We drive Skoda’s newly updated Citigo

FIRST DRIVE A raft of well judged updates inject new life into evergreen city car

AUTO Express New Car Award winners come and go, as each year a batch of fresh rivals appear to steal the limelight. The Skoda Citigo has had it all its own way for a while now, with an impressive five category wins since its launch in 2012. This year, however, the facelifted Volkswagen up! beat it to the punch.

But hot on the heels of its VW sister car, Skoda has now injected a similar set of mid-life tweaks into its smallest model. As with the up!, we’re not looking at dramatic changes to the exterior, with revisions limited to a set of reprofiled bumpers and a new grille, as well as a redesigned bonnet and new headlamps incorporating LED daytime running lights on SE spec and above.

A couple of bright new colour choices – such as our car’s Kiwi Green finish – help freshen the Citigo further. It’s not an unattractive car to begin with, however, and these updates only strengthen it as one of the coolest city cars on sale.

The Citigo’s interior changes largely mirror those of its VW sibling, too, save for a few absent details like the up!’s ambient lighting option. Tweaked instruments, a new multifunction steering wheel and two-tone trim options feature, while Se-spec cars bring the new Swing infotainment set-up with a colour display, Bluetooth and six speakers.

While the basic system is perfectly fine, the new screen is easy to operate and adds a bit of extra class to the cabin. It’s worth noting that a few rivals, such as the new Kia Picanto, now offer a full touchscreen sat-nav on models higher up the range, however. If you want navigation in your Skoda you’ll have to use the smartphone docking cradle on top of the dash, but there is at least an app for Apple and Android phones, which provides sat-nav, driving data and eco driving tips.

As we’ve come to expect from Skoda, the list of ‘Simply Clever’ convenience features has grown, with a wealth of storage options, plus space to keep an umbrella under the front passenger seat. You’ll even find a bag hook built into the glovebox handle.

Even without these, though, the Citigo’s cabin remains a spacious, practical and pleasingly solid environment, with logical switchgear and a comfortable driving position. Five-door models offer easy access to the rear and a surprising amount of space for adults, while five years on it still has one

“The Citigo has a composed and fluid ride quality that shames some superminis from the class above”