Mature, functional and a winner

The Citigo is an urban tot spun off the same platform and built in the same factory as the Volkswagen up! and the SEAT Mii but it might just offer the best value of the lot, especially in pokey but eco-friendly 1.0 75PS GreenTech guise. It’s a genuine contender for class honours straight out of the crate. All three cars spun off this chassis, up!, Mii and Citigo, have one thing in common; an almost uncannily good ride.

In order to make a vehicle ride well, it usually helps if it has a long wheelbase. The Citigo doesn’t. Its 2.42m wheelbase is admittedly good going for a city car, but it’s what the engineers have done with suspension design and componentry that really makes the little Skoda soak up road imperfections like a family hatch.

The 75PS version of this car offers exactly the same 95NM torque figure as its 60PS stablemate but is a little faster, as youd think it should be.

Rest to 60 occupies 13.2s on the way to 107mph. So if you’re choosing a Citigo for anything other than pure urban duties, this more powerful engine is definitely the one to go for. Good steering, high levels of grip and strong brakes mean that the little Skoda offers more than the usual city car fare for keener drivers.

There are three and five-door bodystyles on offer and unlike some five-door city cars that look uncomfortably cramped in profile with a set of rear doors, the Skoda still retains a clean shape.

Although it’s clearly been developed from the Volkswagen up!, the Citigo’s front end offers, to this eye at least, a bolder styling touch and it’s been the work of Jozef Kaban, who has the Bugatti Veyron on his CV.

All versions of this car are built in the same Slovakian factory and build quality seems very strong. The dashboard is simply designed, with a clear instrument binnacle and a high-mounted pod that houses the ventilation and audio controls.

There’s no reach adjustment on the steering column which is a minor grumble but otherwise there’s aces of space and adjustability up front. The five-door model has no more rear space than the three-door and while there’s no shortage of headroom, it’s inevitable that in a city car, rear legroom is pinched if there are taller people up front. The boot is a generous size at 251 litres, which is some recompense.

The Skoda Citigo does everything it needs to and more. If its importers can keep prices razor-sharp, it’ll fly out of the showrooms, even in this top 1.0 75PS GreenTech guise.

It looks good, offers plenty of space, a keen enough drive and seems very well screwed together. Factor in running costs that are minuscule, some interesting trim options and a strong warranty and you have a very convincing package.

Unlike many city cars which verge on the twee, the Citigo feels functional and mature. While this may strike it from the lists of twentysomethings who may well prefer something cheekier like a Fiat 500, the Skoda is a product that doesn’t need to rely on cutesy gimmicks. It’s just solid good sense.

The seats are comfortable, the control weights are just so and the cabin ergonomics are mostly spot-on. Chalk up another winner for Skoda.