Item: Skoda Citigoe iV
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The Citigo e iV is one of the cheapest electric cars you can buy; a Renault Zoe costs considerably more. Impressively, it also undercuts the closely related<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/mii/hatchback/review/n11"> Seat Mii Electric</a> thanks to being available in a more basic SE trim level as well as the posher SE L.

To charge the battery from 0-80% from a 7kW home charger takes around four hours, while a 40kW rapid CCS charger will do the same in one hour. A three-pin plug will juice it up in 13-16 hours. It’s worth pointing out that SE trim only comes with a three-pin plug charger as standard and can’t be charged using a CCS charger. SE L trim adds a Type 2 cable that plugs into a 7kW wallbox and is CCS compatible.&nbsp;

So, what else does SE trim give you? Well, you have to put up with steel wheels and plastic trims, plus unpainted door mirrors and handles, but you do get electric front windows, a leather steering wheel, a smartphone dock, climate control and LED daytime running lights. SE L adds alloy wheels, ambient lighting, auto lights and wipers, heated front seats, rear parking sensors, and electric, heated mirrors in body-colour housings.

The Citigo was safety tested by<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/euro-ncap-safety-ratings-2019-%E2%80%93-how-safe-is-your-car/n17044"> Euro NCAP</a> way back in 201 and again in 2019, this time receiving only three stars out of five. And, while it gets some modern safety aids such as<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-new-car-technology-that-could-save-your-life/n17548"> lane-keeping assistance</a>, it misses out on blindspot monitoring and<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283"> automatic emergency braking</a>, the latter of which we regard as an essential safety feature.&nbsp;

In the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069"> 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey</a>, Skoda finished an impressive 9th out of 31 manufacturers overall. The Citigo’s battery is covered by a warranty that lasts for eight years or 100,000 miles; it’s guaranteed to hold 70% of its range during that time or it will be replaced for free. This policy is matched by those of rivals.

Let’s start with the Citigo e iV’s range. Its 36.8kWh lithium ion battery will provide enough juice for the car to cover 161 miles on a full charge, according to the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/what-are-wltp-and-rde-new-fuel-tests-explained/n1223"> WLTP test cycle</a>. We are yet to put it through our<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-car-real-range-which-electric-car-can-go-farthest-in-the-real-world/n18160"> Real Range</a> tests, but the similar Seat Mii Electric achieved 111 miles. Official WLTP figures suggest that it is able to travel farther than a<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/review/n17165"> Volkswagen e-Golf</a> (144 miles); although many other electric cars will go farther still, the Citigo e is much cheaper to buy than its closest rivals.

So, how milk float-like is it to drive? Well, its electric motor delivers 82bhp and 156lb ft of torque, and, while that might not sound particularly mighty, you can still be pretty sure of embarrassing most cars off the line at the traffic lights. Beyond city speed limits, though, the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/zoe/hatchback/review/n152"> Renault Zoe</a> has a definite speed advantage.&nbsp;

The Citigo e will manage motorway journeys (it’s top speed is limited to 81mph), but its acceleration at those higher speeds isn’t as swift as it is at lower speeds; while it only takes a gentle squeeze of the right foot to nip into a different lane of traffic around town, it’s harder to extract an equivalent burst of speed when overtaking on the motorway.

There are three driving modes: Normal, Eco and Eco+. Normal provides maximum power while the others limit it in order to eke out range (Eco+ even switches the air conditioning off). The levels of regenerative braking (a system that harnesses energy that would be wasted when braking and uses it to top the battery up) can also be controlled via the gear selector. In its highest setting, the braking force delivered when you lift your foot off the accelerator is strong enough to bring the car to a near standstill, but doesn’t quite allow for ‘one-pedal driving’ like the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/leaf/hatchback/review/n17338"> Nissan Leaf’s</a> system can. The brake pedal feels natural and consistent in its responsiveness, though – not something you can always say of an electric car’s.

Around town, the Citigo e is relaxing to drive. Its steering is light and accurate and the car’s small, boxy dimensions make it easy to thread through narrow side roads. A tight turning circle also helps. The ride quality is a particular highlight; it handles big road imperfections, such as speed bumps and potholes, with impressive composure, and feels settled at all speeds. It’s quiet, too – you’ll notice some blustery wind noise whipped up around the door mirrors at motorway speeds, but little else to disturb the peace.

While it’s fairly typical for an updated car to get a new engine, it’s not often that an entirely new propulsion system is introduced. The Skoda Citigo e iV is somewhat different, however; rather than just tinkering with the Citigo’s petrol engines when it was tweaked in 2019, they were ripped out and stuck straight in the bin.

In their place is an 82bhp electric motor that’s powered by a 36.8kWh battery pack. In English, that’s enough juice for 162 miles of range in official tests. That’s some way behind the likes of the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/zoe/hatchback/review/n152"> Renault Zoe</a>, but way more than the paltry range offered by the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/smart/forfour-eq/hatchback/review/n18072"> Smart Forfour EQ</a>, and even the more upmarket – and considerably more expensive – Mini Electric.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PAMGwqGJVKM"></iframe>

Of course, there are a couple of rivals that are much closer to home; the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/mii/hatchback/review/n11"> Seat Mii Electric</a> and the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/up/hatchback/review/n17244"> Volkswagen e-Up</a>. If you think they all look a little similar, that’s because they’re all virtually the same car, just badged differently. By developing all three cars together, Volkswagen Group was able to save an awful lot of money to help make them cheaper to buy and more profitable. Not that this should be a surprise; they did exactly the same when they launched the original petrol versions of the Up, Mii and Citigo way back in 2012.

So, is the Citigo e iV the most impressive small electric car on sale? Are there any drawbacks to it? And what’s it like in key areas compared with other electric rivals?

Read on to find out. And to get a great deal on any new car, make sure you check out our<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/electric"> New Car Buying</a> pages.

Inside, the Citigo e iV feels a bit dated compared with its rivals. The Citigo itself is an old design by now, and while there is no doubting the solidity of its interior, the materials used don’t impress; there’s quite a lot of hard, scratchy plastic around, while the steering wheel feels of particularly low quality. There is, however, a bright, interestingly styled plastic panel across the dash to inject a bit of colour. By comparison, the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/zoe/hatchback/review/n152"> Renault Zoe</a> feels more polished and modern.&nbsp;

The Citigo also lacks a touchscreen infotainment system. Instead, there’s a phone holder mounted on top of the dash, with a narrow colour screen and physical control buttons that allow you to cycle through your phone’s functions via a smartphone integration app. The latter also enables you to lock and unlock the car through your phone, and also to set the air conditioning before you get in. It may not feel quite so cutting edge as a touchscreen infotainment system does – an infotainment system with<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193"> Apple CarPlay</a> or<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194"> Android Auto</a> would be less fiddly to use – but it is still a practical solution.&nbsp;

The driving position is fine, but the steering wheel adjusts only up and down, not in and out, and could partly block your view of the instrument panel, depending on how you set it. The seat’s backrest adjusts with a ratchet lever rather than with a variable wheel control, too, so you might find it tricky to get the precise angle you want. There’s no adjustable lumbar support, either. Meanwhile, the digital trip computer display looks a bit old-fashioned – its small size and low screen resolution is a far cry from the fully digital display of the Zoe.&nbsp;

Visibility out of the car is great all round. That’s particularly good news, because, while rear parking sensors come as standard on top-spec SE L trim, there’s no sign of front parking sensors or a rear-view camera, even on the options list. Nor are super-bright LED headlights available on the Citigo; these come as standard on the Zoe.

Hatchback

One of the greatest success stories in the car world of recent decades is Skoda’s rise to become a hugely credible mainstream maker of good-value, good-sense cars.

Central to that success has been its place within the VW Group, alongside the Volkswagen brand itself, plus the likes of Seat and Audi. That has given it access to exactly the same underpinnings for its cars as the other brands, and it has complemented this by adding its own developments, from the way the cars drive and ride through to the features they have and the pricing.

The result is a range that extends from a city car to a large executive saloon, with family and large seven-seat SUVs too. There’s a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines, all of which are competitive for the class.

As a result, Skoda has a range of cars that is almost entirely class-leading or among the class leaders, and it has enjoyed long-time success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

SKODA

CITIGO

The&nbsp;Skoda Citigo-e iV is a great affordable electric city car&nbsp;choice, but the pricier Renault&nbsp;Zoe is classier inside and has a longer range.&nbsp;

Skoda Citigo e iV 

Of the electric cars currently available, the Skoda Citigo e iV is among the smallest; in fact, only the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/smart/forfour-eq/hatchback/review/n18072"> Smart ForFour EQ</a> is smaller. Yet, even if you’re tall, sitting in the front won’t be a problem for you; its high roofline allows plenty of head room. Storage space is decent, too, with useful door pockets and a single cupholder located centrally below the dashboard. Another practical touch is the small shelf that divides an open-faced cubbyhole ahead of the gear selector.

The battery is stuffed under the rear seats, the bench being raised by 5cm compared with that of the old petrol Citigo in order to fit them beneath. However, the impact this has on space isn’t especially marked and there’s still a decent amount of head room for adults. Those who are six feet tall should find enough room to be comfortable on short journeys, although taller folk will find their hair brushing the ceiling. Knee and leg room, meanwhile, should be just about acceptable if you aren’t especially long in the leg. There are only two seats in the back, though, and you can’t lower the rear windows – they pop out instead.

An adjustable boot floor is an optional extra, and, at its lowest setting, the Citigo’s boot is impressively deep. It doesn’t go back very far, though, and there’s a tall load lip at the tailgate. One thoughtful touch is the storage well that's found just underneath the boot's entrance; it's the ideal place to keep a charging cable close to hand.

The Skoda Citigo e iV is one of the cheapest electric cars currently available, and has a long range that should be more than adequate for most city commutes. It can’t go quite as far on a single charge as the Renault Zoe, and misses out on some fundamental tech and safety features. Still, for your money, the Citigo e iV is one of the best small electric cars currently available. 

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test </li> <li>Quick charging times and compatibility with the most ubiquitous types of public charging points </li> <li>Priced to be within the grasp of more than just the privileged few </li> <li>As with any car, ride comfort, practicality and ownership costs can’t be ignored</li></ul>

We define an electric car as one that runs purely on battery power and has no tailpipe to puff out nasty chemicals. These cars qualify for the maximum plug-in car grant (PICG) of £3500.

The Renault Zoe is one of the most affordable options and has a surprisingly long range of between 120 and 180 miles (depending on the weather and the road type). However, the Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen e-Golf are more practical and more accomplished to drive, even if the latter doesn't have a particularly long range between charges.

At the other end of the scale, Tesla’s ground-up EV philosophy – and the American brand’s own network of super-fast chargers – makes the Model S a tempting choice. It has seating for up to seven, an classy interior and a long enough real-world range to make inter-city travel a real possibility.

Electric

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Clever interior space </li> <li>Quiet and comfortable ride </li> <li>Good visibility </li> <li>Plenty of safety tech </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>Outstanding value for money</li></ul>

City cars are all about diminutive size and manoeuvrability because they invariably spend most of their time on our increasingly crowded urban streets.

They do need to be big enough for a couple of adults, with back seats that’ll suffice for occasional use by people – or as a dumping ground for a couple of large shopping bags – but they must also be small enough to nip in and out of traffic, and squeeze into tight parking spaces.

Out-and-out acceleration isn’t crucial, but there must be enough oomph in the lower gears to scoot into gaps that appear in the traffic. Running costs should be low, too.

Fortunately there’s never been a better line-up of city cars on offer. Kia's Picanto mixes a neat, functional interior with tidy handling and a surprisingly big boot, while the Skoda Citigo and Suzuki Celerio are cheaper and even more frugal.

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