Skoda Citigo
MODEL TESTED: Skoda Citigo 1.0 75 SE L Greentech PRICE: £10,760 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 74bhp
SKODA’S Citigo debuted slightly later than the up!, but it’s also been a phenomenon. Not only has it romped to numerous road test victories, it has scooped the City Car crown at the past five Auto Express New Car Awards ceremonies. Essentially a rebadged up!, it mixes the Volkswagen’s comfort, space and grown-up driving dynamics with a price that’s often thousands less.
There’s a choice of three and five-door bodystyles, four trims and a 1.0-litre engine in two states of tune. Here we test the flagship five-door £10,815 SE L 1.0 75 Greentech – although the car in our pictures is a three-door.
Styling 3.9/5
IT ’S no surprise to find our test cars look similar, given that the Citigo shares both its underpinnings and a lot of its sheetmetal with the up!. However, the chromelined Skoda grille and body-colour tailgate panel give the Citigo a slightly more restrained look than its cooler cousin. It also goes without the LED running lights and distinctive tail-lamps of the up!, while its 14-inch alloys look plain alongside its rival’s 15-inch rims.
However, if you want to give your Citigo a more distinctive style, then there are number of visual upgrades available. For instance, there’s a set of sporty body stripe decals for £175, while black or white-finished 15-inch alloys can be added for £550.
Climb aboard and the Citigo’s links with the VW are plain to see. The layout is identical, meaning the major controls and switchgear are well sited, even if it lacks the slick finish, larger dials and upgraded infotainment system of the up!. The materials are also identical, and it seems just as solidly built.
The Skoda doesn’t feel quite as upmarket inside as the up!, but the Citigo’s body-coloured trim inserts for the door panels, glossy dash panel and chrome trim for the ventilation and stereo controls help give the interior a bright and cheerful ambience.
You get a surprising amount of kit on this range-topping SE L, too. A leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearlever feature, as do heated front seats, electric windows, central locking and air-conditioning. The Citigo also gets a dashtop-mounted Portable Infotainment Device, which features Garmin sat-nav, Bluetooth and a comprehensive trip computer. It’s not quite as versatile as the VW ’s new smartphone based set-up,
but the removable unit looks much tidier and doesn’t require owners to have the latest mobile phone to take advantage of its features.
Driving 4.5/5
THE Citigo uses the same 74bhp three-cylinder 1.0-litre unit as its rival here, yet at the track it held a comfortable advantage. A small part of the Skoda’s superiority is down to its slightly lower kerbweight, but most of it comes from the car’s well chosen gear ratios. It was nearly a second faster from 0-60mph, and left its rival trailing in our in-gear assessments.
On the open road the differences between our duo are even starker. After you’ve had a stint in the VW, the Skoda feels turbocharged. Squeeze the throttle and it responds eagerly, giving the car the sort of nippy acceleration that allows you to exploit gaps in the traffic. Even on faster roads the Citigo never feels out of its depth. The gearing doesn’t harm refinement, either, because the three-cylinder engine is as unobtrusive at 4,000rpm as it is at 2,000rpm. Wind and road noise are low, too.
Its long-distance cruising credentials are further boosted by the ride, which is surprisingly supple at speed. It’s a little firm over scarred and potholed city streets, but never uncomfortable.
Better still, the Skoda is equally assured on B-roads. The steering is direct and well weighted, while the wide track and long wheelbase deliver good stability. There’s also plenty of grip, plus the excellent visibility allows you to place the car on the road with confidence. Factor in the engine note, snappy gearshift and peppy performance, and the Citigo serves up genuine driver fun.
Running costs 4.6/5
AT £10,815 the Skoda undercuts the VW by £1,465, while our experts predict that the Citigo will have stronger residuals, meaning up! owners will be a further £1,000 out of pocket after three years. Buy your car on finance and you’ll be even better off with the Skoda, as you’ll save around £50 a month on your repayments (see Deals and discounts, Page 87).
The Citigo’s CO2 emissions of 98g/km are slightly higher than the up! manages, but both cars fall into the same company car tax band and are eligible for free road fund licence. We also recorded an excellent 49.8mpg at the pumps in the Skoda.
Ownership 4.2/5
SKODA has always been a star of our Driver Power satisfaction survey, and while it has slipped down the order, the brand’s third place finish overall is still very good. More concerning is the performance of its dealer network, which has slumped from a top-five placing in 2014 to 15th in our most recent poll. That said, Skoda’s network still finishes higher than VW ’s.
Like the up!, the Citigo gets four airbags, stability control and tyre-pressure monitoring as standard, while autonomous emergency braking is an extra £275, which is £100 less than VW charges. Yet while both contenders bagged a five-star Euro NCAP rating, it’s worth noting that they were assessed under the less stringent 2011 test regime.
Practicality 4.0/5
THERE is nothing to separate the Skoda and VW for practicality. Both have a 251-litre boot, which can be extended to 959 litres when you fold flat the 60:40 split/fold rear bench. Thanks to the relatively long doors, access to the rear is straightforward and head and legroom are generous. However, as in the VW the Skoda’s pop-out rear windows will be frustrating for passengers wanting a blast of fresh air.
There are plenty of storage areas, and the Citigo is available with some of the brand’s Simply Clever additions, such as the smartphone holder that forms part of the £150 Media Pack.