One is the magic number

Few market segments are as fiercely competitive as that of the city car. A new version of Citroën’s C1 has arrived with bold styling, myriad personalisation options and updated tech.

Winner of the 2014 GreenFleet City Car Manfacturer of the Year Award, Richard Gooding tests the new small car hoping to make a big splash

Citroën has a history of quirkiness. Its more distant past is littered with ingenuity and innovation and while in more recent years it has produced less idiosyncratic vehicles, there are signs of an unconventionality renaissance. The recently-launched C4 Cactus brings outlandish style to the C-segment and now the C1 brings sensibility and fun to the city car market. Of course, Citroën has been here before – the first-generation C1 first hit the road in 2005, as part of the ‘B-Zero’ joint‑venture with Peugeot and Toyota. Even with many shared body panels, interior parts and engines, the C1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo were a success, even if the baby Citroën was a little small‑hatch derivative.

Daring style
The second-generation PSA Peugeot Citroën‑Toyota triumvirate was first revealed at the Geneva motor show earlier this year. The Japanese Aygo still takes on exterior style elements of its own, but the PSA Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108 still share many exterior body panels. This time however, Citroën has imbued a much more daring style to its city car challenger. And its all the better for that. Taking inspiration from the latest C4 Picasso, the front of the new C1 features two-part split headlights with LED daytime running lights. It may be an acquired taste for some, but it’s bold and visually challenging. The rear is more conventional, with ‘3D’ rear lamp clusters and, as before, an all‑glass tailgate.

The city car market is as much about style as it is affordability. The C1 scores here. Our test car featured the ‘Airscape’ roof package, which is a fantastic electrically-retractable full-length canvas sunroof. A similar idea to a Fiat 500 Cabriolet, Airscape models benefit from more personalisation options – the roof is available in two colours, the body five – and the Sunrise Red roof on KT14 ATU immediately made the car stand out. Add in the 15-inch ‘Planet’ alloy wheels, roof‑coloured wing mirrors, rear spoiler and glass black front grille, and the C1 certainly makes an impact.

The interior features many stylish touches, too. The instrument panel features a large central speedometer with a digital display in the middle. The rev counter is mounted to the left-hand side and is a series of vertical lines which rise the higher the revs go – it’s all a bit KITT from Knight Rider. To the right of the speedo is a gear shift indicator, while a seven‑inch intuitive-to-use ‘Touch Drive Interface’ infotainment system sits atop the centre console. A DAB digital radio/MP3 audio system with four speakers and USB/Bluetooth connectivity is standard and can be controlled by steering wheel-mounted buttons.

Playful environment
While the interior quality is down on rivals such as the Volkswagen Up, it is a much more playful environment in which to spend time. The centre console surround can be specified with a Sunrise Red finish, while the seats, carpet mats and exterior B-pillars feature a Sunrise Red ‘Light Zebra’ pattern – a style which is akin to a Paul Smith item of clothing. Standard equipment includes a height‑adjustable driver’s seat, air conditioning, ABS, electric front windows, and hinged rear windows on five-door models. Optional kit – bought in a series of packs – features some high-tech additions including automatic headlights, automatic air-conditioning, keyless entry and start, a reversing camera, and a speed limiter. Personalisation is now the name of the game in the city car market and the C1 offers plenty of scope for fashion-concious buyers.

Petrol-only engines
As before, there is a choice of both three- and five-door models. Engine options are limited to petrol only, with a choice of two three‑cylinder units. A 68bhp 998cc engine powers the cleanest models – with CO2 emissions as low as 88g/km – while a 1199cc version with 82bhp is an option on the range-topping Flair variants. Our test car was an Airscape Feel VTi 68, featuring the folding sunroof and emissions of 95g/km. Economy is pegged at an official figure of 68.9mpg, and while we rarely achieved that, 52.3 still isn’t to be sniffed at. A Stop & Start system helps keep that CO2 figure on the low side, and the gear shift indicator encourages economic driving.

Lightness plays a part in both achieving a good set of figures and affording Citroën’s baby car a decent enough turn of speed. Weighing only 855kg, the C1 scoots along pleasingly, the VTi 68’s 70.4lb ft (95.5Nm) of torque developed at 4,800rpm. Peak power arrives at 6,000rpm. The three-cylinder engine is buzzy and willing at lower revs, but runs out of puff towards the higher ranges. But, it rarely feels underpowered and as with most three-cylinder units, the engine makes an endearing thrummy noise. Not intrusive, this just serves to add more character to the car.

Drive is through a positive‑feeling five-speed manual gearbox. The power steering is light, but it’s not overly so – you get a sense of where the front of the C1 is, and its agility encourages a fun driving style. As it’s not a sporty car, the ride errs more on the comfort side, which is no bad thing considering the C1 will spend most of its time nipping through the urban landscape with its uneven road surfaces. It can be a little bouncy at times, though.

Citroën has sold 780,000 first-generation C1s since its introduction nine years ago and this latest version will undoubtedly continue that success story.

The latest model is loaded with character, has personalisation options which should appeal to both young and young at heart drivers, and with every version under the magic 100g/km CO2 cap, should not be too taxing to run.

Fun with a capital ‘F’
Talking of tax, BIK is a usefully low 12 per cent for company car drivers. Citroën provides a 3-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, and service intervals are every 10,000 miles.

If we were ordering a new C1, we would specify that large 800mm x 760mm Airscape sunroof package – it may add £850 to the standard price of the car, but it adds even more fun to proceedings. And that’s what the new C1 is – fun with a capital ‘F’.

With this car, the C4 Picasso MPV and the new C4 Cactus crossover hatchback, it would appear that Citroën is bringing quirkiness back, but with an added dash of the sensible. Salut!

Citroën C1 Airscape Feel VTi 68

ENGINE: 998cc, three-cylinder petrol
CO2: 95g/km
MPG (combined): 68.9
VED: Band A, £0
BIK: 12%
PRICE (OTR): £10,745 (including VAT, £11,830 as tested)