Citroen DS4 is hiding something

Alfa Romeo and Nissan have been doing if for years, Hyundai has recently joined the club, only with the novel idea of only having a back door on one side instead of both.

Now Citroen is getting into the act – and it comes as no surprise that a company famed for its innovation is taking a different route to the others. 

The all-new Citroen DS4 looks like a three-door coupe but has hidden extra doors, so it actually a five-door hatchback. While the stylish French machine looks more coupe than hatch it has a bulky backside so could be a crossover between a coupe and a sporting SUV in the manner of the big BMW X6.

At the front the sporting Citroen follows the current global theme of having a large grille. The DS3 carries the distinctive ‘interlocking gears’ of the company so it certainly won’t be mistaken for anything other than a big-style Cit.

New Citroen DS4 comes with a feature the company has been pushing for some time now. A huge panoramic windscreen stretches well back into the roof and gives a bright interior.

There’s the feeling for front occupants that they are somehow part of the scenery rather than shut away from it. The sporting Cit’s interior is practical, but also has some fascinating touches. For example, the colour of the dials and the instrument cluster can also be changed at the whim of the driver.

Citroën’s new DS4 is powered by a range of three Euro 5 compliant engines. There are two petrol engines with either 115 kW or 147 kW, but the star of the range is the fascinating DS4 with what Citroen calls its e-HDI engine.

This diesel powerplant uses Citroen’s ‘micro hybrid’ system to trim fuel consumption by as much as 15 per cent in city driving. It has an official fuel consumption figure of just 4.4 litres per hundred kilometres when meandered on the combined driving cycle.

The Citroen DS4 initially comes to Australia in three different versions: the DS4 DStyle 115 kW turbo-petrol with a six-speed EGS gearbox as standard is priced at a recommended retail of $35,990.

The Citroen DS4 DStyle e-HDI turbo-diesel, with EGS gearbox has an RRP of $36,990. The topline Citroen DS4 DSport, which has a six-speed manual gearbox and the 147 kW turbo-petrol engine is priced at $39,990. Statutory and dealer charges have to be added to these prices.