Citroën has unveiled details and photos of their second DS model prior to the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
Following the DS3, which is based on the C3 supermini, the Citroën DS4 features a more extravagantly designed exterior than the C4 that underpins it. The newcomer measures 4.27 metres long, 1.81 metres wide and 1.53 metres high, making it shorter, wider and 100 mm taller than the regular C4 and a little bigger than the Mini Countryman.
At the front, the hatchback wears the latest Citroën family face, that debuted on the Citroën C5. The extra chrome on the two-bar grille and the pair of boomerang-shaped daytime running lights add class, while at the side, generously flared wheelarches house 19-inch alloys, although smaller rims are available. The coupé-like roof line and upswept shoulder line taper towards the rear, where the handle for each of the small back doors is hidden. On the tail, the Citroën DS4 features a scalloped bumper with neatly integrated exhaust pipe exits.
The interior boasts higher-class materials than in the regular C4 hatch. With plenty of chrome around the dials, leather on the dashboard and doors, plus aluminium pedals, Citroën’s focus has clearly been on luxury. Buyers will be given the choice of five leather combinations, while every variant receives a panoramic windscreen, which extends backwards into the roof line and helps bathe the cabin in light.
Despite the DS4’s style and luxury, practicality is still high on the agenda. The passenger door pockets have been enlarged, and a cooled centre console storage bin is standard. At 370-litres, the boot is larger than that of its Volkswagen Golf rival.
Under the bonnet, the Citroën DS4 features a line-up of five engines. Diesel buyers can choose from a 81 kW 1.6-litre unit with e-HDi Stop/Start technology and regenerative braking, or a 118 kW 2.0-litre. There are three petrol choices, that include a 88 kW 1.6-litre VTi, and a pair of turbocharged 1.6-litre units with 114 kW, or 147 kW in the range-topping model.
The DS4 debuts at October’s Paris Motor Show, before going on sale in the UK in early 2011.
