Citroen C1 Review

Quite a few superminis have been launched over the past eight months including the Citroen C1 which has been developed in a joint project with Peugeot and Toyota. Those manufacturers also released their 108 and Aygo versions and the C1 is pretty much identical apart from the front and rear design.

Compared to its predecessor the car now looks even more stylish, two part headlights dominate the front with LED light strips bringing it up to date. Rear 3D effect lights add to the modern design.

The Citroen C1 is available as a three and five-door in plenty of bright colours, fabric roofs on the Airscape convertible models can contrast with the body which makes for quite a show-stopper on the roads.

There are two petrol versions available on the Citroen C1: the VTi 68 and PureTech 82.

The VTi 68 is available with a five-speed gearbox, with or without Start and Stop technology and by generating only 68hp it can be very sluggish, struggling in higher gears when on slight inclines.

A better option is the PureTech 82 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine which produces 82hp with 116Nm of torque and gets from 0-62mph in 11 seconds. With improved performance it is better suited to the C1 for day to day use if you’re tackling a mix of motorway and A-roads.

It’s a nippy little car that is better suited to city driving as light, power steering makes it very manoeuvrable as you zip in and out of the traffic and getting quickly into tight parking spaces.

Weighing just 855 kilograms the C1 is nimble and the ride is now smoother and comfortable due to new suspension springs and it holds the road well. 

It’s a nippy little car that is better suited to city driving as light, power steering makes it very manoeuvrable as you zip in and out of the traffic and getting quickly into tight parking spaces.

Weighing just 855 kilograms the C1 is nimble and the ride is now smoother and comfortable due to new suspension springs and it holds the road well. 

Inside the bright colours lend themselves to the centre console plastics, air vent and gearknob surrounds. The striped seats look particularly vibrant and are also really comfortable for a small car with height-adjustable driver’s seat.

Keeping driver and passenger entertained is a colourful seven-inch touchscreen showing all media, on-board computer and telephone settings. A nifty Mirror Screen system displays your phone content onto the screen.

There are three trim levels on the C1: Touch, Feel and top level Flair. All feature plenty of equipment including auto air-conditioning - a first for the Citroen C1, seat memory settings, keyless entry and start, a reversing camera and a speed limiter.

There isn’t oodles of rear seat space, taller people will struggle and the boot holds just 196-litres, smaller than the Skoda Citigo, but it can be increased to 780 with the seats folded. This is also easy to access as the parcel shelf lifts away when the boot is opened, so easier to get your shopping or luggage in.

Citroen have counted up ten storage compartments in the C1 so for such a small car there are plenty of places to store items in door pockets, a storage tray in the centre console and in the glovebox.

Prices start at £8,345 for the Citroen C1, the Airscape model with the fabric roof costing from £10,545.

All three cars from Citroen, Peugeot and Toyota are great city cars, fuel efficient and the personalisation options make them really attractive propositions. Is there one to go for?

They are the same car so it’ll be down to which you think looks the best, which engine you want and how much you want to pay.

Both engines are very fuel efficient, Citroen claiming the VTi 68 engine has a combined 74.3mpg, emitting just 88g/km of CO2 emissions so free from Vehicle Excise Duty.

The PureTech 82 is still as impressive with 65.7mpg and 99g/km of CO2 so running costs for both will be low.

Some of the plastics in the interior can feel a bit cheap so best bet would be to go for a better trim level to make it worth the money.

The Citroen C1 comes with a three-year warranty whereas its rival Toyota, offer the Aygo with a five-year one. Citroen doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to reliability but things have improved with the C1 and it was the most reliable new supermini in the 2014 Which? Car Survey with a reliability rating of 99.3%.

Scoring four stars in the Euro NCAP ratings, the Citroen C1 has six airbags, Hill Start Assist comes as standard, there’s an Electronic Stability Control system should you ever feel the loss of grip while driving and a tyre pressure monitor.