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Small cars like the Skoda Citigo are practical vehicles for the city and the surrounding area. But they are no longer really cheap – not even as used ones. There are reasons for that.
microcars are now part of the dying vehicle category. Emission regulations and safety requirements make them more and more expensive. Many manufacturers are taking their little ones out of their range or only offering them in an e-version. If you are looking for a cheap micro car, for example as an entry point into the life of a driver, you will still find it on the used car market. This also applies to the Skoda Citigo.
Body and interior
The 3,56 meter short Skoda Citigo was offered between 2012 and the end of 2021. He was part of the almost identical triplets from the VW group, which also includes the VW Up and Seat Mii. The combination of shortness and small turning circle make the Citigo a practical city car. Finding parking spaces is quite easy, as is maneuvering in tight spaces. The space available is fine for a tiny car, if you often want to transport up to 2 passengers on the back seat, it is better to choose the five-door vehicle variant for easier access to the rear.
In the basic position, the luggage part holds 251 liters, if you fold down the rear seat backrest, it is up to 951 liters. When looking at the interior, you can tell that the Citigo, like its siblings, was designed with a sharp pen. Door panels, plastics or the carpeting do not necessarily convey a haptically demanding impression. The facelift in mid-2017 was intended to counteract this impression. Also, there was a modified front grille and other bumpers. Since then, the little one has stretched to a length of 3,60 meters. Inside, it comes up with a different instrument cluster and colorful applications.
Motors and drive
The range of engines is manageable. The only engine is a one-liter three-cylinder, which was offered in the power levels 44 kW/60 hp or 55 kW/75 hp. The three-cylinder does not require turbo support. The driving performance is correspondingly restrained. With the 60 hp engine, it takes 14,4 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h, and the maximum speed is reached at 160 km/h. The 75 hp unit is a little livelier. Here it is enough for a top speed of 172 km/h, the standard sprint succeeds in a good 13 seconds.
The more powerful engine consumes an average of 4,7 liters, which is 0,2 liters more than the weaker ones. The Greentec versions with automatic start-stop and brake energy recovery are somewhat more economical. Skoda also had a natural gas version on offer. The three-cylinder has an output of 50 kW/68 hp. A manual five-speed gearbox was responsible for the power transmission ex works. You have to use that properly, because 95 Nm of torque requires switching work. Alternatively, an automated five-speed manual transmission was available for the petrol engines. At the end of 2019, Skoda retired the conventional drives, leaving a battery-electric variant. It came up with 61 kW/83 hp. A 36,8 kWh battery was good for a range of up to 274 kilometers.
Equipment and safety
With a base price of just under 10.000 euros, you couldn't expect too much equipment even 10 years ago. The basic versions "Active" and "Easy" are aimed at drivers who place little value on comfort and, for example, consider air conditioning, radio, closed glove compartment or electric windows to be superfluous. It gets more sophisticated with the top levels “Style” and “Elegance”, which offer air conditioning and an audio system, among other things. Alternatively, there are properly equipped versions such as "Ambition" or the special models "Monte Carlo" and "Clever".
Models before the facelift still have a special feature. From the driver's side, only the window on this side can be moved up or down using the electric window lifter (if available). If you want to open the window opposite, you either need a long arm to operate the switch there or a passenger. In 2011, the Citigo achieved a five-star rating in the NCAP crash test. An emergency brake assistant could be ordered as an option.
Quality
The Skoda Citigo does well in the TÜV main inspection (HU). The vehicles complete the HU better than the average of the vehicles examined across all years. This is probably also due to the fact that Citigo drivers cover a below-average number of kilometers. The weak points are the brakes. The TV examiners criticize the functioning of the foot brake from the first HU. The low beam is also noticeable negatively. Those interested in used cars should carefully inspect the exhaust system, especially on older models.
Conclusion
Small cars are often only available as used ones. This has consequences for prices. Anyone interested in the Skoda Citigo must invest at least 3.000 euros. However, these are older models with little equipment. Should there be a little more comfort on board, from 4.000 euros are due. Around 20.000 euros are being called for the young E versions.