The FAB fifties was an era many wish they were a part of. It was a time when the hula-hoop was fashionable; Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel” rocked the world and sultry screen goddess Marilyn Monroe featured in Playboy Magazine.
For the French, the era saw the birth of a motoring design icon – a car that would become the crème de la crème of the automotive world.
Literally translated as “Goddess”, the DS was one of the marque’s most revered cars.
It was first introduced in 1955 and came with ground-breaking design and featured technological advancements such as disc brakes, adaptive headlights that could see around corners and, ultra-comfy hydro-pneumatic suspension.
Fast forward to 2010 and the Goddess made her return, albeit, smaller and trendier and with a modern design in the form of the Citroen DS3. It’s also the first model to wear the DS badge since 1975 and is seen as the pioneering model for future DS products.
Now, with the expansion of the DS range, Citroen has sighted the future and instead are shaping cars that will date gradually and not be outdated in a year or two.
We recently spent a week at the wheel of the DS4 – a beefed up version of the C4 that has been taken to the gym, given a nip/tuck and taken to a dress shop.
It has LED running lights, chrome effect bits- and-pieces on the doors and body, a funky rear light cluster and it’s available in a variety of colours, and unlike its siblings – it doesn’t wear the ordinary Citroen badge. Rather, it wears a specially sculpted DS badge to reflect like a jewel.
All of these special details work really well aesthetically but I felt that the interior is a rather bland.
Apart from the new sporty seats and choice of dashboard colours, brushed aluminium vents and few other changes on the inside – it remains very similar to the standard C4.
But everything seems to be in place and you won’t struggle to find the central locking button or hazards switch. The front seats are comfortable but I think they could have done with electronic adjustments. Leg room at the front is more than sufficient but the flipside is that it felt a little cramped at the rear.
There are, of course, elements which can become frustrating. The indicator chime can be personalised with a number of jingles – all of which can drive you nuts. There came a point when I pulled over and changed the chime to the standard indicator sound.
Our test unit was the 200 Sport which is a fairly easy car to drive. It’s fitted with a turbocharged 1.6L 200 THP engine that churns out 147kW and 275Nm of torque through a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Citroen claims that it will a 0-100kph in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 235kph, placing it firmly in Alfa Romeo Guilietta territory.
Apart from its impressive build quality, the ride and handling is a major improvement over the C4 model. The suspension offers a good balance of comfort and sportiness and although it’s stiffer it soaks up the bumps really well.
The steering is sharp and it has loads more agility than its sibling C4 models. Unlike the Alfa, there is very little torque steer.
DS4 1.6 Sport as tested is priced from R325,900 and we think it’s a reasonably good buy considering that it’s cheaper than an Alfa Romeo Guilietta equivalent. As a bonus, you get a good range of standard equipment on the DS4 too. The price, incidentally, includes a 3 year/100,000km warranty and 5 year/100,000 service plan.
Citroen is also obviously proud that the DS4 has been named as a finalist in the 2012 Car of the year competition. They’ve run a number of marketing campaigns of recent including a 14% reduction in the price and other incentives for owning a Citroen.
Overall, DS4 is a solid package and a very special car in its own right. It’s fun to drive, unusual and somewhat does turn heads.
The old Fart’s overview:
The DS4 is a great car. It has a superb build quality, its sporty dynamics are unequalled in its price class, and this car has a versatility that makes it hard to beat.
However ……
Bling is good, but not when it impacts on safety. The silver side rear mirror on the driver’s side actually reflects the trees, etc. on the left hand side of the car, which makes for some disconcerting peripheral vision issues. I kept on seeing “something” in the side mirror, which gives an impression that something is trying to overtake you, when in reality you are seeing the trees on the left hand side whizzing by.
Take the bling away, and problem solved – what’s wrong with a silver matt finish? And another thing, I’m not sure that my old fart friends will enjoy being cooped up at the back with windows that don’t open. My mates enjoy a drink or two, or even five or six, or (let’s not go there), and if they sometimes need to open the windows in a hurry to do you know what – if they can’t, the car is not going to smell good!
Contact us
Follow us
Fan Page
YouTube
