clever
So now with Škoda, a microcar.
As usual in the last 20 years, it is of course not an in-house development, but a group vehicle that is also sold under the brand face of Seat and the large group parent Volkswagen.
Škoda has put a lot of effort into giving the little Up sibling its own identity and so the tiny car, which is available as a 3- or 5-door model, is adorned with a radiator grille in the style of the house, in contrast to the radiator-free dispenser: “up! “. However, the logo has slipped up into the hood and the light graphic on the back has been given the Škoda chevron shape.
Do you recognize the Citigo as Škoda?
No.
One could very well say that there is a face in the crowd, but the Volkswagen gene can be clearly recognized. With almost Prussian straightforwardness and penetrating objectivity, each fugue wants to report on the level of perfection achieved in automobile construction. The clear, absolutely unplayable sheet metal shapes stifle any doubts about the seriousness of the intentions with which the makers want to position the new nerdy at the top in the class of small cars.
To judge from this, the Škoda would be just a cheap copy, jumping too short. All 3 microcars have been given a personality imprint that is just as common in a good family.
Real urban.
Built for the city. You notice this quickly and in the case of clarity you appreciate this clearly defined expression of the small Citigo within a short time. The Citigo had a relatively long wheelbase in relation to its external length and therefore had very good interior space. An example of this is the interior width of 1.36m, which shows how cleverly the space is used in a vehicle that is almost 1,46 meters wide. Thanks to the steeply angled windows and the painted door panels, older drivers are reminded of the first Golf generation. The workmanship in the interior is also impressive, but the plastics used are a clear indication of the price range. Even if it is grained and colored in different versions, hard plastic remains hard plastic and does not flatter the hand. A few bright spots in the interior are different. The switches are VW standard and therefore have a tactilely pleasant level. We particularly liked the “mobile” navigation system integrated into the test vehicle, which not only knows the right way in the urban jungle, but also serves as a multimedia unit, Bluetooth hands-free system and on-board computer display.
[one_third last=”no”] Urban: A buzzword for living together in big cities. Away from public transport, there is a steadily growing market for small, economical, handy and well-arranged vehicles. Škoda also wants to be successful with the Citigo in this segment.3-cylinder: The engine of the Citigo is offered in 2 performance levels: 60PS and 75PS. But they are the same in their basic configuration. 3 cylinder with 999cm³ displacement and modern four-valve technology. Both engines work without charge. [/ one_third]
Simply smarter? Urban mobility.
Both the 60HP and the 75HP engine were available for our test drive. Within the city speed, the differences can hardly be explored. While you can get excited about the rumbling running of the engines, the 5-speed manual transmission reconciles with perfect precision. The Prussian genes are visible again. Both the gradation of the 5 gears and the pleasing, precise guidance of the gearshift lever contradict the acoustically inharmonious 3-cylinder under the short, stubby hood.
Both engine variants hang well on the gas and pull well throughout, but the running noise and smooth running of the engine still leave a lot of room for improvement. From country road speeds onwards, the 60hp engine naturally loses further of its already less pronounced verve. But if you drive frequently overland, you probably won't choose a “city car”.
Without fault and blame on the other hand: the suspension comfort of the compact car of Škoda. He drives himself very grown-up. Whether this condition persists even when loaded, will be a single test of Citigo have to clarify.
Short back to the engines:
The 3-cylinder in the 60PS version develops a torque of 95Nm between 3.000 and 4.300 revolutions. This fairly wide plateau is responsible for ensuring that you don't feel underpowered despite the manageable performance. The 60 hp is enough to accelerate to 14,4 km/h in 100 seconds. The top speed is reached at 160 km/h. The “small” engine cannot occupy an impressive place on the motor vehicle power scale, but the 60 hp engine is also sufficient to swim boldly in traffic.
More efficient? Same displacement, but 75PS. This is ensured by a modified engine control. The torque of the motor remains at 95Nm and remains available between 3.000 and 4.300 revolutions. However, the top speed increases to 171 km / h and the sprint to Tempo 100 shortens to 13.2 seconds.
The combined consumption in the NEDC cycle is estimated at 4.5 / 4.7l. On our test drive, we were able to measure a consumption of 5 liters per 100 km in mixed traffic, which can be considered quite respectable in view of the vehicles that have not yet run in and the Hamburg city traffic.
Unfortunately, Škoda only provides an automatic start/stop system for the “Green tec” model. Here we are a little irritated by this decision to only offer the sensible fuel-saving technology in conjunction with low-friction tires. While Škoda itself speaks of almost 11% savings potential with an automatic start-stop system, we consider this additional saving technology to be useful for every Citigo. City vehicles with frequent “Stop & Go” in particular benefit from this technology.
A diesel engine is not provided for the Citigo, but a natural gas variant will be added at a later date.
The new small car from the friendly brand with its origins in the Czech Republic is offered in some very lively colors. This includes, for example, “spring green” or sunflower yellow. But even in white, which is free of charge, the little Škoda Citigo looks neat and modern on its 14″ light alloy rims.
15 ″ aluminum rims with 175 / 65-15 tires are available for an additional charge. Likewise, a variant with 185 / 55-15, with which the city car turns into a city runabout while standing.
Prices start at €9.450 for the 60PS Citigo in the version: “Active” and with 3 doors. The particularly well-equipped “Elegance” variant in the 75hp 5-door model is the upper end in the Green-Tec version at €13.150. We particularly recommend the Green-Tec variants, as the included automatic start-stop system is a real asset for daily city traffic. (However, the criticism remains of offering the start-stop system as an extra.)
However, the most useful and modern extra is the “Active Brake Assist – City Safe Drive”. This extra, which costs a maximum of €150, is able to automatically avoid rear-end collisions up to speeds of 30 by recognizing dangerous situations and initiating emergency braking. Anyone who has ever had to experience the expensive consequences of being careless for just a few seconds will quickly realize how sensible this €150 is in investing.
[toggle title=”Benefits“]Clever city car for urban mobility, without sacrifice. [/toggle] [toggle title=”Disadvantages“]Rumpy 3-cylinder with little manners. [/toggle] [tabs tab1=”Consumption”tab2=”Facilities”tab3=”score“] [tab id=1][arrowlist]- Consumption standard total: Test drive too short
- Test consumption min: Test drive too short
- Test consumption max: Test drive too short
- Test consumption cut: Test drive too short
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- Note: Test drive too short
- ABS, ESP, ASR
- Tinted lenses with UV protection
- Daylights
- Active | ambition | elegance
- Clever engine technology.
- Active brake assistant “City Safe Drive” – €150
- Heated front seats € 220 (ambition)
- Electric panoramic sunroof € 695 (Ambition / Elegance)
Simply clever or what?
Škoda has done nothing wrong. The youngest member of the automobile family at Škoda has become a little character who, despite his twins from Volkswagen and Seat, can look forward to a successful future with his very own charm of “cleverness” and “sympathy”. The Citigo manages the balancing act between a friendly approach thanks to the nice front design and a wonderfully simple design language without any frills around the vehicle.
The faux pas of the start-stop system, which is only available as a package, can confidently be blamed on the parent company's (unfortunately) successfully implemented surcharge policy.
[/highlight] [arrowlist] [/arrow list]Bjoern Habegger | April 2012 | Photos: Auto-Bloggerei.de/Hersteller