It's not called as much, but we all know that the Citroen DS High Rider is to all intents and purposes the new DS4, which is based on the next generation Citroen C4.

And now Citroen has shown us the concept's interior. Granted, your next C4 1.6 VT won't have a stitched leather dashboard and flat-bottomed steering wheel, but it will be far more stylish than the C4 you traded in.

Strip away the trimmings and we're still left with an inspired piece of cabin design. It's a driver-focussed cockpit with a centre stack placed beneath a sweeping arc that extends from the instrument binnacle cowl. The switchgear is neatly arranged and the chrome detailing is a nice touch.

Here's how Citroen puts it: 'The ergonomic design of the controls, the quality of the carefully selected materials and the prestigious atmosphere on board convey status, elegance and the promise of luxurious comfort.'

The High Rider concept is expected to spawn a DS4, the next model in Citroen's 'premium' portfolio following the DS3. The DS4's cabin won't actually be too far away from this concept, particularly at the upper end of the range.

The High Rider concept has a hybrid powertrain - there's a 'hybrid' badge on the centre console of the DS, which you can see if you look closely enough at the pictures. Sadly we don't know anything about the production likelihood of that yet, though the next trickle of High Rider information will probably relate to engines and things. After that, Citroen might show us the C4 proper, or even the DS4.

Mark Nichol - 23 Apr 2010