Geneva show: Citroen slams down DS4

WE’VE seen Citroen’s answer to the Mini in the shape of the stylish new DS3, which is based on the next-generation C3 – both of which will go on sale in Australia in the third quarter of this year – and now the French brand has revealed what is expected to become the DS4.

Based on the same platform as Citroen’s all-new C4 small-car - itself due to surface later this year - the DS4 will be previewed at the Geneva motor show on March 2 as the ‘DS High Rider’ concept.

However, rather than being a more premium version of the C4, as the DS3 is to the C3, the DS4 will put Citroen in the same small crossover territory soon to be occupied by the upcoming Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman, if the latest DS show car is any guide.

While the DS3 is essentially a sportier, more upmarket version of the next C3 with unique styling, the High Rider show car indicates the DS4 will be an even more individualised and luxurious entrant within the C4 range – which currently comprises hatchback and Picasso people-mover models – complete with taller ride height.

The four-seat, three-door concept, which is expected to gain an extra seat and two doors by the time it reaches production next year, is taller and wider than the current C4 hatch at 1480mm and 1820mm respectively - though it is slightly shorter at 4260mm.

Also borrowing styling cues from the 2005 C-SportLounge concept, the High Rider’s front-end closely resembles that of the smaller DS3 and is expected to transfer directly into production, minus the show car’s radical foglights, 19-inch alloy wheels and fabric-covered roof.

Engines for next year’s DS4, which should be followed later in 2011 by the C5-based DS5, should come directly from the C4, and a version of the High Rider’s diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain is also certain to make production.

Citroen’s full hybrid system comprises an electric motor attached to the rear axle, transmitting extra power and torque to the rear wheels under certain driving conditions, while the HDi DPFS engine drives the front wheels, giving the vehicle an all-wheel drive layout.

“The hybrid platform enables DS High Rider to combine the fuel efficiency and power of an HDi diesel engine with the ecological benefits of a new-generation electric ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle),” says Citroen.