The trio of new city cars promise to be cleaner and more fuel efficient than before, but still major on style The launch of Citroens C1 at Geneva, with its siblings the Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo hard on its heels, demonstrates the underlying success of the three-marque co-operative project that started in a Czech factory at Kolin nearly a decade ago and has put around two million of the 3.6-metre baby saloons on the market. Whereas Ford is pulling out of its deal to build its second generation Ka on the same underpinnings as Fiats Panda and Cinquecento, Citroen and Peugeot are happy to renew their deal with Toyota (and Peugeot) citing the cooperative deal as a reason for impressive manufacturing standards and for holding very reasonable prices. Citroen has done best of the three, putting around 760,000 C1s on the market. The partners have deliberately moved their cars further apart this time, while still making the difference with east-to-fit front and rear fascias. Toyota is attempting a breezier, more youthful look with the Aygo, Peugeot is going for sophistication and Citroen is seeking boldness, a theme it wants to keep as a core value. The partners have maintained several of the advantages that made the original Czech-built cars special. They have sliced 14mm from its alady compact length (now 3.46m) and have maintained the class-leading weight at well under 900kg, a priority as CO2 outputs and fuel consumption become every more important. The car is higher, however, with notably better rear packaging. The manufacturers will offer buyers the choice of Toyotas familiar 68bhp normally aspirated engine, but also offer an 82bhp PSA-built 1.2-litre triple. One new development is a five-speed automated manual gearbox, but there is no mention of the small diesel with which the original C1 started life. It seems buyers wont wear the extra purchase cost. Both three-and five-door versions will be offered and the French cars will have a roll-back Airscape roof. The cars reputation for spectacular fuel mileage (68mpg combined) and low CO2 (99g/km from the 1.2-litre) continues, and the cars are to be sold as affordably as the outgoing models. The car is understood to be in the build phase now, and should be on sale well before mid-year.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 08:33:44 +0000
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