Used test – clever city cars: Fiat Panda vs Skoda Citigo

What are they like inside?

The Fiat Panda’s driving position is upright; some people may like that, and some may not, but it does make it easy to get in and out of.

The dashboard looks great, too, with some nice colour options and handsome design all contributing to a sense that the cash you’re saving doesn’t come at the expense of style. However, it might come at the expense of quality, because a few of the plastics are a little flimsy and feel rather scratchy.

The Panda’s boxy profile might lead you to believe it’s spacious and, for the most part, you’d be right. Up front, there’s enough space for two adults. In the back, there’s loads of head room, too.

However, knee room is tight if you’re tall, and while the boot has a wide opening, it isn’t the biggest around. What’s more, split-folding rear seats were an optional extra, so if you want a Panda with this feature, you’ll have to shop around. Talking of extras, Fiat wasn’t overly generous with its helping of equipment for the Panda, so it’s worth finding one that had a few option boxes ticked.

The Skoda Citigo’s dashboard looks a little more dour than the Fiat’s thanks to its all-grey colouration. However, it feels higher-quality, with less cheap plastics. The driving position is good, too, and all the controls are easy to use.

You get plenty of front head and leg room, and slightly more rear seat space than in the Panda, meaning the Citigo is the better bet if you’re going to be carrying rear passengers on a regular basis. What’s more, the boot is also bigger than the Panda’s, although it has a higher sill that you have to lift things over. You do get split-folding rear seats as standard on this version, although some more basic Citigos have to make do without.