The DS No4 is at its priciest in Plug-in Hybrid form. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Background

The idea of having Plug-in Hybrid tech in your next family hatch is tempting. But if the car you have in mind is a mainstream brand PHEV model, the prospect of paying around £40,000 for it might not be. That's the prevailing asking price in this segment for cars like Volkswagen's Golf GTE and Plug-in Hybrid versions of the Peugeot 308 and the Vauxhall Astra. You'd feel a lot better though, splashing out this kind of sum if the car in question had a premium badge and a much more up-market feel. Such is the appeal of models like the Audi A3 Sportback e-hybrid and the Mercedes A250 e. And of the car we look at here, the DS No4 Plug-in Hybrid 225.

Driving Experience

The DS No4 Plug-in Hybrid differs a little from the previous DS 4 E-TENSE PHEV it replaces. Yes, the Peugeot / Citroen-derived 1.6-litre PureTech petrol unit and associated 108bhp electric motor are much the same, with a combined output of 225hp. But this powertrain now uses a 7-speed auto (rather than the previous EAT8 8-speeder); and, more significantly, it incorporates a much larger 17.2kWh battery offering an electric driving range of up to 50 miles. That's a decent improvement on the 38 mile figure of the old DS 4 E-TENSE PHEV, but it's still way off the top class standard, currently set by the VW Golf eHybrid at 89 miles. As before, there are two additional drive modes available with this PHEV variant - self-explanatory 'Hybrid' and 'Electric': and if you shift into 'Sport', there's a reasonable turn of speed that sees 62mph dispatched in just over 7s en route to around 145mph. That's despite the E-TENSE model's extra 200kgs of weight over its conventional Hybrid counterpart (which you rather feel when throwing the car into a corner in a way a likely owner probably never would). If you don't mind extra weight, a full-electric E-TENSE No4 variant is also available, sharing its 58.3kWh battery and 279 mile driving range with the Peugeot E-408. So everything beneath the bonnet we've seen before - and the EMP2 chassis it all sits on is very familiar too, though the French maker claims 70% of that platform has been modified to meet various specific DS No4 requirements - one of those being the need to accommodate the particularly large 20-inch wheels of top variants. These are detail differences, but a little more substance lies with the addition of certain high-tech drive electronics which, for the time being, DS has reserved for itself.

Design and Build

The visual updates which have evolved the MK2 DS 4 into this DS No4 are quickly covered. There's what the brand calls 'a bold new front end' which features a wider, more intricately-detailed black grille. That's flanked by headlamps offering new light theatrics, their more distinctive illuminating signature apparently inspired by both the larger DS No8 and the DS E-TENSE performance concept car. This sees a segmented light beam spanning the bumper that meets an illuminated DS logo in the centre. As before, this is a moderately good looking sharply-angled lower mid-sized would-be premium hatch, measuring 4,400mm in length and riding on wheel rims between 19 and 20-inches in size. Not much has changed inside compared to the original second generation DS 4. Basalt trimming and bronze inserts try to lift the cabin above the generic volume brand norm. And in a top model fitted out with alcantara and Nappa leather, you might even feel the cabin to be quite luxurious. As with the previous DS 4, you get a fully digital cabin made up of no fewer than three displays, There's a 10-inch instrument cluster screen. And an infotainment display of the same size in the centre of the dash for media and navigation. This is controlled by a third 5-inch screen further down the centre stack known as the 'DS Smart Touch'. If that's not enough screen tech for you, top 'Etoile' trim gets a head-up display claimed to be closer to augmented reality than any other system. The information viewed doesn't just get projected onto the windscreen; it instead gets projected further out onto your view of the road in a range 4-metres ahead and on an image 21 inches wide. Another interesting touch is the lack of visible air vents; the main ventilation unit is integrated behind a strip of physical switches that sit just below the main control screen. Out back, rear seat space is reasonable but unremarkable. Unfortunately, as with most PHEVs, you lose a bit of boot space, which falls from 430-litres with the self-charging Hybrid model (and 390-litres with the E-TENSE EV) to just 360-litres here.

Market and Model

As for pricing, well this powertrain is the most expensive of the three available to No4 customers, with the asking figures starting from £39,000 at the time of this No4 model's launch (£2,000 more than the E-TENSE EV electric version and nearly £7,000 more than the self-charging Hybrid 145 version. There are two main trim levels - 'Pallas+' and 'Etoile', the latter also available with a Nappa leather upholstery package. PHEV prices rose to as much as £44,200 from launch. This type of pricing is broadly comparable with premium rivals in this sector like the Mercedes A250 e and the Audi A3 Sportback 40 TFSI e. But with those cars, you can't get the kind of exquisitely stitched leather upholstery packages that can be added with this French brand. You might also want to save some budget for features like the night vision set-up and the Head-up display. Mainstream No4 variants get an interior completed with diamond tungsten fabric and DS black canvas seats. The dashboard and door panels have basalt black trim with a tortoiseshell effect, as well as bronze inserts. Standard No4 equipment includes dual-zone automatic climate control, LED headlamps and full-LED rear lights, heated and folding door mirrors, along with a safety pack featuring adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. Plus there's front and rear parking assistance with a reversing camera and acoustic laminated front side windows. You'll also get the brand's DS Iris system, plus 3D connected navigation with natural voice recognition, wireless smartphone charging and keyless entry and start. Top 'Etoile' trim adds an alcantara-trimmed cabin, a head-up display, DS Matrix LED vision headlamps and scrolling rear indicators, along with a rear traffic detection pack, powered front seats, laminated and tinted rear glass, aluminium door sill protectors and pedals and the DS Drive Assist pack.

Cost of Ownership

From a household plug, this No4 Plug-in Hybrid can be replenished in 7 hours 25 minutes. Connected up to 7.4kW home wall box or public charger, you can reduce that to 4 hours and 20 minutes. So that you don't have to use valuable charging energy with the climate fan cooling or heating the interior when you first get into the vehicle, the No4 Plug-in Hybrid offers a thermal pre-conditioning function. Once that's all done, an all-electric WLTP-rated driving range of up to 50 miles is possible for the 17.2kWh battery, 14.6kWh of which is usable. That EV range figure is up from 31 miles with the previous DS 4 PHEV, which had a much smaller 12.4kWh battery. If you want to do better, you'll need to ask your dealer about the full-electric No4 E-TENSE full-EV, with a 58.3kWh battery which will offer a driving range of up to 293 miles. As usual with PHEVs, there's a fairytale 3-figure combined fuel consumption stat (think 387mpg: in reality, you'll get similar to what was possible with the old DS 4 diesel). But the quoted CO2 figure seems more realistic at 51g/km. Servicing is needed every year or every 12,500 miles and the cost of garage visits should be affordable too. The car comes with a three year warranty and three years of DS Assistance. This PHEV model's battery has its own 8 year / 100,000 mile warranty.

Summary

The DS No4 is rare - this Plug-in Hybrid version is even rarer. But for converts here, that'll be all part of this Gallic model's appeal. Yes, it's pricey. But at least, in contrast to choosing mainstream brand PHEV family hatchback models, it's easy to see and feel where the money has been spent here. For owners, this PHEV DS No4 will have a jewel-like quality when parked in the drive - and will make them feel more special than they ever expected to be in a family hatch when at the wheel. It isn't cutting-edge in drive dynamics - or even in ride comfort. But it's different. The DS 'Different Spirit' is alive and well here. And that makes up for a lot.