First things first, the My Ami Buggy is not a car – it is, in fact a quadricycle and that makes any comparisons with similarly-sized vehicles irrelevant.
With that in mind, we need to start with a blank canvas as we explore this tiny two-door (sort of), fully electrified model.
Not surprisingly, it comes from the Citroen stable – a French company renowned for breaking the mould every once in a while. And the My Ami Buggy is another perfect example of that urge to push boundaries.
With sales of the introductory Ami exceeding all expectations, Citroen raised the bar again with its more beach-themed Buggy model. And what a reception it got. When it first went on sale in France to test the waters in 2020, the limited run of 50 models were snapped up in less than 18 minutes.
And despite being on sale only in France initially, the latest Buggy II version has made its way to UK shores … by popular demand.
With only 800 My Ami Buggy II units being offered across Europe and just 40 destined for the UK, it was not long before the word got out. The first 10 were sold in less than an hour and all the UK models went shortly after. At the time 20,000 visitors to the website registered an interest, but were just a little too slow on the uptake.
Luckily, we were given the opportunity to take one out for a spin in and around Coventry and the khaki-coloured little vehicle turned heads wherever it went. Costing £10,496, the My Ami Buggy II features a tiny 5.5kWh battery that can power the vehicle for up to 15 hours or a distance of just over 46 miles before it needs charging, which takes about four hours from zero to 100 per cent.
Just like the original Buggy, the latest incarnation features gate-like doors and an opening roof panel. To protect occupants, there are plastic door covers that are securely fastened via zips and clips on colder, wet days. Then when there is a hint of sunshine, the side covers roll backwards and can easily be secured in place. Alternatively, if you’re feeling really brave (considering the inclement weather patterns), these side covers can be fully removed and stored elsewhere.
There are just two seats and, like all Ami models, the Buggy II is left-hand drive only. The vehicle is 2,410 long, 1,390mm wide and 1,525mm tall. These diminutive proportions make it very agile around town and its turning circle of 7.2 metres means it can almost be spun round on a sixpence.
It has a top speed of just 28mph which is a strong hint as to where the Ami Buggy II can practically be driven. It is designed to fizz around busy city centre streets (it has zero carbon emissions), or on a golf course, the beach and even hotels.
Venture onto any larger roads with faster-moving traffic and you will not only feel very vulnerable, but your popularity status amongst other drivers will drop through the floor as they stack up behind you.
So, it has clearly defined parameters and, if followed, it’s such amazing fun. It can reach its maximum 28mph from a standing start in 10 seconds, which again is not particularly fast, but it’s generally quick enough in major cities with queues of stop, start traffic.
And it really gets noticed along the way. No, it’s not fast, it’s not got a great range and it’s not particularly practical, but it is anything but boring and sometimes these quirky experiences are just too good to miss.
Buggy II is incredibly simple to drive too with a single-speed automatic transmission with the choice of Drive, Neutral or Reverse gears.
There is an Acid Yellow theme inside the vehicle, which is a nod to the original Ami Buggy and the two seats feature soft-touch padding, while the instrumentation is as basic as it comes. You get a digital speedometer, a USB charging port and that’s about it. There is a holder for an Ami-specific Bluetooth speaker that you would take with you when leaving the vehicle and this would need to be purchased separately. Other accessories are available, such as a My Ami Buggy watch, bucket hat and comb.
There are plenty of clever storage options throughout the Buggy II, including a steering wheel zipped bag that can be removed when you exit the vehicle, a dashboard bag hook, a separation net between the driver and passenger, two door storage nets and a smartphone cradle. Once again many of these features follow that bright yellow colour theme.
As the Buggy II is classed as a quadricycle, all you legally need to drive it is a Category AM (Moped) or Category B (car) licence.
All in all, the Citroen My Ami Buggy II is superb entertainment provided it is used in the correct arena and it is also an experience that becomes more enjoyable if the sun puts in an appearance.
But if you’re a stickler for safety and want a whole raft of driver assistance aids in your vehicle, it’s probably best to move right along at this point.
Would I buy one? Yes, I actually think I would. If I could get my hands on one that is, and lived in the right area.