DS, the luxury French car brand, has confirmed that it's going to launch hybrid versions of its DS 3 and DS 4 models later this year.
Dual-clutch gearbox
The Hybrid models of both cars use the same 1.2-litre petrol turbo three-cylinder engine, mated with a 21kW electric motor and a compact 0.9kWh battery, powering the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
The combined power output is 136hp, with 230Nm of torque. The engine runs on the fuel-saving Miller cycle, with the electric motor (which can add 55Nm of torque) filling in any gaps.
Significant fuel savings
Compared to the DS 3 using the petrol-only 130hp PureTech engine, fuel economy improves by 20 per cent - the equivalent of 1.2 litres per 100km - and there's a massive 28g/km reduction in CO2 emissions, down to 112g/km.
For the larger DS 4, there's a 16 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, equating to 1.1-litres per 100km, and a 21g/km reduction in CO2 emissions, down to 116/km. It means that in France, both cars now escape any emissions financial penalties.
If you're driving in town, the improvements are potentially even better. DS quotes a 38 per cent improvement in urban fuel economy for the DS 3, while it's 39 per cent for the DS 4. That's because, thanks to the compact battery and motor, both models can theoretically run for as much as 50 per cent of a given urban journey on electric power.
Faster, too
The performance also improves, as the 0-100km/h time for the DS 3 falls to 8.4 seconds, and for the DS 4, it's down to 10.4 seconds, an improvement of 1.2 seconds for both cars.
There's no penalty in packaging, either. The electric motor is integrated into the gearbox, while the small battery is mounted under the cabin floor, so there's no reduction in boot space or interior room. Unlike DS' existing plug-in hybrid models, there's no external charging needed, as the battery is charged either by the engine or regenerative braking.
Production of both models starts soon. In Europe, the DS 3 Hybrid is priced from €35,900, and the DS 4 at €39,950. Both cars should start arriving in Ireland before the end of this year, and they will eventually entirely replace the older petrol-only versions.
There's a bigger change on the horizon, though - the all-electric version of the DS 4 is coming soon too...