This month’s slew of diesel cars are certainly making their
impact felt within the local market, and it’s no surprise that with the Germans
already offering a diesel variant for their most popular models, Citroen is now
bringing a second vehicle that runs on cab-fuel.
Enter the DS4 e-HDi 115 Diesel,
which will be sold alongside a THP 155 with an auto gearbox and a THP 200 that
packs a manual box. This is the French car maker’s second diesel foray into the
Singapore market after the C4. The similarities however are more than just skin
deep, sharing a common mechanical setup as well as the same e-HDi 115 engine, the DS4 commands a $18,000 premium over the
C4.
The stylish DS4
adopts diesel tech for better efficiency
Trying to tell the DS4 diesel apart from the petrol version
is almost impossible as the two are near identical, which isn’t a bad thing as
the DS4 still grabs attention despite having a tonne
of lines running throughout its body – which somehow manages to come off
looking like pretty chic.
Citroen continues to astound within the cabin as the DS’ DNA
gets a shot of steroids and covers every inch of the interior. From the
cubic-stylized seats that are easily one of the most comfortable places to be
to the ambient lighting features which encompass interchangeable speedo and tacho illumination colours.
Standard on the front seats are massage and heater
functions, together with the expansive windscreen that stretches all the way
pass the driver’s head – think of it as aiMax style driving experience, which contributes to better
visibility for the driver.
The DS4 offers a
loftier driving position that you get in most mid-sized hatchbacks
However things take a dip at the rear bench as practicality
goes out the window quite literally. The odd shaped rear glass panel and
accompanying door hinder movement in and out of the DS4,
non-opening windows on the back doors will further stump would-be owners. Were
the rear doors an afterthought? Or was the DS4 supposed to be a 2-door hatch?
A common perception of diesel engines are
that they produce immense torque despite their low RPM levels and horsepower.
That would be true if you were bulldozing the streets in the R50, which had a
5-litre V8 under the bonnet, but in the DS4 you get a little diesel 1.6-litre
four potter that cranks out 115bhp with 270Nm of torque – adequate ? Yes. Fuel efficient? Definitely. Immense G force-sink-into-seat fast? No.
For some peculiar reason, the 270Nm of torque just never
came to fruition due to a very slim power bandwidth, which causes a lag between
stomping on the throttle, waiting about 5 seconds before the EGS gearbox
realizes what you have done and starts to drop a gear
or two and start revving. Performing overtaking procedures is not one of the
diesel DS4’s forte.
The chrome
flourish is pure concept car styling
That automated manual gearbox which Citroen has termed the
EGS is my only complaint. It’s slow at shifting down and up the gears, takes a
good few seconds before it decides to do it and jerks pretty hard when it does.
It made the otherwise extremely comfortable ride quality of the DS4 rather
jarring especially in start-stop traffic.
The DS4’s shortcomings in the practicality and gearbox
department might deter a few, but for those who are mesmerized by its avant-garde
styling and wow-factor, the last thing on your mind would be a notchy gearbox.
