DS has taken custody of the 4 with a mid-life facelift that does away with all visible references to its former Citroen identity. There are two body styles for the first time, too, although that’s a bit of a stretch given that the only immediately obvious differences are 30mm worth of ride height and some dark plastic trim extensions around the wheel arches of the Crossback model.

The engines have been revised, with slightly more oomph and reduced CO2 outputs from the two flagship units. Even the most polluting version only coughs up 138g/km of CO2, and that’s exactly what we have here.

The standard DS 4, known simply as the hatchback, sits 20mm lower than the old version. That brings it slightly closer to normal hatchback territory but still leaves you noticeably higher up than, say, a Ford Focus or similar.

It’s a little bolder at the front end at the expense of a degree of prettiness, but the new DS grille is a lot more obvious. It’s pretty easy to distinguish from anything else on the road, and that will flip a few people’s switches.

A 385-litre boot is a gnat’s eyelash bigger than those of the best compact family hatchbacks like the VW Golf, but if you choose the rather mighty upgraded Denon audio system then you lose some of that space to a subwoofer.

The door pockets are huge; broad and long. The only problem is that they’re not compartmentalised so water bottles end up just rolling and sliding around noisily. On the plus side four average-height men can fit inside it without problem. Six-footers or people with inexplicably long legs might begin to struggle in the back.

The DS 4 has inherited its Citroen forebear’s odd driving position, where behind the over-large steering wheel you’d need to add six inches to your arms and take at least eight off your legs to be truly comfortable. It’s a shame because the seats are well shaped and generously built. The optional ‘watch strap’ leather seats look awesome but aren’t ultimately as comfortable as the standard ones.

The dashboard is a bit dated-looking but DS has done a good job of clearing up the clutter with the integration of a slick and attractive touch-screen that absorbs some functions that were previously accessed by buttons.

On the road the car drives like the sporty crossover it’s meant to be. The 1.6-litre THP petrol engine has plenty of poke even if it’s a touch noisy in showing it, while at the corners firm suspension keeps the body surprisingly flat through bends. It lacks plush comfort but it musters an impressive level of composure overall.

There are some genuinely brilliant all-rounders available for this price. There are higher cars for those that value the upright stance, smoother cars for refinement hunter and sportier cars for people who want to enjoy the drive.

It’s difficult to see where the DS 4 fits in when it doesn’t ace any of these areas, but it does offer something different.

This is a good all-rounder with scarcity and design on its side. There’s good technology on board including compatibility with Mirrorlink for Android and Apple CarPlay, which could appeal to the tech-savvy.

It could perhaps just strike people as a little bit more interesting than the usual suspects.