Skoda Citigo• Skoda Citigo arrives in Summer 2012
• Two petrol engines with 58 or 74bhp
• Economy of 60mpg plus

The Skoda Citigo is set to arrive in Summer 2012, giving customers a cheaper alternative to the forthcoming Volkswagen up!.

It shares the VW’s dimensions, but has its own styling, which fits in with the car maker’s new mantra of ‘Simply Clever’.

The Citigo will be part of a trio of small cars, completed by the SEAT Mii, which shares the same design architecture.

The city car will be available with three or five doors and measures just 3.56 metres long. Its boot can hold 251 litres – identical to the up!.

At launch two 1-litre, three-cylinder petrol engines will be available, with either 58bhp or 74bhp, getting the Citigo to 62mph in 13.9 and 12.7 seconds respectively.

Combined economy of 62.8 and 60.1mpg with emissions of 105 or 108g/km promise low tax and running costs.

An economical Greenline version is also likely, to match the 67.3mpg of the VW up! BlueMotion, which was announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Skoda CitigoThe interior will feature front seats with integrated headrests, cup holders and cubby holes, storage pockets and a photograph holder on the dashboard.

A portable navigation system equipped with Bluetooth, infotainment software, trip computer and parking sensor display will fit to the central console, featuring a five-inch touch screen.

Safety should be excellent thanks to head and thorax airbags and the option of ‘City Safe Drive’, which can brake the car automatically at speeds below 19mph.

By Andy Goodwin, senior web journalist