Citroen DS4 test drive since 2010 hatchback
Citroen DS4. Chic and shock
The first batch of Citroen DS4, put up for sale on Russia via the Internet, scattered like hot pies. The French do not hide their joy: among the buyers there were even BMW owners! Citroen DS4. Price: from 757,000 rubles. On sale: since February 2012
Maxim Fedorov, 34 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience of 8 years, personal car - Ford Focus II.
Have Citroen really learned to make premium cars? Sitroenovites produced premium models earlier. Actually, the legendary goddess Citroen DS19 is the most premium car, impressive not only by its design and high technologies, but also by the price tag. The descendant along the great -grandmother’s line the desired hatchback based on Citroen C4 in this regard does not lag behind the illustrious relative. The average price of the DS4 from the first party sold in Russia in 60 cars shocks more than 1.2 million rubles. The usual C4 is half as much!
However, comparing these models is not entirely correct. Yes, they have the same chassis that differs only in the suspension settings (it is more rigid for Di-ES), but the body is different. Different interior design. Well, according to the quality of the decoration, these machines cannot be compared categorically: the front panel covered with expensive skin, a decor made of real metal, manually sewn leather seats with a unique weaving in the style of strap of wristwatch chic! Here, the creators of Citroen DS4 not only wiped their nose to opponents Audi A3, BMW 1 -Series and Alfa Romeo Julietta, but also models from a higher echelon.
In the Citroen design center, located in the suburbs of Paris, a special department is responsible for the selection of materials and the style of the DS line, where workers who had previously dealt with the production of expensive accessories were recruited. The head of this department worked in Louis Vuitton, which reminds him of the characteristic embossed on leather upholstery of seats in the form of a pattern of stylized letters DS. We purchase the most high -quality German skin you will not see any competitor, the Citroenovites proudly declare. Here we are shown how to distinguish real decoration materials from their imitation: now they make a very high -quality coating of plastic for metal, but the plastic has a different heat capacity: if you touch it in the cold, it will not be cold as iron.
But Citroen DS4 is good not only with the finish. The car goes well! The steering wheel poured with a pleasant weight, for nothing that is equipped with an electric power, provides accurate feedback with the wheels, allowing you to clearly register the desired trajectories. On a straight car stands like a glove, and in turns enters, as if along the rails. Laying steep turns on narrow rural roads of steamer, I did not even feel a hint of the demolition of the front axle. Well, the dynamics with which the top 200 -horsepower hatchback rushes forward, forces to constantly squint on the speedometer, you do not have time to blink an eye, and instead of the 50 km/h you are already flying in the residential area. Evil car!
True, a turbo engine with a capacity of 200 liters. With. It is only with mechanics that such machines in Russia will buy a few units. But the 150-horsepower version, equipped with a 6-speed automatic, is doomed to become a bestseller of this Di-ESC series in our country. The plan of Russian sales for the current year is 2500 cars, and in total about 40,000 such hatchbacks will be sold in the world. Considering that the premium sub -brand has a relatively recently, this is an excellent indicator. So, in Europe, the Citroen DS3 has already bypassed the sales of the main competitor Mini, although in Russia it takes only third place, yielding to both Mini and Audi A1. But the DS4 in Citroen seeks good prospects in the Russian market, not based on the reason that our four will become the most popular model in the DS line.
At the back in Citroen DS4 is no more closely than in C4
Peremorin
It seemed that 200 forces for the DS4 were more than enough, but at the Geneva Citroen Motor Show, a prototype DS4 Racing with a motor forced up to 256 horses has presented an even more angry hatchback version of the hatchback! True, there is no question of the release of such a model of speech
Our verdict
We will be objective: the premium models of Citroen are not yet not available to the Audi and BMW level, but they bribe other bright and failed design. The desire to stand out from the crowd (I apologize for the battered cliche) will become the main motivator of customers of Citroen DS4. At the same time, it is necessary to take DI-ES with all possible dopes (leather, xenon, 18-inch wheels), otherwise this venture will be meaningless.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
+
Bright design, excellent handling, impressive dynamics of a 200-horsepower version, rich interior decoration (in expensive trim levels), increased road clearance.
-
The high price, not dropping glass of the rear doors, the machine is available only for a 150-horsepower engine, an indispensable image of the brand.
Driving
DS4 is one of the most driver Citroen models. But adaptation of the suspension to Russia can worsen its controllability.
Salon
It is rich in rich, but the French lack German attention to the details.
Comfort
The engine roaring during acceleration and shaking the suspension features of the sports character of the model.
Safety
5 stars of Euro NCAP.
Price
Exclusive goods at all times were expensive.
We do not love
Practical
In the glove compartment, the DS4 is easily placed iPad. In principle, nothing is osa, but in Citroen DS5 it will not work to do such a focus.
Bright
As in Citroen C4, the color of the lighting of the devices can be changed. Having played with this function in the first days after buying a car, in the future you will no longer remember it.
Controversial
Thinking about design, the creators of the DS4 did not always think about practicality. An example of this is not dropping rear windows and a strongly protruding angle where the door handles are hidden.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions 4275x1810x1523mm
Base 2612 mm
Equipped mass 1391 kg
Full mass 1831 kg
Clearance 182 mm
Trunk volume 385/1021 l
The volume of the fuel tank is 60 liters
Gasoline engine, turbocharged, 4-cylinder.
1598 cm3, 200/5800l.s./Min---1, 275/1700 Nm/min-----1
Transmission Mech., 6th., Front drive
Dynamics 235 km/h; 7.9cdo100km/h
Fuel consumption 8.4/5.2/6.4 l per 100 km
Competitors Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Audi A3,
BMW 1-Series, Volvo V40.
Source: Magazine 5 wheel [April 2012]
