The DS 4 is the French premium brand’s distinctly Gallic mid-size hatchback. It sits between the DS 3 and DS 7 SUVs size-wise and, while it isn’t actually an SUV itself, the DS 4 does have a notably high ride height for this kind of car. That gives it a bit of a USP against rivals such as the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

This is the second-generation of DS 4. The first was launched in 2010 by Citroen – DS the brand was separated off in 2015 – offering a similarly design-led, curiously high-riding take on the premium hatchback theme. The current version that we’re focusing on here was launched in 2021. You might see it referred to as a crossover elsewhere, but at Parkers we think of it as a slightly unconventional hatchback.

We have a lot of experience in this generation of DS 4 at Parkers. We’ve tested many different models of it over the years, and I’ve lived with one during a six-month long-term test. That experience has informed the opinions given here; you can read more about how we test cars at Parkers.

The DS 4 experience is an oddly mixed bag. We think it looks fantastic inside and out, yet interior quality is lacking in some areas. It has a deceptively large boot, but back seat room is barely adequate. It’s fabulously comfortable but the driving experience is somewhat compromised by its raised suspension. It’s very well equipped yet still quite expensive compared to rivals.

Those rivals include the aforementioned Audi, BMW and Mercedes plus more mainstream options such as the Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf and Hyundai i30. There’s also the Citroen C4, Peugeot 308 and Vauxhall Astra which are built from many of the same components as the DS.

Despite having only been on sale a few years, the DS 4 already has an utterly baffling range of trim levels – our specs pages show no less than 19 of them. At the time of writing just four are available to buy new: Pallas, Pallas 55, Etoile and Etoile Nappa.

Similarly, quite a comprehensive range of petrol, diesel and hybrid engines have been available. Again, at the time of writing there’s a more limited choice of mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and diesel. We’ll get into the details of them in the engines section of this review.

Click through the following pages to read everything you need to know about the DS 4. We cover its practicality, how the running costs stack up, what it’s like to live with and how it feels to drive. We finish by giving our verdict where you’ll find out whether or not we recommend buying a DS 4.