In China, the Stellantis Group has adopted a so-called "asset lights" strategy, i.e. the smallest possible industrial footprint and the decision to sell imported models, even if customs duties make the selling price too high and reduce sales to a minimum. This is the choice made by DS, which launched the DS 4 on the Chinese market on 13 July.
The new DS 4, imported directly from Europe like its little sister the DS 3, completes the DS range for the Chinese market. The DS compact sedan is the fourth model in the DS range in China and is offered with a rather limited choice of petrol engines and two trim levels.
The DS 4 is therefore only available with a single 180 bhp 1.6 petrol engine mated to the EAT8 automatic gearbox, the classic Stellantis kit in China for Citroën, Peugeot and DS cars. The DS 4 is available in two versions: Trocadéro and Rivoli, at the following prices
Trocadero: 261,800 Yuan or €32,750
Rivoli: 291,800 Yuan or €36,500
So very high prices for this DS 4, which is not available in its Cross version and which should have an anecdotal presence on the Chinese market when we know that a Citroën C5 X, built on the same basis and offering the same engine but much larger and more habitable, is sold from 143,700 yuan or less than €18,000. Note that the Peugeot 408 X, similar to the 408 sold in Europe, is available in China from 145,700 yuan, or €18,200, so the DS 4, sold at very high prices due to customs duties, will necessarily be a rare pearl on the Chinese market, but this is in line with Stellantis' strategy.