Energetically economical

Richard Gooding finds the refreshingly honest Škoda Citigo achieves great economy for a petrol engine.

Since coming under the all-embracing arms of the vast Volkswagen Group in 1991, Škoda is no longer the butt of jokes from stand-up comedians, and has instead built up a reputation for finely-made, value-driven cars.
    
And the Citigo, the smallest car the Czech company currently sells, is no exception. Conceived at the same time as the Volkswagen up! (GreenFleet issue 58) and the SEAT Mii, all three share a platform, a basic body and an interior, with various detail changes to set them apart.

A full trophy cabinet
Built to conquest the city car market, the VW Group triumvirate has been well-received and has bolstered the trophy cabinet in Mladá Boleslav, Wolfsburg, and Martorell, with the small Škoda scooping both ‘Best City Car’ and ‘Car of the Year’ prizes at the 2012 Auto Express Car of the Year awards. 2013 has seen it emerge victorious as the CarBuyer ‘Best City Car’, but what are the merits which saw it win the supermini What Car? Green Award last year? It’s not a hybrid and there’s no diesel option, so can a small, conventionally-powered petrol car really cut the environmental mustard?
   
On paper, the answer is yes. The Citigo comes with GreenTech technology from SE models upwards, and the range-topping Elegance model tested boasted the full environmental specification: a Stop/Start system, brake energy recovery and lowered suspension. Reduced rolling resistance 14” tyres are part of the GreenTech package, too, but the test car was fitted with 15-inch rubber on optional larger alloy wheels. Powered by a 74bhp 1.0-litre engine, the Citigo Elegance GreenTech emits only 98g/km, thanks to the environmental add-ons. In less powerful 59bhp guise, GreenTech variants of the Citigo SE/Elegance cut emissions still further to only 96g/km.

Driving satisfaction
Small, environmentally-friendly cars can be seen as boring, but that’s one thing the Citigo is not. OK, the extra-cost ‘yoof’ decal kit seen in the photos afforded our car a little more cheekiness, but the Citigo is cheeky by both personality and price – at £10,110, the Elegance GreenTech is £915 cheaper than the equivalent £11,025 up! Its shape is smart, neatly-proportioned and has a touch of industrial design chic about it, while the test car’s non-standard, black‑painted wheels add a hint of sportiness.
   
Despite having only 74bhp, the three-cylinder engine is both perky and engaging; its slightly rough-sounding and off-beat three-pot thrum subsiding at speed. It revs well, and gives strong performance, and it’s fun keeping the engine in its rev band, sustaining momentum. The Citigo cruises in the fast lane at legal speeds like a large car (the engine turning over at 3200rpm in top gear), and is very refined for one so small.

Ride baby ride
The baby Škoda handles nicely and has well‑weighted steering. The ride is on a par with larger cars, and a tell-tale light in the instrument display discretely informs you when to grab the gear lever to stir the tall‑ratio ‘box – technical purists will love the short, sharp and mechanical-sounding action. The switchable Stop/Start system is easy to operate, too – just apply the handbrake, knock the car out of gear, take your feet off the pedals and car goes eerily quiet. Apply pressure onto the pedals or select first gear, and the car springs back into life.
    
Škoda quotes an official fuel consumption figure of 67.3mpg on the combined cycle, and it may be entirely achievable. Over my 460 miles with the Citigo, I saw an average of 63.5mpg displayed by the car’s computer. A real-world average of 52.6mpg was slightly more disappointing, but given that my driving style wasn’t eco-minded all the time, it’s a more than commendable result.
   
The Citigo Elegance comes with a Portable Infotainment Device (PID) as standard, and it’s worth the extra £275 outlay on lower-specification versions. Displaying information such as driving range, average and current fuel economy, distance travelled, average speed and time of travel, the 5-inch Navigon-made system also controls music player functions, has Bluetooth connectivity, and is a satellite navigation device. It clips onto the top of the dashboard and is removable for theft prevention, but there is no economy driving ‘game’ mode as on the up!’s identical ‘Maps & More’ system.

Stylishly functional
It’s best to describe the Citigo’s interior as stylishly functional. Greyness aside, it is built well and is made of high quality materials. Kit count is good, too, with everything essential as well as added luxuries such as heated seats (on a city car!) and air‑conditioning. Option packs are well-priced, too, and with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, running costs should be minimal.
   
Overall, the Citigo embodies the traditional Škoda traits of good value, honest, well‑made cars. It’s a very good, well-specified and extremely likable car. Whether it’s scything though city streets or holding its own on the motorway, the Citigo Elegance GreenTech is an entertaining way of going green, and makes watching your fuel economy fun with a capital ‘F’.

Details
Engine: 999cc, three-cylinder petrol
CO2: 98g/km
MPG (combined): 67.3
VED: Band A
BIK: 10%
CO2: 166g/km
Price (OTR): £10,110 (£11,524 as tested)