Citroen DS4 performance is well varied and catered for by two engines available with five variants, including three petrol units and two diesel powerplants.

Petrol power

The 1.6-litre 16V VTi 120 is the first engine in the DS4 range. It has an output of 120bhp and 160Nm of pulling power. Next in line is the 1.6-litre THP 155, which produces 156bhp and has a pulling power of 240Nm.

Pick of the bunch for enthusiasts is the THP200 and this variant of the 1.6-litre petrol engine kicks out 200bhp. It can cover the zero to 62mph benchmark sprint in 7.9s and it has a top speed of 146mph. It is mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed manual gearbox.

This model has enough pace to let you enjoy your drive and overtaking on single lane carriageways is child’s play.

Diesel options

Two variants of the 2.0-litre diesel engine are also offered on the DS4. These include a 1.6-litre 110 e-HDi with a power output of 112bhp and a 163HDi with a power output of 161bhp.

The 2.0-litre 161bhp HDi diesel will leave you a little disappointed: the gear ratios are far too short especially between first, second and third gears. Overtaking slower traffic is hard work and has to be planned well in advance.

Unfortunately the DS4 is nowhere near Citroen’s smaller hatch, the DS3, in terms of fun. The steering is vague and there is little feedback from the wheel. This is a real disappointment: the DS3 has verve whereas the DS4 is more style over substance.

The car has plenty of front-end grip but with no feel coming from the steering, it is not as enjoyable to drive as the Peugeot RCZ, VW Scirocco and the Audi TT. A plus point is that it takes corners very well, and despite the extra height over the C4, the body roll is well controlled.