The first-generation Skoda Citigo is an A-segment mini-city car, born from the Volkswagen Group's NSF (New Small Family) project. Twin sister to the Volkswagen Up! and SEAT Mii, it stands out with a slightly more understated design and attractive pricing. Produced in Bratislava, it shines with excellent roominess relative to its footprint (3.56 m), serious build quality for the category, and safe road handling. Facelifted in 2017 (new bumpers, LED daytime running lights, infotainment update), it ended its combustion-engine career in 2019 to make way for a short-lived 100% electric version (Citigo-e iV) until 2020. It is a model renowned for its very high overall reliability, driven by simple and proven mechanics.
The Skoda Citigo is one of the most recommendable city cars on the used market. Devoid of the VW group's complex TSI engines or problematic diesels, it relies on a naturally aspirated 3-cylinder 1.0 MPI (EA211) whose reliability is exemplary. It is a 'peace of mind' purchase par excellence. Buying advice: Favor a 60 or 75 hp version with a manual gearbox. Absolutely avoid the ASG automated gearbox, whose drivability is catastrophic and actuator reliability is hit-or-miss. Facelifted models (after 2017) are preferable for their smartphone integration, which is much more future-proof than the old removable GPS screen. Make absolutely sure that the recall concerning the driver's airbag (Takata) has been carried out at a dealership.