Citroen DS4 1.6 Turbo, a dashing French crossover with a Different Spirit [+Video]



This is the first time I had such a close encounter with such a dashing car, the Citroen DS4. I must admit I have a hard time pronouncing the name Citroen, as many of you do, so I took the trouble by attending some online tutorials and learnt up the proper pronounciation. And guess what, Citroen is pronounce (sit-toh-en).

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The Citroen DS4 is based upon the Citroen C4. Yup, as far as I know, there is no official Citroen C4 being sold in Malaysia, and it’s distributor, Naza Euro Motor, is only keen to bring in DS series into our market as a premium offering at the moment.

QUICK FACTS

Name  Citroen DS4
Segment  C Segment
Engine  1.6L THP 160 (Turbo High Pressure)
Price  RM 149,888.00

Watch our video review on the Citroen DS4 here

The Citroen DS4 is currently assembled by Naza , and the premium DS (Different Spirit) badge will set you RM149,888.00, should you choose to get one. It comes in 4 colours, namely Blanc Nacré, Brun Hickory, Rouge Babylone and Noir Perla Nera. I am simply going to call it glittering silver, chocolate brown, delicious red and pepper black instead of those fancy names!

EXTERIOR

When I get the car, I do not know what to make of the Citroen DS4, whether it is a crossover or a hatchback. The raised suspension gives the Citroen DS4 a very macho-ish, crossover profile. The front grill houses a double elongated chevron, distinctively Citroen emblem. Then it is complemented by very aggressive looking Xenon headlamps. The L-shaped DRL (daytime running lights) sits above the small rounded fog lights.

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The side profile of the Citroen DS4 is gives a very muscular stance, thanks to the crease or character lines above the front and rear fender. If you are standing feets away from the Citroen DS4, you would probably mistaken the Citroen DS4 for a 2-door coupe. The rear handle is cleverly tucked away, hidden from clear sight. It is located near the C-pillar window. Nicely done, but it doesn’t goes well with a lot of people.

I, together with several writers and friends do find the hidden rear door handle poses a bit of problem. It creates a triangular, protruding edge that could hurt anyone who opens the rear door. Perhaps the French designers is more interested in good looks over safety of passengers!

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The rear profile doesn’t look as exciting  as the front fascia, but still draw just enough attention and make you stare. A shiny piece of chrome garnish the rear bumper and with a little twisty design, it manage to look like it houses a two-piece tailpipe. And to finish it off, there is also an extraordinary small rear wiper, the length of marker pen. Why bother putting one small wiper is really beyond me as it wouldn’t be able to cover much surface area after all.

INTERIOR

Step into the front cabin and this is where hell breaks loose. Front seats are wrapped in fine brown leather (Habana Club Leather) and contoured to provides good lateral support. It does not however stop there. There is a huge array of adjustments that you could fiddle with, seats alone! There is electric lumbar control and massage function.

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I wouldn’t have noticed

it if not for the small buzzing sound emanating from the seats itself and a few circular-moving knuckles caressing your back. Oh yes, the massaging function is only available for front passengers, not the rear. So if you are ferrying more than 2, I dare to put a wager that the other 3 passengers would fight to be seated in the front seats.

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There is a huge amount of soft touch materials all over the cockpit too and that is to be expected, coming from the DS range. From armrest, to the centre console and steering wheels. Talk about being pampered! The goodies never stop there. You can even customise the tone of your turn signal to 4 different tones. Even the colour of the instrument gauge is customisable. The steering wheel itself is humongous!

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Speaking of the instrument gauges, I would like to stress that the MID is a bit of confusing. Rather than having all information displayed at the dashboard gauge, some are displayed at the central MID. For instance you may find trip meter, distance-to-empty information right in front of your dashboard gauge. However if you want to check how heavy footed you are or your average fuel consumption, you will have to stray away from your dash momentarily and set you eyes upon the central MID, located right above the head unit.

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Though this is a 4-door car, it is weird to find that there is only 2 power windows, and your guess is right, it is only available to front passengers. There is no power windows for rear passengers. I do not understand what is the design principles involved here, as there is also no physical lock for the rear passengers to unlock themselves from.

No power window, no lock/unlock lever, hmmmm. This would make a perfect choice for parents with hyperactive kids. Or perhaps Jason Statham from the Transporter movie series would consider the Citroen DS4 as his next go-to-car, perfect for chauffeuring “packages”.

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If you are being chauffeured, and seated at the rear, fret not. The rear seats are able to accommodate 3 person, with slight shoulder rubbing in the process. As with any smart and practical European hatchbacks, the rear seats do fold 60:40.

In car entertainment is featured-pack though it comes without any fancy LCD display. Choose from a variety of source and methods to play your favourite music, via USB, AUX input, or Bluetooth. The Bluetooth connectivity doubles up as hands free kit. Oh, before I forget, there is something I really like about Citroen is the panoramic Zenith windscreen, in place of a more conventional sunroof. It rewards the front passengers with superb viewing angle of the skyline.

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PERFORMANCE

Drive the Citroen DS4 hard enough, and the 4 pot turbo Prince engine is going to reward you pretty heftily. The sound of faint blow off valve is unmistakably apparent, and it begs to be driven hard. Power delivery is buttery smooth when paired to Citroen’s 6-speed electronic gearbox.

Watch our video review on the Citroen DS4 here

With peak torque (240 Nm) that comes as early as 1400 rpm, you will never have to really step hard on the pedals in day to day city drive. Floor it, and the THP engine will bring you up to speed, from 0-100 km/h in around 9.3 seconds. And if that doesn’t amuse you, keep you foot well planted on the accelerator and you will reach 212 km/h in no time.

THE DRIVE

The Citroen DS4 on 4 low profile Michelin Pilot Sport 3 225/45 rubbers, wrapped in 18 inch alloy wheels gives very good grip, but I am not satisfied with the ride quality. The ride can be very hard and bumpy on speed breakers (speed bumps) and uneven roads. That is the only dissatisfaction I could find thus far.

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Tyres and ride quality aside, the Citroen DS4 is laden with features to help make the drive as safe as possible. There is Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and the much sought after blind spot monitoring. Unlike Volvo’s blind spot warning, the DS4’s warning lights is located at the side mirrors, blinking at you if there is an object or car within your blind spot. This earns the Citroen DS4 a 5-star rating in Euro NCAP. Adult and child occupant protection is rated a high 90% and 80% respectively.

There is some problem regarding rear visibility of the Citroen DS4, as with many hatchbacks. The problem is made slightly worse where there is no reverse camera for such a luxurious car to help mitigate the rear visibility issue.

IS IT FOR YOU?

I would very much like to own a Continental hot hatch, and this seems to fit that requirement. However, maintenance and parts availability remains a big concern to many of us. Even the ever popular people’s car, Volkswagen, is not spared from troubles that brewed recently. Many owners of the big brand are left disappointed with the quality and attitude of VW’s after sales service in Malaysia. That being said, I believe Naza Euro Motors would not follow in VGM’s footstep and remain committed to bolster their after sales services.

Watch our video review on the Citroen DS4 here

COMPARISONS

Citroen DS4   Golf Mk7 1.4 TSI  
ENGINE
Type THP (Turbo High Pressure) 4-cylinder engine TSI turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
Displacement cc  1,598 1,395
Compression Ratio  –  –
Max Power hp/rpm 161 / 6000 138 / 4500-6000
Max Torque Nm/rpm 240 / 1400 250 /1500-3500
Carburetion System  Direct Injection
Fuel Tank Capacity L  60 50
STEERING
Type Electro Hydraulic Electromechanical Power Steering
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission  6-speed A/T 7-speed DSG
SUSPENSION
Type  McPherson Strut (F) / Drawn Arms (R) McPherson Strut (F) / Multi-Link (R)
BRAKES
Front Ventilated Disc Ventilated Disc
Rear Disc Disc
TYRE & WHEELS
Tyres 225 / 45 R18 205 / 55 R16
Wheels  Alloy  Alloy
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS
Overall Length mm 4,275 4,255
Overall Width mm 1,810 1,799
Overall Height mm 1,533 1,452
Wheelbase mm 2,612 2,637
Max Kerb weight kg  1,360 1,720
SAFETY
Airbags  6 6
Others blind spot monitoring, vehicle stability control, electronic brake force distribution, anti-lock brake system, emergency brake assist, parking space gap measurement vehicle stability control, electronic brake force distribution, anti-lock brake system, traction control (XDS)
FUEL
Grade 95 95
PRICE RM 149,888.00
159,888.00

 

WILL I BUY IT?

I like the Citroen DS4’s styling and with so few of these cars on the road, it does certainly makes me stand out. The practicality of a Continental hatchback is not to be undermined. It carries 5 comfortably, and if you ever need to carry long or large items, you can always fold away the rear seats. The same cannot be said with a sedan, no matter how large it is.

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