Driven: 2016 Citroen C1

Toyota and PSA did a great job on the jointly developed platform that spawned the second generation Aygo, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 108. However, unlike the first models that were identical, the trio now comes with a proprietary design for each version. While the Aygo is the craziest and the 108 is more of the bland side of design, the Citroen C1 manages to be somewhat in the middle.

Naturally, the biggest design difference can be seen at the front end, where Citroen has adopted its new split headlight design, a modern iteration of the chevron grille with a large trapezoidal lower intake and side LED daytime running lights. Unlike the Aygo’s crazy cat face, the C1 looks more like a French Bulldog - somewhat fierce but cute at the same time.

Moreover, the new C1 ups its eye-catching factor through two-tone exterior finishes, offering eight colors for the body, mirror cases and roof to combine depending on the market.

Speaking about the roof, you can also opt for a foldable fabric roof top which makes the deal even better on sunny days. The roof measures 800 mm x 760 mm and can be opened at a press of a button, partially or completely, both while sitting or on the go.

As with the previous generation, the new Citroen C1 is offered in three- or five-door configurations, both being able to host up to 4 passengers and a few shopping bags in the trunk. To minimize production costs and also give the car a modern feel, access to the latter compartment is done through a glass hatch, similar to the one on the previous model, but with a greater aperture.

However, opening the rear hatch needs some mind and finger training since the actuating mechanism isn’t on the glass itself, but in the bumper. Your first reaction would be to grab the handle and pull up, but nothing happens. Then you see a round button on the bumper which needs to be pressed firmly. Do that and only then you can raise the glass hatch. It might get tricky if your hands are carrying a lot of shopping bags.

Stepping inside the C1, you’ll see the interior design is the only thing that remained constant on all three cars. Its simple, ergonomic and eye enchanting shapes are enough to make your feel at home while the lively colored themes will surely brighten up your day.

From the driver’s seat, you’ll be able to easily check your speed at all times thanks to a big motorcycle-like speedometer while a round monochromatic central LCD display will give you info about the trip and fuel consumption. An optional digital rev counter can be mounted to the left while the right side will flash you two green arrows to notify when it’s the right time to up- or downshift to reduce fuel consumption on the manual gearbox version.

Standard issue includes racing-inspired front seats with integrated headrests which, I must say, feel quite comfortable and offer enough lateral support for a spirited drive around the city. They come wrapped in funky-themed cloth by default, but you can opt for black synthetic leather if you want a more sober environment.

The dashboard is dominated by a floating central console which can be finished in glossy colors along with the air vent and gear shifter surrounds. The console holds the standard radio unit or the optional infotainment system as well as the air conditioning controls plus the hazard lights button and the one for starting the engine where available. All it’s simple, intuitive and in good reach from both the driver and the passenger seat.

The standard radio unit offers multiple connectivity (Bluetooth, USB, and AUX) and is quite easy to control thanks to the included shortcut buttons placed on the steering wheel.

On the other hand, the optional 7-inch touchscreen infotainment offers a decent response and comes with a simple, intuitive interface that gives you access to all media functions - radio, telephone, video player and onboard computer.

Apple CarPlay or Android Auto isn’t available for this model, but the infotainment offers something similar called Mirror Screen. This allows you to plug your smartphone via USB and, using a unique app, get access to your navigation, phone, contacts, music, web radio and more.

Creature comfort in the rear is not that great, especially for fully grown adults. The rear doors (on the 5-door model) aren’t opening that much to facilitate entry. This might also make fitting a baby chair on the rear bench quite some hassle.

Once you get past the door and get seated, you discover the place is somewhat cramped, with your knees and head touching the front seat and the roof if you are over 1.80 m (5.9 ft). Don’t worry, though, as this is a common thing among cars in this class.

Then again, cost reductions led to rear windows that don’t roll down but pivot a bit to the side leaving a 3-inch gap for air to ventilate out. I don’t recommend claustrophobic people to sit in the back of a Citroen C1 or any other model in the segment.

Storage space, on the other hand, is quite decent for an A-segment vehicle. Each door comes with a pocket big enough to gulp in a water bottle and a pack of crackers. Then you got two cup holders near the gear shifter, a small tray for your keys or phone right behind them and another bottle holder inside the glovebox compartment. At first, I thought that special place is there to also cool your beverage, but apparently it’s not.

Safety wasn’t forgotten for the new C1, and the little runabout can be equipped with hill-start assist, lane departure warning, reverse camera and even Active City Brake, depending on the market. These add to the standard ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Cornering Stability Control and six airbags.

Dimension wise, the new C1 grew a bit in length compared to the previous generation, but it’s lower to the ground, making it appear slicker and more planted on the road. The extra technology and features also make the new version about 50 kg (110 lbs) heavier than the old one. Part of the weight also comes from the extra sound insulation, which really does a good job of keeping the city uproar away from the passengers.

The C1 manages to be the smallest one in the pack when compared to its main competitors - the Renault Twingo, Volkswagen Up! and Opel Adam - and, believe it or not, it has the biggest trunk of them all, measuring 190 liters, enough for your shopping bags or two travel suitcases. Fold the rear seats down and you increase that space to 780 liters so you can haul some IKEA furniture. Don’t go wild, though...

Power is provided by a choice of two three-cylinder gasoline engines. The basic unit is s 1.0-liter that generates 69 HP and 95 Nm (70 lb-ft), while the more expensive one is a 1.2-liter cranking 82 HP and 116 Nm (85 lb-ft). A five-speed manual gearbox comes bolted as standard and you can also opt for a five-speed automated version in most markets.

Moving to the driving part, the new Citroen C1 feels at home in city traffic. The dwarf car comes with an upgraded suspension that reduces body roll and enhances turning compared to the first generation model. However, you’d want to avoid potholes or road irregularities as the whole undercarriage tends to be on the stiff side.

The electrically assisted steering feels light as a feather around town, aiding a lot with maneuvering the car in tight spaces and parking jobs, but starts to get stiffer when you reach higher speeds. Oh, and since we’re talking about steering, the new C1 has a turning radius of just 4.8 meters.

Out of the city, the C1 shows its weak spots. The core engine will struggle to keep the pace and will also suck up more juice; especially if you have the air conditioning on. Despite the entry level car weighing some 980 kg (2.160 lb) with two average passengers, 69 HP is not enough.

I drove the car both in the city and some light-traffic backroads, shifting gears exactly when prompted by the onboard computer and at the end of the day the dashboard was displaying a 9.5 l/100 km (24 mpg) average fuel consumption. Keep in mind that Citroen says this configuration is rated at 4.1 l/100 km (57 mpg), which is quite a big difference from paper to real driving conditions.

What you want is the bigger 1.2-liter, which has the extra power not to feel useless, which will also aid with the gas economy. The average fuel consumption will reach a value closer to 5 l/100 km (56 mph) if you drive it in a sane way. Plus it has a slightly better tone to its exhaust, which paired with the precise shifter makes you think you are almost driving a sportscar.

The clutch is light too and starts engaging in a decent mid-travel pedal position making it very easy to dose. This was especially useful as our final destination was a special test track where we took the cars and put them to extreme tests to simulate conditions in a crowded city.

One of the challenges was to weave through cones with a big dish on the hood holding a ball. Smooth steering and gas/clutch inputs were the key to keeping the ball inside, and the C1 was designed to allow such control.

Having gotten rid of the ball and dish, we put the car through a rougher course, implying speed cone-weaving, emergency braking followed by a quick bay parking. Then we rushed to another line of cones, this time attacking it from almost a 90-degree angle which puts the car’s cornering ability to great stress. Get the technique right, and you soon discover how agile the second generation C1 is.

High-speed cornering? You picked the wrong tool as the C1 tends to understeer and those low-resistance tires it comes equipped with aren’t helping at all. The sweet spot between best efficiency/speed/comfort can be hit at around 100-110 km/h (62-70 mph) and there’s no reason to go faster in such a car. Just roll the top off, enjoy the sun and some good music.

Now that you know what you get let’s get to the money part. Having a look down the prices in Germany, the Citroen C1 is actually the cheapest in the range, coming at €9,090 for the basic version. That is exactly €600 less than the Renault Twingo. The Volkswagen Up! is €760 more, followed by the Hyundai i10 at an extra €810, Nissan Micra at €1,310 extra and Opel Adam which is a whopping €3,150 more than the C1.

In the end, if you want a stylish, maneuverable, small city car, you can easily opt for the second-generation Citroen C1 with a few extras. Not too many, though, since you can bring the total score north of €15,000 which kinda ruins the affordability part.

Else, if you’re the type of person who doesn’t give a flying duck on style or “creative technologie” and just want to go from A to B, you can just go for a mildly-equipped Dacia Sandero. You get more space, almost the same fuel consumption, and you’ll get it for about €2,000 less.