Thinking of getting a Citroen C1?
The style of the car
The Citroen C1 is a cool city car that's available in sporty three or practical five-door versions. There’s also an Airscape model with a folding fabric sunroof that’s ideal when the weather’s good. New buyers had plenty of personalisation options so it should be easy to find a used C1 that suits your style.
How it drives
The Citroen C1 is available with feisty little three-cylinder engines that deliver ample power through an easy to use manual gearbox. It’s a nippy car around town, able to cope well with city traffic and comfortable enough for the occasional longer journey. Its small size and tight 11-metre turning circle make parking easy. Higher specification models have a reversing camera for even better control.
The interior
The Citroen C1 might be small but it’s not short on practicality, especially in the five-door models. There’s decent interior space for up to five although it’s more comfortable with four. Boot space is similar to its rivals and will easily cope with daily needs or the weekend shopping trip. The Feel version and higher specifications feature a good touchscreen infotainment system, USB port, Bluetooth and air con.
Running costs and reliability
The Citroen C1 is, like many of its rivals, inexpensive to buy. Low running costs are definitely its strength, with low fuel consumption, inexpensive road tax and some of the lowest insurance group ratings. It’s also one of the five cheapest cars to service in the UK.
Reliability is good and Euro NCAP gave it four stars for safety thanks to its six airbags and electronic stability control.
How it compares with similar cars
The C1 is Citroen’s entry-level model, sitting below the slightly larger C3 in the French brand’s line-up. It’s designed to be stylish in the city, much like the Kia Picanto and Toyota Aygo. It offers a wide range of models and engine choices and benefits from a good list of standard equipment and low running costs.
