THE fast expanding city car scene is about to get a new member, in the shape of a new mini marvel from Skoda.
Named the Citigo, this latest offering from the Czech manufacturer will hit UK streets next summer and will be its sixth production model.
Sister company Volkswagen has high hopes for its own city car the Up! and Skoda believes its own offering will be both simple and clever.
The promise is of impressive amounts of space, four seats and the choice of three-door and five-door versions.
Two new three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engines producing either 60 or 75PS will be available, offering fuel consumption figures of 67.3 and 65.7mpg with CO2 emissions of just 97g and 99g CO2/km respectively.
Dimensions of 3.56 metres long, 1.65 metres wide and 1.48 metres high will ensure above average interior space while Citigo’s long wheelbase – 2.42 metres – should provide adequate comfort for four passengers.
Inside there are front headrests integrated into the seats plus numerous storage compartments, cup holders and multimedia systems, while a bag hook integrated in to the glovebox handle and a photograph holder on the central console are two smart touches.
In the three-door version, an ‘Easy Entry’ system allows simple access to the rear seats and for the first time in a Skoda vehicle, a portable sat-nav can be fitted to the dashboard.
On the safety front the Citigo designers have used a head-thorax side airbag to protect both driver and front seat passenger, and active safety is enhanced by the ‘City Safe Drive’, a new brake assistance system based on a laser sensor that is activated automatically at low speed when there’s danger of a collision.
Prices have yet to be released.