Skoda Citigo S 1.0 5dr Car Review - July 2012

The Citigo's 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine develops 59bhp and 70lb-ft of torque. This makes for a leisurely 0-62mph time of 14.4 seconds and a top speed of 99mph. Whilst these performance figures are hardly earth-shattering, the Citigo feels nippy around town. The ride is also excellent, smoothing out bumps and imperfections in the road with aplomb, and the steering is both precise and well-weighted.

Take the Citigo onto a fast road, however, and its shortcomings become apparent. Although it will happily do 70mph all day long, the car feels outside of its comfort zone, and wind, engine and road noise all become apparent. That being said, the Citigo puts in a more assured performance than many of its competitors and is by no means unbearable at high speeds.

Although arguably not as good looking as the VW up! and the SEAT Mii (that chrome grille has a whiff of Rover about it), the Skoda is a handsome, well-proportioned car. It's the same story on the inside -- the cabin is both stylish and well-made and, although there are some cheap plastics here and there, the overall impression is one of quality.

This is the most basic Citigo on sale and comes with very little standard equipment. You get a CD player with MP3 connectivity but that's about it -- you'll have to pay extra for electric front windows, metallic paint, central locking and stability control. We'd recommend that you plump for the SE model which, despite being a grand more expensive, arguably offers better value for money thanks to its more respectable level of standard kit.

The Citigo is a masterpiece of packaging -- it's uncanny just how spacious this car is on the inside despite its diminutive size. There's space in the back for two averagely-sized adults and, at 251-litres, the boot is very large for a city car. Fold the rear seats flat and you get an impressive 959-litres of space to play around with.

The Citigo earned the full five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests thanks to its four airbags and standard ABS. Stability control is an optional extra on this model but, frankly, it's a waste of money -- you really don't need it on a car with only 59bhp.

Reliability should not be an issue -- Skoda has a superb reputation for building reliable cars -- and the Citigo comes with a three-year/60,000 mile warranty as standard.

At £7,980, the Citigo offers superb value for money although we'd have to say that the more expensive SE model is probably the better choice thanks to its more comprehensive level of standard equipment.

Skoda claims that the Citigo should manage a combined fuel economy figure of 62.8mpg and you should manage around 50mpg if you intend to drive the Citigo around town.

CO2 emissions of 105g/km mean that the Citigo just misses out on free road tax and congestion charge exemption. To most buyers this isn't really an issue but, if you live in the capital, the more expensive but congestion charge-exempt Greentech model is a better bet.