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Skoda Citigo (2012 to 2019)

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Expert Rating

Skoda Citigo (2012 to 2019)

Not a current model

    Summary


    The Skoda Citigo was a compact city car available as a three-door or five-door hatchback. Originally arriving on UK roads in the middle of 2012, the petrol-powered Citigo was replaced in 2019 by the all-electric Citigo-e iV, which we are building a separate page for soon.

    Powered by a 1.0-litre petrol engine, with both manual and automatic gearbox options, the Skoda Citigo was essentially identical to the Volkswagen Up and SEAT Mii city cars. The only visual difference was some very light exterior restyling, while the Citigo also carried less kit to justify its slightly lower price tag.

    As a result, the Citigo received many of the same plaudits as the Up, including widespread praise of its agile handling, ‘big car’ interior quality and low running costs. “The Skoda Citigo feels as polished as its posher Volkswagen sibling in almost every way”, What Car? explained, “but doesn’t cost as much to buy.”

    Part of a competitive city car class while on sale, several outlets commented that the Citigo stood out from the crowd thanks to its superior value-for-money – one of the main reasons the compact car received several industry awards during its lifespan, including the title of ‘Best City Car’ at the Auto Express Awards for five years running.

    That said, many reviewers concluded that they preferred the Volkswagen Up overall, Autocar commenting that the Skoda “lacks the sophistication” of its Volkswagen twin. The Citigo range also did not have as many personalisation options as the Up, and while cheap, the entry-level Citigo trim did not come with much equipment.

    No longer on sale, the Skoda Citigo holds an Expert Rating of 76%, based on 35 reviews published by UK media sources.

    Citigo highlights

    • Great value-for-money
    • Good interior quality for a budget car
    • Agile driving dynamics
    • Surprisingly practical
    • Low running costs

    Citigo lowlights

    • Small range of engine options
    • Rather basic lead-in model
    • Not many personalisation options
    • So-so performance
    • Three-star safety rating

    Key specifications


    Body style: Small three- and five-door hatch
    Engines:
    petrol
    Price when new:
    From £8,285 on-road

    Launched: Summer 2012
    Last updated: Summer 2017
    Replaced: Autumn 2019


    Media reviews


    Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

    Auto Express

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    Auto Trader

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    Autocar

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    Car

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    Car Keys

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    Carbuyer

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    Carwow

    +

    Eurekar

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    Evo

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    Fleetworld

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    Honest John

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    Motoring Research

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    Motors.co.uk

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    Parkers

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    The Sun

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    The Sunday Times

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    The Telegraph

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    What Car?

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    Which?

    +

    Safety rating


    Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

    Overall score: 3 stars
    Date tested: December 2019
    Read the full Euro NCAP review

    Adult protection: 81%
    Child protection: 83%
    Vulnerable road users: 46%
    Safety assist: 55%

    The Skoda Citigo’s safety rating is based on the essentially identical Volkswagen Up, which was originally tested back in 2011 and awarded five stars by Euro NCAP. It was highly praised at the time for bringing a high safety standard to the city car class.

    However, Euro NCAP safety standards have become significantly tougher over the last decade and the Citigo (along with its Volkswagen and SEAT siblings) did not keep up. In 2019, the Volkswagen Up was re-tested by Euro NCAP and only awarded three stars, and again the same score applies to the Skoda Citigo.

    Eco rating


    No eco rating

    The Skoda Citigo was not lab tested by Green NCAP during its production life – and neither was the Volkswagen Up or SEAT Mii.

    Reliability rating

    MotorEasy logo 600x167

    As of June 2022, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Skoda Citigo to generate a reliability rating.

    The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusive from extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Citigo, we’ll publish the score here.

    Awards


    Trophies, prizes and awards that the Skoda Citigo has received

    2019

    • What Car? Awards – Best New City Car under £11k

    2018

    • Carbuyer Awards – Best First Car + Best City Car
    • What Car? Awards – Best New City Car under £10k

    2017

    • What Car? Awards – Best New City Car under £10k + Best Used City Car

    2016

    • Auto Express Awards – Best City Car

    2015

    • Auto Express Awards – Best City Car

    2014

    • Auto Express Awards – Best City Car
    • Green Apple Awards – Best Supermini

    2013

    • Auto Express Awards – Best City Car
    • Carbuyer Awards – Best City Car
    • The Sunday Times Motoring Awards – Best City Car

    2012

    • Auto Express Awards – Car of the Year + Best City Car
    • What Car? Awards – Green Award

    Similar cars


    If you’re looking at the Skoda Citigo, you might also be interested in these alternatives

    Citroën C1 | Fiat 500 | Fiat Panda | Hyundai i10 | Kia Picanto | Peugeot 108 | SEAT Mii | Toyota Aygo | Volkswagen Up

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    No longer on sale, the Skoda Citigo stood out from a competitive city car crowd thanks to its value-for-money and impressive fuel economy.Skoda Citigo (2012 to 2019)