Both DS and Vauxhall announced UK pricing and availability for their C-Segment hatchbacks which may share their Stellantis’ underpinnings but differ in terms of market placement. The more premium DS 4 starts from £ 25,350 (US$ 34,383), while the Golf-rivaling Vauxhall Astra starts from £ 23,275 (US$ 31,568), although equivalent variants have weirdly similar pricing.

The £ 2,075 (US$ 2,814) price difference between the entry-level variants of the hatchbacks is not  indicative since the cheapest DS 4 Bastille+ comes with the 1.2-liter producing 128 HP and the eight-speed automatic transmission, while the cheapest Vauxhall Astra gets the 1.2-liter producing 108 hp mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Upgrading the Astra with the same engine/gearbox combination brings it to £ 25,375 (US$ 34,410) which is actually £ 25 more expensive than the equivalent DS 4!

 

Things are different for the 1.5 BlueHDi 130 diesel and the automatic gearbox, as the DS 4 Trocadero starts from £ 30,750 (US$ 41,703) and the Vauxhall Astra Design starts from £ 26,375 (US$ 35,769), although equipment levels are not on par. In terms of range, the DS 4 is available in the Bastille+, Trocadero, Rivoli, Performance Line, Performance Line+, Cross Trocadero, and Cross Rivoli trim levels. The three main variants DS 4, DS 4 Performance Line, and DS 4 Cross, are visually differentiated communicating their different characters. DS Automobiles is offering their hatchback with 1.2 Puretech 130, 1.6 Puretech 180, and 1.6 Puretech 225 gasoline motors, the 1.5 BlueHDi 130 diesel, plus the E-Tense 225 plug-in hybrid. Pricing starts from £ 25,350 (US$ 34,383) and tops out at £ 40,700 (US$ 55,190).

On the other hand, the Vauxhall Astra has a simpler trim strategy with the base Design, the sporty GS Line, and the flagship Ultimate. The engine range includes the 1.2 Puretech 110 and 1.2 Puretech 130 petrol options, the 1.5 BlueHDi 130 diesel, plus the HYBRID-e in 180 and 225 guises (the latter will be available next year). Pricing starts from £ 23,275 (US$ 31,568) and tops out at £ 35,315 (US$ 47,904) although more expensive variants will join the range in 2022 – including the fully electric Astra-e.

 

As you would expect, the DS has more tech features like the DS Night Vision or the fancy DS Active Scan Suspension system combining a front-facing camera, four altitude sensors, and three accelerometers. The DS 4 Performance Line+ topping at £ 38,100 (US$ 51,663) with the E-Tense 225 plug-in hybrid powertrain gets black 19-inch wheels, LED lights, black Alcantara interior, perforated fleur leather steering wheel, forged carbon insert, 7-inch digital instrument cluster, 10-inch touchscreen for the DS Iris infotainment, another DS Smart Touch screen with handwriting recognition, extended head-up display, and an array of ADAS.

There is also the more adventurous DS 4 Cross Rivoli topping at £ 40,700 (US$ 55,190) again for the plug-in hybrid which comes with SUV-inspired plastic cladding, different 19-inch wheels, matrix LED vision headlights, Basalt black leather interior, and all of the tech.

 

Moving over to the more down-to-earth Vauxhall Astra, it still comes packed with the latest technology. Opel’s Pure Panel including the 10-inch digital instrument cluster and the 10-inch infotainment touchscreen with Navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto, and voice recognition comes standard in all variants.

The flagship Ultimate topping at £ 35,315 (US$ 47,904) for the HYBRID-e 180 comes with 18-inch wheels, IntelliLux adaptive LED pixel lights, Intelli-HUD head-up display, wireless charging, Dual-zone climate control with Intelli-Air sensor, heated ergonomic active sports-style seats with Alcantara upholstery, and clever ADAS like the semi-automated lane change assist and the curve speed adaptation for the Adaptive cruise control.

 

The first deliveries for the DS 4 are scheduled for early 2022, and for the Vauxhall Astra in Q1 2022. Besides those two models, there is also the mechanically-related Peugeot 308 which is already available in the UK priced from £ 24,000 (US$ 32,513) for petrol and £ 33,000 (US$ 44,706) for the plug-in hybrid.