Review Skoda Citigo 1.0 CNG Elegance Green tec – Bulimic

A small city car that, thanks to the possibility of driving on CNG , has aroused a lot of speculation and opinions about whether such an investment is worthwhile and to what extent its use is appropriate. That is why we were very pleased with the possibility of adopting Citigo into the family for a week .

Design – Small with a mature face

Volkswagen up!, Seat Mii, Skoda Citigo . These are almost identical cars that differ from the outside in a few details and the logo on the hood. Their design fully corresponds to the urban environment – short overhangs over the wheels, large doors, playful appearance. Our Citigo was in the five-door version and in the top-of-the- line Elegance version, where you will find a lot of little things (e.g. fog lights, alloy wheels, etc.) that give it a serious and high-quality impression. Although the panoramic sunroof costs CZK 15,200, it will do a good job in the summer and look great.

Interior – Minimalistic but welcoming

After sitting in the Citigo, we find that it is quite spacious and not even two adults will be cramped here. The controls are clearly laid out and easily accessible. You can find them centrally on the center panel, doors and multimedia device. This is optional equipment worth CZK 6,892, but I would definitely buy it for the car . In addition to the external tachometer and thermometer, you can choose a hands-free , music player, parking assistant output and satellite navigation , which did not fail once during the entire week of use. Another advantage is its easy disassembly , so you can take it with you at any time , and its dimensions are adapted to this.

The leather sports steering wheel (CZK 5,100) fit very well in the hand and its workmanship was exemplary. There was also no unnecessary sweating of the hands , which is a frequent problem. The heated seats in the QuickSilver design were just as pleasant. We really appreciated that in the winter. The minimalist chapel with alarm clocks, including the on-board computer, was easy to read even in the glaring sun. The extended audio system with a total of six speakers (CZK 2,200) played very well , even surprisingly well, for a car of this class. The rear seats were not designed primarily for transporting adults, but they will not feel uncomfortable for short trips.

Engine – Relief for the wallet

This is probably the most interesting and often controversial part of this car. One-liter three-cylinder MPI engine with 60 horsepower adapted to run on CNG. You will pay approximately 52,000 crowns for this development. The first three disadvantages, if we ignore the price, consist of the absence of a reserve due to the fuel tank, a loss of 6.5 horsepower and an increase in weight of almost 100 kg , which has a significant impact on driving dynamics. With that, the ailments end and the pleasant part begins .

Thanks to the possibility of driving on both petrol and CNG , you don't have to worry about not being able to reach your destination, as the network of gas stations with CNG is still sparse. You will always run out of gas. The CNG tank holds 12 kg of gas (two gas tanks for 35 and 37 liters) , which should be enough for 300 kilometers , depending on the type of route and driving style. The consumption indicated by the car manufacturer is 4.4 m ³ /100 km , but I managed to get below the limit of 3 m ³ /100 km on the route Liberec – Teplice in the Czech Republic. After a short calculation, the Citigo managed the 123 km long route for 94 crowns , which really shocked me. You could do this journey cheaper just by bike or on foot, but here I had full comfort and the possibilities of a car. The petrol tank has a volume of 10 liters and with a consumption of 6.3 l/100 km you can easily calculate the range. If you drive the Citigo on petrol, it is also a little more nimble.

Driving – Savings are paid for with dynamism

As far as dynamics are concerned, it's probably no surprise that the Citigo isn't nimble at all. On the contrary, with greater load or climbing, not even downshifting and gas on the floor help . On the other hand, it doesn't hold up traffic in any way , not even in districts where other cars will brake you in corners, because thanks to the good chassis you don't have to brake much into them. I was able to overtake a truck with it, but it takes a lot of courage and two lanes to be sure. It has no problem keeping 130 km/h on the highway and is far from its limit. Thanks to the high-quality processing, I did not feel annoyed during the trip. If you don't mind the low performance, even a longer journey will be pleasant. Also, electronic systems that help when driving in a crisis situation reacted immediately and prevented the car from going off the track or losing control over the steering.

Conclusion – CNG pays off!

I will leave the final decision on whether the petrol Citigo or the CNG is up to you. But the fact is that with a third of the costs, your investment returns with every kilometer . It's a strong argument in favor of this dick . Overall, it has proven itself excellently in the city and outside it, making it the ideal second car for the family .

It is also great for novice drivers and young people. Thanks to the low performance , parents are guaranteed that their little one will not be able to do anything wrong with the car, while young people will be pleased with the low cost of the trip and a fairly high-quality audio system. I don't even need to mention easy driving in the city and parking. If you want to hear my opinion, the Citigo is a very good choice and the CNG option convinced me of its qualities. With the additional equipment, I found everything I needed in the car, but in the role of the buyer, I would leave some elements out .

Basic price of the tested car (Citigo 5D 1.0 MPI Active): CZK 193,900

Price of the tested car (Citigo 5D 1.0 CNG Green tec Elegance): CZK 354,592