Skoda Citigo review

Line up the Citigo, a Volkswagen up! and a Seat Mii and you might be struggling to tell them apart. We don’t think that’s actually a bad thing – all are basically the same car. The beauty of the Skoda is that you get everything the others have to offer, often with the lowest price of the three.  

The boxy shape is good news for the space that it gives you inside, while daytime LED running lights on later models add a stylish edge to what’s already a very good-looking car for its size. There’s the choice of three- or five-door models. For sheer convenience, it’s well worth seeking out the latter. 

Sometimes you might have to pinch yourself when you’re in the Citigo for a reminder that you’re not driving a far bigger car. It handles fantastically well and the suspension seems like it’s been designed and developed using the biggest potholes and roughest surfaces as a test track. It goes over these easily and your passenger will be in no danger of spilling their takeaway coffee.  

It’s not just a city car, either. The Citigo takes B roads, A roads and motorways in its stride with the 1.0-litre engines showing they have all the oomph needed to keep up with the other traffic around it. It lives up to both the ‘Citi’ and ‘Go’ parts of its name.  

The Skoda Citigo proves that just because a car might be small and relatively cheap, its interior doesn’t have to be. In the same way that it feels like a bigger car to drive, the cabin gives the impression that you could be in a much more expensive model.   

Take the front seats. These are so comfortable that even long motorway journeys will leave you feeling chilled out. The driver’s seat and steering wheel are both so adjustable that finding the perfect position is easy. There’s also plenty of room up front and in the back too so 4 can travel in comfort. 

The materials used and the switches and other controls all shout ‘quality’ and the colours and designs used on the seat upholstery give a funky feel. Large areas of glass all around mean it’s light and bright and the visibility this gives, along with the car’s size, makes reversing into the tightest of parking spaces a doddle. 

Every model has an infotainment screen in the middle of the dashboard – but no sat nav. To make up for this, there’s a built-in phone cradle with USB charging point behind so you can use your own favourite mapping service instead. There’s also a Skoda Move&Fun app that is designed to work with the in-car system. 

You’re never going to be able to transport jumbo-sized loads in a car of the Citigo’s size. That doesn’t mean the boot won’t swallow up a big family shop or even the luggage for a few day’s R&R in the countryside for two.  

When you fold the rear seats down this gives you very respectable space for bigger loads and some models even have a false boot floor which gives handy extra storage room underneath it. There is also an optional cover for the boot area and a net that will stop your cargo sliding around. 

In the cabin there are lots of practical touches like a hook on the outside of the glove box to hang bags on. There’s also a handy windscreen clip for pay and display car park tickets.  

Economy is one of the key selling points of a car like the Citigo - we promise that you won’t be disappointed. With the choice of a couple of 1.0 litre engines, the least you’ll be able to achieve is a little under 66 mpg on average. Its low emissions mean that the road tax is a maximum of £20 a year. 

Any recall issues in the past have been minor and Skoda generally do very well in reliability tables so you should be able to look forward to trouble-free motoring and low servicing costs, even from main dealers. 

Nippy, fun to drive and with plenty of room inside, the Citigo has lots going for it, all backed by Volkswagen quality control. In a class with lots of competition, it leaves most of them far behind as well as being considerably cheaper to buy and run.