Sector: Lower Medium Price: TBC Fuel: 74.3–76.3mpg CO2: 97–100g/km

That title isn’t a mistake. With DS taking its first steps as a solus premium brand, this car’s time wearing a Citroën badge is limited. This year will mark the start of marking the two product lines apart, a move which will largely involve technology and engines at first.

This can only be good for the DS 4, which this quarter gets PSA’s 1.6-litre BlueHDI 120 engine and – aside from being good for air quality – finally dips under 100g/km of CO2 for the first time. Or, at least, it does for those who can resist upgrading to 17-inch wheels.

DS sees this as the spearhead of its C-segment offering. The outgoing e-HDI 115 took 50% of all European sales, and improving efficiency from 67.2mpg to 76.3mpg, with a 13g/km drop in CO2 emissions, can only help. It’s as a result of reduced internal friction, optimised combustion and AdBlue injection in the exhaust system to bring it in line with Euro 6 emissions requirements.

The engine is a delight to use. It’s incredibly quiet while cruising, offers a strong surge of low-end torque for bursts of acceleration and has shown itself to be very efficient in other PSA products too. A good fit for a car which, with its leather dashboard and watch strap upholstery, feels convincingly premium inside.

But DS still needs to define this product more clearly. The DS 4 really needs its unique headlights, like the DS 3, to mark it out from the too-similar C4, and there’s no question that it would be a prettier car without the awkward raised suspension. Sat a little lower, not only would the DS 4 probably be even more efficient, but it could gun for the coupe sector too – a useful asset for an emerging premium brand.