Skoda Citigo


The Skoda Citygo is another of those little cars which, although an excellent fit for the market it was aimed at, depreciates rapidly from its new price because of the huge amount of competition in the sector from the likes of the Kia Picanto, Fiat 500, and Ford Ka, to name but a few. Considering the size of the car it is remarkably spacious. It is aimed firmly those who are looking for economy, ease of parking and low running costs. The car has a five-speed gearbox, and front wheel drive.

Is it attractive?

Well, a bit dull really. People who buy city cars buy them for their practicality, not their looks. The inside looks clean and neat, and generally well put together.

Is it reliable?

There has been a few issues since 2015. One concerned an item in the toolkit; the steel towing eye was prone to failure and could snap when the car was under tow. These should all be replaced by now. The childproof locks in the rear were found to fail occasionally as well; this meant that although the door was locked children were still able, occasionally, to open the door from inside.

Also some vehicles prior to 2014 had faults in the side airbag diagnostic system.

It would be as well to check that these have been fixed before buying a vehicle.

Is it comfortable?

The interior is well laid out so space is perfectly adequate for four normal sized adults. It should be accepted though that this car is designed for short journeys and it could get a little cramped on a long-distance drive down the motorway. However the suspension is well damped, which makes for a comfortable ride over roads in reasonable condition; and it is a very easy car to drive; and, with a very small turning circle, very easy to manoeuvre and park. All-round visibility is excellent, thanks to large windows and thin pillars.

Is it powerful?

Not really, but then again it's not really designed to be so. There are two 1 litre engine choices, both with three cylinders; the basic one produces just 60 horsepower, giving a leisurely acceleration from nought to 62 in just under 14 1/2 seconds, although it's still enough to propel such a light car to just over 100 mph. There is also an upgraded engine choice producing 75 brake horsepower producing a nought to 62 figure a second faster; however this is only available in the SE L version, which is slightly more expensive. An automated option was available in some versions but this has since been withdrawn; possibly because the naught to 62 figure became even slower at 16.7 seconds.

Should you buy one?

If you want to drive up and down motorways, then there are other vehicles which would be better suited. If, however, you spend most of your time driving round a town or city, and you are looking for a reliable, comfortable and economical vehicle, this one will take some beating.