Citroën DS4 review (29/02/2012)
Sadly, we could also bang on at length about how Citroën backed itself into a corner in terms of its sales reach by virtue of the fact that once a customer bought one, he or she was effectively married to the brand for ever more. It was next to impossible to find any dealer other than those within the Citroën network who would take one as a trade-in.
But that is all in the past, hopefully and Citroën is now in a much better place than has been the case down the years. This week I drove a new car from the company that astonished me.
Citroën has, in many ways, been trying for a long time to revitalise the days when it was such an iconic brand and, with this in mind, it has revived the name which probably made it such an icon in the first place. The original DS range was a car which stood Citroën apart for so many years and now the company are re-introducing specific DS models — the DS3, the DS4 and the DS5.
We drove the DS3 a while back and were impressed, if not overwhelmed by what was on offer; the new DS5 is being launched in Ireland today; but this week we test the DS4 and I have to tell you that I have not been as impressed with a car for quite a while.
Now, while Citroën did a decent job in transforming the C3 into an altogether more engaging product with the DS3, they have really out-done themselves turning an average C4 into the DS4; this thing really is good. Aside from the truly striking good looks of the car, the DS4 makes an immediate impact with startling refinement, top drawer build quality and really decent performance.
The DS4 shares little with the C4, particularly so with regard to the body design; only the bonnet and front lights are common to the two cars and every other body panel on the DS4 is new. Similarly, underneath the skin, the suspension has been completely re-tuned and the steering recalibrated to reflect the sporty nature of the DS bloodline.
It also sits considerably higher than the C4 and thus, in essence, has much more of a SUV feel and look about it. The driver sits considerably higher than in the regular car and this will definitely add to the potential appeal for many buyers. The interior is much more bespoke too and from the moment you wrap your fingers around the chunky leather steering wheel, you can feel that this is a car which takes itself very seriously indeed when it comes to making a statement to you about its class.
But it is its refinement on the road that really gets your attention; the genuine elegance of the exterior and interior are thoroughly underlined by attention to detail in terms of acoustics. ‘Meticulous’ is a word which springs to mind here because the design crew has so obviously gone into the serious minutiae of wind noise, road noise and every other element of intrusiveness which contributes to a level of overall refinement which I have not yet experienced in a motor in the small family car segment.
The engine is the familiar and proven two-litre eHDi turbodiesel with some 82 kW and 270 Nm of torque on tap, resulting in a top speed of 189 kph, a 0-100 kph time of 12.4 seconds and a 4.7 l/100 km economy figure over the combined cycle.
It is certainly not the most powerful unit available, but it is a decent runner, doesn’t need to be flogged and has excellent mind-range punch.
On the road the DS4 displayed excellent levels of grip and roadholding and the handling in general was well above anything I might have expected. The electric steering was a little on the numb side, but did not dilute the overall driving experience which was well up with the best in class.
There were a few down sides, I have to admit. I found some of the switchgear fiddly and hard to use and I thought the steering wheel was over loaded with switches, some of whose functions were confusing and not quickly assimilated. Strange too was the fact that there appeared to be no function to lower the rear windows, either by the driver or the rear seat passengers.
While the front seat passengers were well accommodated in terms of space, the same could not be said of those in the rear, where the coupe lines of the roof cramped headroom; legroom was not great either.
The DStyle trim, as tested, was comprehensive and sophisticated and added stuff like parking sensors, automatic lights and wipers, climate control and BlueTooth to a standard package which already offers alloys, cruise control, LED running lights and cornering fog lights.
In this instance the sum of the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts. This was, I found, one of the few Citroëns I would actually consider buying. I really liked this car and am delighted to report that this iconic brand has once more found something special to offer its buyers.
The Geneva Motor Show opens next week and one of the stars this year will come from Mazda which will unveil for the first time its Takeri concept, a next-generation mid-sized sedan featuring Mazda’s unique i-ELOOP regenerative braking technology.
Short for “Intelligent Energy Loop,” the company’s first regenerative braking system uses a unique solution that converts kinetic energy to electricity during deceleration and stores it in an electric double layer capacitor.
The power is used to run the vehicle’s electric components, thereby reducing the engine load and increasing fuel economy by up to 10%. This contributes to the Takeri’s outstanding fuel economy, which is achieved at no sacrifice to performance or comfort.
It will be joined on-stage by the Mazda CX-5, a new compact crossover SUV equipped with the full range of Mazda’s breakthrough SKYACTIV technology, the MX-5 Special Edition Spring 2012, designed exclusively for the European market, and an array of new technologies and production models.
However, it will be the newest adaptation of Mazda’s new Kodo — Soul of Motion design theme, the Takeri concept which will be centre stage. The company says the new machine brings a new level of strength and allure to sedan styling.
It offers a taste of the future direction of Mazda’s next-generation CD sedan, having inherited the vision of the Mazda Shinari, an exciting four-door sports coupe concept showcased last year in Geneva. Under this exterior, the Takeri features Mazda’s highly-efficient new SKYACTIV-D diesel engine with i-stop idle-stop system and six-speed SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmission.
Also at the show, Opel will premiere two new machines – the Mokka sub-compact SUV and Astra OPC.
With the Mokka, Opel becomes the first German manufacturer to enter the fast growing SUV-B segment.
A dynamic driving experience is provided by three efficient engines, including the gasoline 1.6 litre 85 kW/115 hp and the 103 kW/140 hp 1.4 l Turbo versions and the 1.7 CDTI with 93 kW/130 hp. Safety is enhanced with new cutting edge technologies brought to the SUV B-segment, for example the Driver Assistance Systems that are based on the Opel Eye front camera system, as well as a rear view camera.
Front-wheel and all-wheel-drive are both available.
The Astra OPC is a high-performance version of the Astra GTC. The OPC’s 206 kW/280 hp 2.0 litre direct injection turbocharged gasoline engine is capable of maximum torque of 400 Nm and a top speed of 250 km/h. This year Opel has several reasons to be excited about the Geneva Motor Show. Not only is it Opel’s 150 th anniversary this year but the Ampera which is just the latest in Opel’s innovations, is among the finalists for the prestigious European Car of the Year 2012 Award. The winner will be announced on March 5.
The new Honda Civic has been rated one of Europe’ safest cars, according to new independent crash testing results from Euro NCAP. In addition, Euro NCAP has announced that they are extending Honda’s Advanced NCAP reward for its Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) technology to include the new Civic.
The new Honda Civic has been awarded Euro NCAP’s maximum 5-star rating. The rating scheme focuses on the vehicle’s overall safety performance.The system considers occupant protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and the availability of driver aids.
Since the introduction of Euro NCAP’s new rating scheme all Honda models tested have achieved 5 stars.
Mercedes-Benz has announced that its retail arm in Ireland, Motor Services Limited (MSL), has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with Hyundai Cars Ireland whereby the company’s dealerships at MSL Park Motors, Navan Road and MSL Grange Motors, Deansgrange will become main dealer outlets for the Hyundai range of passenger cars.
MSL says it is delighted to have secured the Hyundai franchise, which is Ireland’s fastest growing car brand. The appointment comes into effect from April 1 next.
In the meantime Mercedes has also announced that all its ‘stars will be out’ on the weekend from Thursday to Sunday, March 1 to 4 next when members of their main dealer network host a used car sale in showrooms across the country.
Recognising that March can be the best time for customers to source a top quality used car, every Mercedes-Benz dealer in Ireland is remaining open from 9 am ‘til 6 pm on each of the four days of the event, (12 noon to 4 pm on the Sunday).
We are told all cars presented for sale in each dealership will be in tip top condition and covered by Mercedes-Benz’s own Star Select Approved used car warranty.
In line with previous Mercedes-Benz used car sales, it is estimated that some 500 cars will be offered for sale over the four days of the event.
