| First Drive | Lisbon, Portugal | Skoda Citigo |
Key Facts
Model tested: Skoda Citigo SE Green tec
Pricing: starting from £7,500 (estimated)
Engine: 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol
Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door hatchback
Rivals: SEAT Mii, Volkswagen up!, Kia Picanto
CO2 emissions: 96g/km
Combined economy: 68.9mpg
Top speed: 99mph
0-62mph: 14.4 seconds
Power: 60hp at 5,000rpm
Torque: 95Nm at 3,000rpm
In the Metal: 
This car heralds the start of a new design language for Skoda, but ignore the shape and proportions for a minute, as the devil is in the detail. It's the new grille, sharp headlights and the badge that will make their appearance on future models, not the hard points carried over from the Volkswagen up!.
And of course it's the same with the interior - though the Citigo can't be had with its cousin's painted dash fascia. Like the up! and SEAT Mii, the Skoda has plenty of room on offer, no matter if you're sat in a seat or merely luggage in the 251-litre load space.
Driving it:
There's no doubt the off-beat thrum from the three-cylinder engine improves as the revs rise. This encourages you to extract as much performance as possible, exploring every last revolution and fooling you into thinking this tiny car is quicker than it actually is.
Which in the case of the 60hp Citigo (with its 14.4-second 0-62mph time) has to be considered a good thing. It always feels lively, with quick reactions to the throttle - helped no doubt by its sub one-tonne kerb weight. It will struggle on steeper hills though, and at motorway speeds we occasionally found ourselves dropping from fifth to fourth, then third gear in a bid to maintain momentum. Matters do improve slightly with the more powerful 75hp model, but for most occasions the lower output car is fine.
But save for the inclines, this city car is incredibly at home on the motorway; once at cruising speed the cabin is not only comfortable, but quiet and refined too. Ride comfort is not bad either, despite the 15mm drop in ride height. And of course, the Citigo performs well in built-up areas with a smooth stop-start system, light controls and great visibility.
What you get for your Money:
One option in the Citigo is the Navigon-based 'Move & Fun' portable satnav device, but it's one that we personally wouldn't bother with. The more experience we have with this (it's the same in the Volkswagen and SEAT models) the less impressed we are. Save for the neat integration and lack of trailing wires, we'd save our money and buy a cheaper TomTom or Garmin unit.
It's not a major stumbling block though, and one way the Citigo repays you is in running costs. This 60hp Green tec emits only 96g/km of CO
2 so there's no road tax to pay, and with potential for a 68.9mpg economy figure you won't have to visit the pumps very often. Stability control (ESP) will be standard across the UK range too, while the five-door tvariant ested here will be £350 more than the comparable three-door model.
Worth Noting
Green tec trim isn't a replacement for Greenline. While the latter designates an all-out eco-friendly special, the former should be thought of as more a half-way house. That means there's brake energy recovery, stop-start, low rolling resistance tyres and suspension lowered by 15mm. Order a 75hp Elegance model in the UK and it will come with Green tec as standard. Currently there's no official word on a Greenline model, but if Volkswagen unveils a BlueMotion up! then expect to see the Skoda version soon after.
Summary
Choosing between the up!, Mii and Citigo will be tough, though we suspect for many it will come down to price. On the Skoda's side, it looks good, as the brand is enjoying something of a comeback in the UK and dealers are always well-recommended. For us it's one of the most exciting cars in the firm's portfolio, and the only problem is the Fabia, which might just lose some sales from this excellent city car.
