Used DS 4 (Mk2, 2021-date) buyer’s guide: a great blend of value and style | Auto Express

13 Sep 2025

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DS is struggling in the UK, achieving only half as many sales in 2024 as it did in 2023. In the first half of 2025, it sold fewer cars than Genesis, Alfa Romeo and KGM, and half as many as Omoda. Buyers rarely consider a DS if buying new, but that means there are bargains on the used market, and we reckon they’re worth seeking out. We ran aDS 4 E-Tenseon our long-term fleet and came to love its comfort, practicality and refinement. As a used buy, theDS 4offers a great blend of value and style, and it’s definitely different from its rivals, even if under the skin it shares much of its architecture with other Stellantis models.

How often have you heard people say that all new cars look the same? While that’s arguably true with some car makers, other brands are doing their best to buck the trend – and one of them is DS

Both inside and out, DS’s cars have their own unique identity. Take the DS 4 for example. Is it a hatchback or is it an SUV? The answer is that it’s somewhere between the two, so it’s sleeker than a regular crossover and is crammed with thoughtful design details from bumper-to-bumper. But is that enough to make you want one? We’d say yes – perhaps a lot more than you realise

Orders for the DS 4 opened at the end of 2021, with the first deliveries taking place in early 2022. Buyers could choose from a mix of engines, starting with a 1.2-litre turbo PureTech petrol and a 1.5-litre BlueHDi 130 diesel

2023 Hyundai

Bayon

13,183 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash£12,190
View Bayon

2019 Ford

Fiesta

36,982 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash£9,249
View Fiesta

2020 MINI

3-Door Hatch

27,391 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L

Cash£12,749
View 3-Door Hatch

2019 Vauxhall

Corsa

29,269 milesManualPetrol1.4L

Cash£8,499
View Corsa

For those who wanted more poke, there was a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol unit in the form of the PureTech 180 and PureTech 225, while the plug-in hybrid E-Tense 225 promised power with economy. All came with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and no manual option

There aren’t many DS 4s on the second-hand market, but there’s a mix of powertrains. We found about 100 of them for sale, with prices for a new DS 4 starting from just over £15,000 through our Buy A Car service

Check the price of a DS 4 with ourfree car valuationtool

We’d suggest a plug-in hybrid if you can charge at home, because this could dramatically cut your fuel bills

Smooth, refined and punchy, the plug-in powertrain is the pick of the bunch, although the more powerful PureTech engines are also pretty good. All DS 4s are well equipped

From launch there were Bastille+, Trocadero, Rivoli, Performance Line, Performance Line+, Cross Trocadero and Cross Rivoli trims. The entry-level Bastille+ comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a 10-inch touchscreen, LED lights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

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The Trocadero adds 19-inch wheels, nav, a head-up display, front parking sensors and a rear camera, while the Rivoli adds leather trim, matrix LED headlights, scrolling indicators, privacy glass, insulated glazing and rear cross traffic alert

Alternatively, Performance Line and Performance Line+ models mirrored the equipment levels of the Trocadero and Rivoli, but included sportier design elements such as black Alcantara interior upholstery, black wheels and a dark finish to the grille and window trims

DS has made a concerted effort to put comfort first and foremost, and we reckon it’s paid off. If you’re looking for an affordable family car that shrugs off the worst of the UK’s pothole-ridden roads, the DS 4 fits the bill without being too wallowy in corners

Just bear in mind that the steering isn’t the most engaging, but it’s perfectly okay, especially if most of your miles are racked up on the motorway or around town. While the PureTech 130 and diesel engines don’t give the urge that the DS 4 deserves, they’re acceptable, but the more powerful units are worth seeking out

Think of the DS 4 as a hatchback and it will be up against the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class, but they cost more than an equivalent DS 4. You could also consider the Mazda 3, Ford Focus, Peugeot 308, VW Golf and Vauxhall Astra, all of which are readily available, well equipped and dynamically capable

Consider the DS 4 a crossover and its rivals include the Mercedes GLA, BMW X2, Cupra Formentor, SEAT Ateca and Lexus UX, along with the Audi Q2, Volvo XC40, MINI Countryman, Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota C-HR. Within the Stellantis family, there’s also the Alfa Romeo Junior, Fiat 600 Hybrid and Peugeot 2008

Electrical glitches

The faults most commonly referred to on owner forums relate to electronic glitches. Faulty windows or central locking and crashing touchscreens are mentioned, but most problems are sporadic, then they reset

Cross to bear

The poshest trim levels (Trocadero, Rivoli, later Opera) are also offered in Cross form. This is a faux SUV with black bumpers, roof bars and skid plates. It sits no higher than the standard model, though

Belt up

Most of the DS 4s for sale are fitted with a 1.2-litre PureTech petrol engine, which has a cambelt that runs in oil. These belts can degrade over time and debris can clog the oil pick-up – regular servicing is essential

Keep in trim

A year after the DS 4 launched, an Opera trim was slotted into the range above the Rivoli. By summer 2024 the range had been rationalised to Pallas, Etoile, and Etoile Nappa Leather

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You’ll either love or hate the cabin, which isn’t as over-designed as some DSs, but isn’t as intuitive as it could be, either. The quality is exceptional, though, and the seats are comfortable; it’s a shame that all-round visibility is poor. Rear-seat passenger space is good, and so is boot capacity at 430 litres (390 for PHEVs)

A DS 4 shouldn’t be an expensive car to run, but if you buy a newer example, you’re likely to lose a lot in depreciation and could also pay more in road tax

That aside, servicing costs aren’t too punishing. The schedule is set at every year or 16,000 miles, alternating between Minor (at £184) and Major (£359). All engines have a cambelt that needs replacing every 10 years or 112,000 miles at a cost of £599, though experts advise belts on 1.2-litre ‘wet belt’ engines are best changed sooner

Most DS 4s cost less than £40,000 new, but all plug-in hybrids were more than that when they first left the showroom, which means a £420 road tax supplement for the first five years. Insurance groups range from 18 to 23 for non-electrified models; PureTech 225 editions are in group 28, while plug-in hybrids are in groups 28-32 depending on specification

The DS 4 has been recalled four times so far. The first was in May 2022, because some cars made in March and April 2022 had a curtain airbag that was incorrectly fitted

There were two recalls in 2023, first in January and affecting DS 4s made between July and November 2022, because in rare cases the bolts holding the suspension wishbones weren’t tightened up sufficiently on the production line

The second 2023 recall was issued in May, because some plug-in hybrids came with incorrect cables that could potentially catch fire; cars made between February and May 2023 were affected

The most recent recall was in February 2025, because some DS 4s made between March and September 2024 could suffer from leaking fuel pipes

DS is one of the smallest automotive brands in the UK. It sold just 1,152 cars in the UK last year, to take 0.06% of the market. So, it’ll come as no surprise that it has never appeared in any of our Driver Power surveys, although the Peugeot 3008 came second in this year’s league tables, the Citroen C5 Aircross came eighth and the Vauxhall Grandland an even more impressive second. These are all related to the DS, so the potential for the 4 to be a good car is definitely there.

2023 DS

DS 4

22,671 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash£16,197
View DS 4

2023 DS

DS 4

37,680 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash£14,995
View DS 4

2023 DS

DS 4

28,480 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash£14,395
View DS 4

2023 DS

DS 4

26,659 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash£14,233
View DS 4

2023 DS

DS 4

26,387 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash£13,340
View DS 4

2022 DS

DS 4

24,770 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash£17,199
View DS 4

2023 DS

DS 4

13,555 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash£15,695
View DS 4

2022 DS

DS 4

54,292 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash£14,200
View DS 4

2024 DS

DS 4

23,580 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash£14,560
View DS 4
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