that slightly too quick steering setup. Some friends found the slightly darty steering and body roll unnerving like it does suffer from a lack of grip, but I think the slight lack of grip is just that most of us are used to the tied down feeling that Volkswagens, Peugeots and some Japanese hatchbacks have. It feels safe once you put some faith into the wide 225 series tyres (on 18inch wheels) and once it stops leaning. A different approach is needed to driving this car fast but first and foremost, you would buy a Citroen for style and comfort (think old Citroen CX, XM, Xantias and you'd know what I'm getting to) and not to belt it around Sepang or Genting Highlands for kicks.

As for drivability, the 160ps 240Nm 1.6liter DS4 seems to be adequate in most sense. a low 9seconds is what you need to get to 100kmh and whilst it is supposed to have 240Nm, at 1400rpm, the DS4 only feels alive once you get past 2000rpm. It is quite linear in its feel and I suppose the 6 speed automatic (whilst smooth in its gear changes) is geared for fuel economy rather than outright acceleration. A similar engined Peugeot 308 Turbo feels a little faster but I suppose this is down to the added refinement in the Citroen. All in all, the DS4 adequately deals with the high speed North-South Highway cruise in this state of tune. 

One other distinct issue that I have to relearn to use in the DS4 are its brakes. It has a super servoed feel to it. There is too much brake force in the initial stage that one has to learn how to modulate them. There is so much initial bite that anyone who got into a DS4 and drove off would look like they've just started driving for a month or so instead of years of experience. It would seem that the DS4 has too much initial bite and before you get used to modulating it, you would look like a beginner driver. Of course, you'd get used to it if it were your own car. It would be a slight issue if you had a lot of cars as you would have to adapt to the brakes every time. A bit of trivia, in the old days of the original Citroen DS, the hydraulic pump that works the hydro-pneumatic suspension was connected to the brake servo pump. What this meant was that the brakes were either on or off. There was no modulation and some of the models had a large round know as a brake pedal It was so mad because brakes were either on, or off. There was no actual modulation then. Maybe this was what the engineers were trying to achieve? A sense of nostalgia?

Conclusion...or to sum up in two paragraphs or so......

So, the DS4 is basically a fairly distinctive hatchback that has some details that go against what we know and what we want in a premium hatchback or car. Would I buy it if it were my money? From the point of a serious petrol head, I'd say I wouldn't as I would love a more dynamic handling (and lower riding) hatchback with less sharp steering and better modulated brakes. In terms of styling I wish Citroen would be even madder and emulate the DS, CX of old. It is however, better than a Peugeot 308 equivalent or if you are a previous Citroen ZX, Xsara or C4 owner in Malaysia it is much more a traditional Citroen compared to any of those mentioned.

Of course I would have to add that it already is a little bit different and that there would be lots of people looking for a slightly distinctive car with its current quirks. I know that the DS4 is a car with quite a bit of character – from those sharply styled rear doors with no wind down windows, the quirky extra-long panoramic windscreen, the slightly flamboyant front seats and nice dashboard material, the super fast steering and the over servoed brakes. Even the best hatchbacks of this category lack character which this car has. And that is basically the Citroen DS4 1.6 THP folks, a car with some soul in a category that has very little of it.

Citroen DS4 1.6 THP Specifications

Base Price: RM149,888 (OTR with insurance)

Body: 5-door Hatchback
Mechanical Orientation: Front Wheel Drive

Engine: 4 cylinder 16 valve fuel injected 1.6-litre (1598cc) Turbocharged
Power: 160hp (6000rpm)
Torque: 240 NM (1400rpm)
Transmission: 6 speed Automatic

Weight: 1360kg

0-100 km/h: 9.2 seconds (tested)
Top Speed: 212kmh (manufacturer's claim)

Fuel Consumption: I got an average of around 9ltr/100km even after really gunning it.

For: Good Equipment, Ride quality, boot space, comfort, good driving position, good looking pleated front seats with massage function, economical, exterior styling, quite mad in some parts,

Against: Steering feels too sharp for the chassis at times, over servoed brakes, rear space a little lacking, no rear wind down windows, slightly archaic beam axle suspension on a premium hatchback, rear seats should be pleated, small tiny glovebox, slightly expensive too, not mad enough in some parts too

Conclusion: A slightly quirky, non-German high-riding hatchback that people who want to be different will like. Very stylish,  and suitable for Interior Designers, Architects, Artists and people who love style over practicality.