DS4 PureTech 225 Automatic test: hybrid, me? Never !

With the arrival of plug-in hybrid variants on the new cousins ​​DS 4, Opel Astra and Peugeot 308, we thought the four-cylinder gasoline doomed to gemonies at Stellantis. But the compact DS becomes the exception that confirms the rule: alongside the E-Tense 180 and E-Tense 225 versions, it remains the only one to market the “good old” 1.6 PureTech 100% thermal, also available with 180 hp or 225 hp.

Good news for driving enthusiasts, worried about the datasheet of the plug-in hybrid DS4 peak: 225 hp cumulative of course, but a cumbersome traction chain which cuts through the trunk volume (from 430 to 390 l), amputates the unleaded tank (from 52 to 40 l) and increases the approved weight tenfold, higher by 235 kg to that of this PureTech 225. This amounts to driving with three additional passengers at all times… without taking advantage of the lanes reserved for carpooling, of course.

Penalty and price DS4 PureTech 225

Of the nine finishes offered in the DS 4 range, our PureTech 225 only retains the top of the scale: Performance Line + at € 42,600, Rivoli at € 44,400 (and its Cross version for € 600 more), and edition La Première launch at € 50,100. If the DS 4 plug-in hybrid 225 initially seems better placed with a first price of 38,600 € in Trocadero, it is finally 1,700 € more expensive for equivalent equipment. It remains to subtract the hybrid bonus (€ 1,000 until mid-2022, unless the purchase invoice exceeds € 50,000) and to add the fuel penalty (between € 900 and € 1,500) for discover that our two DS 4 finally neutralize each other on the price side!

On the DS planet, the differences between the finishes concern the endowment (see detailed equipment cascade on next page) as the presentation. The Performance Line + thus covers its dashboard, its central console and part of its seats with dark Alcantara. The Rivoli prefers leather seats grained black and requires an additional 2,550 € for this coating to become pebble gray, covers the rest of the passenger compartment and covers the electric, heated, ventilated and massaging front seats. Same paraphernalia for the ultimate brown nappa leather option with strap upholstery, invoiced at € 3,750 or standard on the DS 4 La Première. Enough about the atmosphere, now it’s time for sensations …

Driving

Tested in Rivoli finish, our DS 4 PureTech 225 was fitted as an option with the famous DS Active Scan suspension inaugurated by the DS 7 Crossback in 2017. Its principle? Scan the terrain of the road in advance using a camera to adapt the damping accordingly. Very effective on certain obstacles (what an overview of the cobblestones and cushions in Berlin!), More ordinary on others (the deep manholes rise more sharply at low speed), this equipment guarantees a certain comfort, not magician.

It must be said that our test DS4 fitted its huge optional 20-inch wheels, which also impose this controlled suspension. and amplify other less glowing phenomena: unpleasant “shifts” of the rear axle on asymmetrical jolts in a straight line and noise rises from shock absorbers as the bleeding passes.

It’s a shame because, apart from this detail, the DS 4 gasoline is rather of the discreet kind. Air noises hardly whisper on the highway. The tires get along moderately on grainy asphalt. The 1.6 PureTech contains its vocalizations well, except above 5,000 rpm where it does not have much to exhibit. Its best resources remain in the intermediate ranges, which allow you to pick up on a trickle of gas at the exit of an urban area and to get into expressways without the slightest apprehension.

And sportsmanship in all of this? Timorous, the efficient DS 4 prefers to flirt with enthusiasts of fast driving and casting than those nostalgic for the 308 GTi. Slightly incisive steering, seats without great support and systematically understeer balance to the limits of grip do not encourage increasing the pace on tortuous courses, even if our car bow to it without flinching. Switching to Sport mode slightly improves things (and no longer imposes the artificial sound, which can be deactivated) but further locks the suspension, which degrades comfort on bad roads for nothing. Unfortunately, there is no Individual mode that would allow, as at Audi, to isolate the various settings of the steering, suspension, engine mapping and management of the eight-speed automatic transmission.

This transmission still has a Manual mode, not as fast as that of a robotic gearbox but ideal for circumventing certain management errors. One thinks of unnecessary downshifts in long highway ramps with the cruise control engaged, or too early upshifts creating small jerks in downshifting when relaunching.

On arrival, it is better to attract the DS4 PureTech 225 to its favorite exercise: long-distance travel. Neat soundproofing, soft comfort and effective relaunching transform this compact into a patented roadster, little worn on the drink despite its powerful mechanics and devoid of hybridization (just over 7.5 l / 100 km measured at 130 km / h stabilized). Finally, it is on the highway that its semi-autonomous driving system shines by maintaining a desired position in the queue. A much more relevant function than the simple lane departure warning, which impels an exaggerated steering angle when entering a bend above 70 km / h. To be deactivated at each start … as in Peugeot 308 III.

On board

Competition

If the new DS 4 is openly aimed at German compacts in the premium circle, this PureTech 225 version sold between € 42,600 and € 50,100 ultimately appears to be an offbeat proposition. It is too powerful against a BMW 120i of 178 hp (from 35,500 €) and does not have all-wheel drive such as the 190 hp Audi A3 40 TFSI Quattro (from € 43,690) and the 224 hp Mercedes A 250 4Matic (from € 45,250). As for the BMW 128 ti (265 hp, € 47,150) and Volkswagen Golf GTI (245 hp, € 43,425), they have a more sporty touch and character that contrast with the comfortable stroll of the DS 4 PureTech 225. The French exception, no doubt …

Find the test report, the technical sheet and all the prices-equipment-options of the DS4 PureTech 225 on the next page.