Citroen C1 hatchback (2005 – ) expert review

The Citroen C1 isn’t as attractive as its cousin, the Toyota Aygo, but it’s better than the Peugeot 107 and gets full marks for sheer cheekiness. The bulbous front allowed us to sneak into tiny gaps in traffic out of bounds to more masculine cars. The C1’s rear gives away its budget credentials more, with a low-cost one-piece glass tailgate dominating the proceedings. Unusually, alloy wheels weren’t fitted and don’t even appear on the options list, but don’t forget the C1 is more likely to be used as an urban tool rather than a fashion accessory.

The cabin is a love-it-or-hate-it affair. The dash is dominated by the centre console, which houses the stereo and heater controls. At night, the lower part emits an orange glow, which we found distracting particularly given the lack of a dial to dim the display. In front of the steering wheel is a single unit, which features the speedo, warning lights and digital fuel gauge. The rev counter sits – rather oddly – atop this unit, like one of Mickey Mouse’s ears. This means the same speedo housing can be used on all models – another way in which Citroen has cut costs.

There’s plenty of storage space around the cabin, with pockets in the doors, centre console and under the dashboard. These spaces are open to view, meaning you can’t tuck valuables out of sight. The C1 isn’t huge in the back, but most owners are only going to need them to ferry the kids to school, and the occasional bit of shopping. Adults would find them uncomfortable for more than a short run. The boot’s tiny too, with just 139 litres of space under the parcel shelf. Folding the seats increases the space to an impressive 751 litres.

Handling isn’t the C1’s main selling point, but it still offers plenty of  entertainment, and is strangely reminiscent of the original MINI. There’s a bit of lean when cornering enthusiastically, which is made worse by the lack of side support from the seats. The ride is surprisingly good, given it is a budget car, but bigger bumps can be felt in the cabin.

The C1’s 1-litre, 3-cylinder engine is a strong performer round town, where short, sharp bursts of acceleration are the order of the day. At motorway speeds the engine is loud and unrefined, and we found ourselves taking lower speed B-roads, rather than national speed limit dual carriageways and motorways. Its 0-60mph time of 13.7 seconds and 98mph top speed is academic, because most C1s will rarely venture out of town.

At just under £8k, our C1 Rhythm was good value, if you can live without some of its niceties, the entry price is even better. Citroen is well known for offering discounts and cash back offers, so you’re likely to get even more off the screen price. The petrol-engined C1 will cover an average of 61.4mpg, while the diesel version will do another 7.5 miles to the gallon. There’s a three year, 60,000 mile warranty for new C1s, and servicing is every 10,000 miles. The C1 Rhythm will lose £4,635 of its purchase price over the first three years.

Combining French flair with Japanese build quality (it shares many components with the Toyota Aygo), the C1 should be pretty robust. There are no figures available at the moment, as it hasn’t been on sale for long. Some owners have complained of water getting into the rear lights, but there shouldn’t be much else to worry about.

The C1 might be a bargain basement supermini, but there’s not much evidence of cut corners. It scored four stars for adult and child occupant protection in the Euro NCAP crash ratings, while two stars were given for pedestrian protection, which is about average. Anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic stability programme (ESP) and cornering stability control is standard on all models, as is a driver and passenger airbag. Our top-of-the-range Rhythm model also featured front side airbags. You can’t fault the level of kit for the price.

If you’re expecting sat-nav and massaging seats, forget it. This is a cheap car, so you’ll only get the basics. The entry-level Vibe model even lacks a rev counter, while a rear windscreen wiper and heating system is proudly listed on the C1’s list of features. Alloy wheels? Forget it. Having said that, a CD player with a socket for your MP3 player is standard on all models.

The sub-£10,000 car market is a competitive one, so models have to have that X-factor to succeed. Fortunately, the C1 looks good, goes well and is very cheap – in short, its all you could ever want from a city car.