Citroen C1   Women's view

Citroëns C1 Fits A Great Deal Into Very Small Dimensions. June Neary Checks It Out

I already thought Citroen had a citycar in the shape of their diminutive little C2. Apparently not. The French marque seems to feel thats theres space in their range for an even small offering, a car Ive been recently checking out: the C1. This is apparently the state of the citycar art and you certainly believe that upon first setting your eyes on the thing. Its astonishing how much space the designers have crammed into so small a vehicle. Not a millimetre remains unused in the wheel-at-each-corner stance.

If I was urban-bound with a tight, confined parking space outside my mews-style residence, this little French runabout might well suit me down to the ground. And that front end? Im undecided: its either grimacing or grinning, depending on the angle at which you view it. This car shares its underpinnings with Toyotas Aygo and Peugeots 107 but it was the only one of the three at launch to offer a diesel engine. This type of powerplant is still (rather curiously) an unusual option in a class youd have thought was all about saving money.

Unlike many citycars, the C1 offers a choice of either three or five-door body styles, priced from £7,095. The wide wraparound bumper, the rounded bonnet and bulbous headlamp clusters are certainly distinctive and the rear end is very nicely finished with a glass tailgate, big crystal and anthracite rear light clusters and a deep under-bumper assembly. The wheelarches are surprisingly beefy and the rear set are sculpted a little further forward in the three-door body style. The five-door car sees its rear doors meet the rear light clusters in a very neat piece of packaging.

And packaging of course is where a car like this lives or dies. I think the designers have actually done a pretty good job with the space they had to work with but at the end of the day, you still cant fit a quart into a pintpot. The rear of the three-door car is rather claustrophobic and is really only suitable for kids and short journeys. Rear kneeroom in the five door car is little better but at least the cars beltline is a little lower, making it feel a little less hemmed in.

Headroom inside the car isnt at all bad though, even for someone well over six feet tall, and the big glass area up front gives an airy feel to the cabin. Citroen tend to produce bold and exciting interiors and the C1 continues that trend. At the same time however, the design is neat and ergonomically sound. In other words, just seconds after getting in, youll know where everything is and how to work it.

I liked the translucent material used for the heater control system, which glows a soft orange whenever the lights are turned on, mirroring the colour choice of the driver information and audio system displays. I also liked the two-tone material used to trim the seats which Citroen offer with a choice of fabric or velour finish, complementing the door panels. The front seat backrests are hollowed out to provide a little more rear legroom for back seat passengers, but as Ive already said, there really is only so much that can be done with a car with a 2.34 metre wheelbase.

Still, what could be done has been done. The C1 offers no fewer than twelve storage compartments dotted about the centre console, dashboard and doors, with the door bins easily capable of holding an A4-sized atlas. Total luggage room with the rear seats in place is quoted at 139-litres, but drop the rear seats and theres an impressive 751 litres of space. This makes the C1 a citycar that can do more than just a light shop.

As youd expect, parking at the supermarket for the weekly mission isnt going to present too many difficulties. At just 1.6m wide, the C1 can easily take advantage of those awkward spaces next to the concrete columns that are so often rejected. Whats more, at just 3.

4m long, youll probably be able to access the tailgate while still tucked safely into your bay, away from errant trolleys and distracted drivers.

Plump for the petrol option and you get a 68bhp 1.0i unit, while those looking for a diesel option get a 54bhp HDi engine. As might well be expected, both units are EuroIV-compliant and both return over 60mpg on the combined fuel economy cycle. Even in town, youll be hard pressed to nudge below forty in the diesel.

Five speed manual gearboxes are fitted as standard although the petrol version can also be ordered with the SensoDrive automatic gearbox. With any car as small as this one, its easy to feel threatened by larger road users. Best to remind yourself then, that the C1 is likely to have better safety systems than many a sizeable 4x4. As well as a specially developed body structure that incorporates crumple zones and impact absorbers at the front and rear, the C1 also boasts ISOFIX child seat anchor points, reinforced doors and up to six airbags.

Whats more, its also well equipped to avoid a fender bender in the first instance with anti lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and corner stability control. The little Citroen has also been designed to limit the consequences of a pedestrian impact wise indeed for a car that will doubtless spend much of its life in the urban environment. The front end features no sharp edges and impact absorbers up front also help to limit leg injuries. Theres plenty of clearance between the impact absorbing bonnet and the top of the engine which means that shock is dissipated without coming into contact with anything hard.

The range starts with the entry-level 1.0-litre Vibe variant in three-door form at £7,095 or in five-door form at £7,455. Buyers can also plump for the plusher Rhythm trim level at £7,935 in 5-door form. If you want a diesel, you have to have Rhythm and five doors for a price of £8,925.

If you go for anything other than the base variant, bear in mind that youre verging into territory where the same money will buy you a larger Fiesta-sized runabout from the fully-fledged supermini class.

As an only car? Id need to be a city-dweller. As a second car? Well for that, the C1 would be just about perfect.