The DS 4 has been given a heavy update, bringing in a fresh look, a new name and the option of an electric powertrain for the first time.

The C-segment hatchback has been the French brand’s best-seller in the UK since its 2021 launch, albeit with just 2300 sales. 

While it has done much better in Europe, amassing 10,405 sales in 2024, DS is struggling, with overall deliveries dipping 22.4% last year. 

It was recently suggested that parent company Stellantis was ready to offload DS last year, but instead it has publicly backed the brand.

In a bid to rejuvenate itself, DS has brought to market a new flagship SUV in the No8 and given its best-seller a wide-reaching update.

This starts with a new name, No4, which follows last year’s new SUV and is part of an effort to move DS back into the premium sphere.

Yet, it will be the addition of an electric variant that should give the model added appeal – especially in the UK, where manufacturers are pressed to sell an increased number of EVs. 

Using the same powertrain as the similarly sized Peugeot e-408 and recently facelifted Citroën ë-C4, the No4 E-Tense is fitted with a 58.3kWh (net) battery that delivers up to 280 miles of range. 

Power is supplied by a single electric motor that sends 210hp and 253lb ft of torque to the front wheels.

A 0-62mph time has yet to be confirmed, but the e-408 can despatch it in 7.6sec.

Like its Peugeot sibling, the new DS can be rapid-charged at rates of up to 120kW, allowing for a 62-mile top-up in 11 minutes.

The No4 is again offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, this time with a larger and more efficient 14.6kWh battery. This provides as much as 50 miles of electric range, 30% more than the car it replaces.

The PHEV combines a 178bhp turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a gearbox-integrated motor for 222bhp and 266lb ft.

The 143bhp mild-hybrid petrol engine is also still offered.

DS has transformed the design of the new No4, bringing it inline with the stylings of the new No8. This is focused on the nose, which now features a new wider and redesigned grille, as well as the same V-shaped light signature as the SUV.

The bonnet has also been extended by 12mm. At the rear, new LED lights feature.

In keeping with its push to remain a premium option, 19in alloys are fitted as standard, with 20s offered at a cost.

Inside, the cabin has been subtly revised, with the main change the fitment of a new 10.25in instrument cluster.

The No4 will go on sale later this summer. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but it will likely raise on today’s £33,235 starting price.