Citroen C1 1.0i VTR+ 5dr Car Review - February 2012

The cabin has a fresh overtone to it with a novel heater control like a cylinder which gives off an orange glow at night. Some of the trim material and plastic used feel quite cheap, but overall the cabin is well built. All round visibility is generally good for the car’s size.

This 1.0i VTR+ is powered by Citroen’s 3-cylinder, 12 valve, 68bhp petrol engine capable of doing 0-62mph in 13.7 seconds and a top speed of 98mph. It gives surprisingly good performance for its size, and coupled with the 5-speed manual gearbox you can work it to get the best out of it. While being nippy in city traffic, it will also easily cruise at 70mph on the motorway without any problems and average fuel economy is excellent at 62.8mpg.

The VTR+ gives a firm ride but it handles well, dealing with corners without fuss and keeps body roll under control on twisting roads.

You’ll find there’s wind and road noise when you’re cruising on faster roads but it’s no more than you’d expect in a car this size. The engine can sound a bit growly when it’s being worked, which adds a sporty feel to the car on shorter journeys.

While its looks aren’t eye-catching enough to differentiate it significantly from other small city cars, they’re certainly not unpleasant on the eye, and the quirky little glass tailgate on the boot adds a bit of a distinctive Citroen design touch to it - and its certainly more appealing than say the Kia Picanto.

This VTR+ is the range topper and comes with a good kit as standard including alloy wheels, 50/50 split rear seats with head restraints, air conditioning, electric front windows, a CD+MP3 connectivity and immobilizer.

You can get it with metallic paint for an extra £420 and also a stability control system for £330.

The lower spec VT version only has very basic equipment levels, so it’s worth upgrading to the VTR+ to get some more goodies onboard.

There’s space enough to accommodate four adults, as long as they’re not all six-footers, and coming with five doors it makes getting in and out easier. Boot space with the rear seats in place is fine (139-litres) for your regular shopping bags but don’t expect to get much more than that in it. Folding the rear seats down gets you a slightly more decent 751-litres of space.

Euro NCAP gave the C1 safety ratings of 4 for occupant, 4 for children and 2 for pedestrians. The VTR+ gets side airbags as well as front airbags, unlike the less well equipped versions. There’s ABS and an immobiliser as standard. Stability control and an alarm both come as optional extras.

The C1 has experienced few problems related to its reliability and has had excellent reports in customer satisfaction surveys. It comes with Citroen’s 3-year, 60,000 mile warranty.

Priced at £10,095 the C1 1.0i VTR+ is an attractive buy, and Citroen dealers are usually willing to discount on top of that. Low CO2 emissions of 103g/km putting it in VED band B for Road Tax, and group 3 insurance mean that running costs will also be low, suiting those looking for budget motoring. Costs for a year of motoring should be cheaper than the likes of a Ford Ka and the C1’s fuel economy of 62.8mpg on average is superb in its class.

Citroen resale values are also generally good, so if you’re looking for practicality, economy and reliability in a small car - then the Citroen C1 VTR+ is a solid option.