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The DS N°4, aiming to offer stylish design in the family hatchback class, is now available with an all-electric powertrain for the first time.
DS is a Stellantis brand formed out of Citroen, with the aim of offering more upmarket style. The DS 4 has previously been available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but the new N°4 is now available as an all-electric model.
The DS N°4 E-TENSE shares the Stellantis EMP2 platform and front-wheel drive layout with the Vauxhall Astra Electric and the Peugeot E-308. The DS N°4 E-TENSE is the ‘premium offering’, particularly in terms of exterior and interior design, but it also has a more powerful (213 bhp) electric motor, compared to the 156 bhp of the Astra, along with a 61 kWh (58.3 kWh usable) battery.
The DS N°4 is 4,400mm long, with a boot capacity of 390 litres with the rear seats up, or 1,260 litres with the rear seats down. Rear legroom is tight and although there’s a small compartment under the boot, it’s not large enough to store the charging cable, and there’s no storage compartment under the bonnet.
The DS ‘diamond’ design theme is evident on items such as switches in the interior.
The DS N°4 E-TENSE is a compact size and at 1,793 kg it’s reasonably lightweight for an EV, so the handling has a feeling of agility. Ride quality is also comfortable, and combined with the responsive electric drivetrain, all this means that the overall driving experience is good.
However the N°4 is front-wheel drive, so torque steer under acceleration is always a possibility.
The gear selector is the standard Stellantis unit, with steering wheel paddles for adjusting the level of brake regeneration. It can feel quite slow for the car to wake up and change gear when you start it.
The drive mode switch – on the opposite side of the centre console, angled away from the driver – gives the options of Eco, Normal and Sport.
There’s a 10-inch driver’s instrument display, and a ‘DS Extended Head-Up Display’, which projects information onto the windscreen such as detailed layouts of junctions.
The 10-inch central touchscreen doesn’t feature permanent shortcut buttons, instead you have to swipe it to get to screens with different controls. One outcome of this is that if you’re using Apple Carplay there are no shortcut controls visible, and there are no controls to change the cabin temperature. To do this you have to press a physical button under the screen, which brings up climate controls, including the option to adjust the cabin temperature; we’d prefer permanently-available controls for the temperature. There is a physical home button to the right of the touchscreen, and a vehicle button below the screen that allows you to switch off features such as the lane departure warning system.
The DS IRIS voice recognition system offers a personal assistant service using ChatGPT.
The 100% electric DS N°4 ÉTOILE E-TENSE with the 58.3 kWh battery (equipped with standard 19-inch wheels) delivers a combined WLTP electric driving range of 279 miles. After a week on test the real-world range was averaging 240 miles. Consumption (WLTP) of 4.1 miles/kWh is good.
The maximum DC rapid charging rate for the DS N°4 E-TENSE is 120 kW, which is a slight increase on the normal 100 kW of most similar Stellantis models to date. This should deliver a 20% to 80% charge in approximately 30 minutes.
The DS N°4 E-TENSE has an optional heat pump which aims to heat the cabin in cold weather with minimal impact on the battery’s range.
The DS N°4 ÉTOILE E-TENSE is priced from £41,860. The total price of our test car including options (motorised tailgate with hands-free, Perla Nera black roof and heat pump) was £43,255.
The DS N°4 is available in trim levels of PALLAS, DS PERFORMANCE LINE and ÉTOILE.
Pricing for the DS N°4 E-TENSE starts at £36,995, compared to £29,995 for the Vauxhall Astra Electric and £30,995 for the Peugeot E-308 – making the base N°4 £7,000 more expensive than the Astra.
The DS N°4 E-TENSE is eligible for the UK government £1,500 electric car grant.
The DS N°4 E-TENSE is comfortable to drive, with some agility in the handling department. Its 279 mile-range is decent, and the DC charging speed has crept up slightly to 120 kW. Rear legroom isn’t huge, and there’s nowhere to store the charging cable. The dashboard controls feature stylish design, but there are no permanent shortcuts on the touchscreen, or cabin temperature controls. The N°4 aims to offer a more premium appearance and experience than the Vauxhall Astra and the Peugeot E-308, which both share the same platform, but there’s a price premium for the design style. The DS N°4 E-TENSE is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 8 out of 10.
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