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Yes, the Skoda CitiGO is an Up! with Skoda written on it, but there are still some differences that can tip the scales towards the little Czech, to grab your eyes and your money.

Launched in 2011, the Skoda CitiGo - VW Up! - Seat Mii trio was supposed to replace the old Seat Arosa - VW Lupo pair and somehow replace the old Fox, so they went to work. We have three excellent city cars, which were cheap and decently equipped for what they offered and were even a success on the European market.

How is CitiGO different from Up! and Mii and why should I go buy a CitiGO?

• It received a facelift and an electric version, but it didn't have a GTI version, nor the TSI engines with proper muscles.


• The Skoda CitiGO was also designed for the Asian and CIS markets but remained only in Europe because it was considered too small, but it still received a facelift.


• Along with the Up! and the Mii, they were the first cars in their class to feature automatic emergency braking in the city.


• The VW Up! was a victim of its own success and was heavily bought for 3 am kebab delivery work by students and corporate workers who were drunk and hungry, so in today's car market you have a good chance of buying a delivery car. A car driven by an 18 year old kid, with or without a license, who was paid by the number of deliveries he made so he drove it as aggressively as possible because it wasn't his car anyway. The Skoda CitiGO on the other hand was somehow avoided by fast food industry and was mainly bought by private buyers, usually 60+, so you have a better chance of finding less shabby cars.

Who is the CitiGO going up against?

• You will be surprised, but not unlike the Up! and definitely not by the Mii because no one bought it. It's just that at the time I wrote this review, the Up! started at around 1800 euros and the Skoda CitiGO at around 2000 euros, but the Up! tends to have much higher mileage, almost double. But there was a daredevil out there who had a 2014 Up! for sale, for 1990 euros, but it had 382,000 km on the clock. That means that 1. There are still crazy people in this world and 2. The car can technically do that. Yes, there is also a 2015 CitiGO with 278,000 km on the clock for 1490 euros, but in general the CitiGO has 50-70,000 km less than an Up! that costs the same.


• The Fiat Panda is probably the CitiGO's most dangerous enemies because in terms of price it sits between the Fabia and the CitiGO, but the Panda is just as good in the city if not better. Simple, reliable petrol engines, power steering so light that even Kathy Bates has to be careful how she uses it so as not to break it, the gearshift mounted up high on the dashboard and the large interior space make the Panda a serious rival for the CitiGO. In fact, many people who bought the CitiGO did so only because their old Panda got too old.


• Skoda Fabia - Sure, you can spend another 1000 euros and buy a Fabia 1.2 petrol, but 1000 euros is already 50% more than the CitiGO. And for a strictly city car and an occasional ride, the Skoda CitiGO is better suited than the Fabia, the only real difference being the trunk, but the CitiGO wins in terms of passenger space.


• Citroen C1 / Toyota Aygo / Peugeot 107 - These three would be the most direct rivals for the Skoda CitiGO / VW Up! / Seat Mii triplet and the basic argument would be that the Japanese triplet is more reliable but is more cramped and worse equipped than the German triplet. If you want practicality and reliability and you don't care about features, go with the Japanese. If you want real windows and not a piece of plastic as a rear window, go with the Germans.

Skoda CitiGO Engines

Petrol

• 1.0 MPI EA211 CHYA and CHYB of 60 and 75 horsepower - The only engine you will realistically find on the CitiGO and it is a decent engine for the city and for occasional rides outside the city. On the other hand, it does not climb hills so you will have to push the clay up the hill yourself. And it has the classic problems of oil consumption and timing chain, but overall it is an absolutely decent engine with which you get your job done around the city in an absolutely decent way.


• 1.0 MPI EA211 CPGA 67 horsepower - Yes, there is also a CNG version and I occasionally get questions about CNG and personally I do not recommend this version because we have 10 CNG stations across the country and you also lose the little space in the trunk that you have anyway.

Electric

Single engine of 80 horsepower - Skoda CitiGO EV is like a well-paid job. Everyone talks about it, but you've never seen it.

Skoda CitiGO Reliability Issues

• The equipment levels were quite modest, worthy of college dorms. Because it was a cheap car and I still remember that you could buy a new CitiGO for 6 grand. Yes, I'm that old.


• The boot space is nonexistent, but on top of that, it also comes without a tray and without a light bulb, and the paint isn't the best quality there either.


• The ASG robotic gearbox, and in the case of the manual gearbox, the shifter creaks as loudly as your mother's bed, according to the opinions of those on the internet you're arguing with.

Skoda CitiGO Verdict

Definitely worth buying if you want a strictly city car, at most for an occasional ride. If you don't necessarily need a boot but you need interior space, then the Skoda CitiGO is a much more inspired choice than the Up! and the Aygo. You still have to choose between the CitiGO, the Mii and the Fiat Panda. But the CitiGO remains one of the best city cars you can buy, if you want a strictly city car.

What engines do I recommend? Anyway, you have a single 1.0 MPi engine and the 60 horsepower is enough for you, if you don't skimp on the features. Whether you have 60 or 75 horsepower, you can still drive through the city at 30 miles/h.