With a new name and fresh design, the revamped DS 4 is entering the second half of its life as the DS N°4. For the first time, there is also a pure electric version, the E-Tense, which shares its technology with the Opel Astra Electric and offers a range of 450 kilometers.
Built in Rüsselsheim, it can now be ordered at prices starting at €45,900 in Germany and €46,700 in Belgium. In France, prices begin at €46,990.
Extensive update, also electric
DS Automobiles has extensively revamped the second-generation DS4, which has been on the market since 2021. The French brand has also changed its name in the process. Inspired by Chanel perfume names, the more sophisticated technical sibling of the Opel Astra and Peugeot 308 is now marketed as the DS N°4, pronounced ‘DS numéro 4’, alongside the recently launched flagship DS N°8.
The French company is talking about a new model, but it is basically just a facelift that has now been launched. The most important innovation: for the first time, there is also a purely electric version of the 4.40-meter-long compact car.
Until now, plug-in hybrids were the best available in terms of electrification. Technically, the DS N°4 E-Tense draws on the Stellantis Group’s parts shelf: under the bonnet, it is broadly similar to its electric brothers from Sochaux and Rüsselsheim.
450 km range
An NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery with a usable capacity of 58.3 kWh is located under the body, which should enable a WLTP range of 450 kilometers. The battery can be charged at up to 120 kW. This should allow the charge level to increase from 20% to 80% in half an hour.
The drive is provided by the 156 kW (212 hp) and 343 Newton meter electric motor, which is used in almost all models based on the EMP2 platform. The front-wheel drive vehicle, which weighs around 1.8 tons, accelerates to 100 kph in 7.1 seconds. At 170 kph, the top speed is electronically limited.
The DS N°4 E-Tense offers battery preconditioning and intelligent charging route planning. Plug & Charge is also set to be available from 2026. Next to the BEV version, there’s also still a PHEV model available, 225 hp strong, and with an electric range of 81 km, and a so-called self-charging basic hybrid model with 145 hp on tap.
Built in Rüsselsheim
The N°4 E-Tense, built by Opel in Rüsselsheim, costs at least 45,900 euros with a purely electric drive. By comparison, its technically almost identical sibling, the Astra Electric, which rolls off the same production line but is less focused on design and luxury, is around €8,000 cheaper in its basic configuration. However, it also offers fewer features and hardly stands out from the crowd.
