Review Sale Citigo
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Little-known Czech car maker Skoda is nothing if not plucky, pushing for more than 10,000 annual sales in Australia by 2018. That’s even before confirming the price and launch date of its radical baby-car, the Citigo. Show The Citigo - heavily based on the Volkswagen Up that gets here late this year - is Skoda’s first small car and its first three-door car that is expected to follow the Up and discount its price. Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland says he wants to study Up’s acceptance on the Australian market before committing his Citigo. “We are open to selling the Citigo into Australia but we’re not yet decided,” he says. “It depends on your market. If we could sell 10,000 cars a year into Australia, it would be an easy decision.’’ But despite some reservations, Vahland knows that Skoda’s future lies in volume sales. And Citigo, he thinks, will be his company’s second biggest seller after the popular Octavia. Australian Skoda sales in 2011 were about 3500 units. “In 2010, Skoda sales around the world were 700,000,’‘ Vahland says. “In 2018, we expect to sell 1.5 million cars. That’s more than double. So we see the same growth for Australia - more than double by 2018.’’ Skoda could be ready to sell Citigo to Australians by mid-2013 and, at launch, be in a position to launch the automatic version at the same time as the manual. The Citigo will, like the Up, be available as a three and five door with an anticipated pric e difference of about $1000. Given that the Up is predicted to sell for $15,000 as a manual three door and $16,000 as a manual five door, the Skoda version is likely to start at about $14,500. That puts it up against the Hyundai i20, Nissan Micra and Suzuki Alto. But how does the car compare? Much better. VALUE Now, I’m supposing the $14,500 is the start price. For that, the 1-litre manual is a gem. It’s a city-focussed hatchback but is adept at cruising at 120km/h in comfort and quietness. It ticks a lot of boxes for cabin treatment that, although a bit bland, have more character and space than the $15,490 Hyundai, the $12,990 Micra and the $11,790 five-door Alto. In fact, it doesn’t feel as small and as budget-built as these rivals. The stumbling block is getting Aussies into these small jiggers. Vahland is right - watch how Up performs and Citigo will follow. But then watch out for moves by other players - Citroen, Toyota, Peugeot and Kia - into Australia. DESIGN Cute as a button. The Skoda uses all the same components as the Up but adds a new face and tail, side glass profile and some cabin changes. It has, for example, more emphasis than the Volkswagen on personal storage spaces including a slot for a mobile phone, handbag hook on the glovebox and shopping-bag hooks in the boot. Though it doesn’t have a soft-feel dashboard and the look is basic black, there is no doubt that it’s beautifully bolted together with neat panel fit, good-looking gauges and strong switches. TECHNOLOGY Australia will only get the 55kW/95Nm version of the 1-litre, three-cylinder engine. There is a 44kW/95Nm version but Skoda Australia figures one engine is sufficient. The engine is all-new though will be applied to other small-sized Volkswagen Group cars including the production version of the new-wave Kombi, the Bulli people mover. There is a five-speed manual and, likely from launch in Australia mid-2013, a five-speed robotised automatic - a manual gearbox that has an electronic, automatic clutch. The steering is electric, the rear axle is a torsion beam and the brakes are front discs and rear drums. Optional will be City Safe Drive which uses radar sensors to automatically stop the car from having a frontal imapct at less than 30km/h. Volvo similarly has its City Safety but Skoda says it’s the first time the accident-avoidance technology has been applied to a small car. No price has been announced for this option. SAFETY The Citigo shares the Up’s five-star crash rating. There are four airbags - though the side bags are extended to protect the front occupants’ heads so act as a curtain bag - with electronic stability control, brake assist and brakeforce distribution. DRIVING Despite its sub-4m length, the Citigo feels big and airy on the inside. That sense of space plays with the car’s lively performance and it’s only a matter of a few kilometres down the road that you start believing that you’re driving the bigger Polo model. The engine is brisk off the mark and the manual five-cog box is slick enough to help it along. Hard to believe it’s only 1-litres in capacity until you hit a long hill in fifth gear and need to pull it down to fourth or even third. The high gearing helps get fuel consumption down to 4.7 l/100km (the forthcoming automatic is actually more frugal at 4.6 l/100km) - but that’s mainly achieved on freeways. The suspension and steering are very good. Rough bitumen roads introduced no suspension noise while the body was firm and tight and ride comfort was compliant. It is actually a good little thing and given its cabin room - the boot is the biggest in its class at 251 litres - should attract a broad buyer group. RATING SKODA CITIGO Price: est. $14,990 Is a Skoda Citigo a good car?The Skoda Citigo is a little city car that provides big value for money, as well as a lot more space than you might expect. You can choose between three- and five-door bodies, and although the whole range comes with petrol engines, they're all economical and ideal for getting around town.
Why have Skoda stopped making the Citigo?Demand was so high from drivers for Skoda's debut electric car that it overwhelmed supply. The manufacturer's allocated number of battery-powered Citigos flew off the production line and onto the road in quick succession. It even got to a point where the model had to be taken off sale in April due to a surge in demand.
When should the timing belt be changed on a Skoda Citigo?Most VW engines have timing belt/cambelt replacement intervals between every 60,000 to 80,000 miles or 4 to 5 years [dependant on engine type].
Is Skoda Citigo same as VW up?Skoda Citigo
The Skoda Citigo and the Seat Mii are the cheaper siblings of the Volkswagen Up.
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