The tiny hatchback from French manufacturer Citroen was quietly launched over the first weekend in November 2014. The new Citroen C1 hopes to build on the good worldwide sales of 780000 units that the first version achieved.

New C1 Design

The face of the new C1 has been updated to mirror that of the rest of the Citroen range. That means a two-part headlight system with the top section being reserved for the daytime running lights. The rear lights have some new treatment and feature square tail lamps that update its visual appeal. The C1 is initially available in Feel spec and Airscape (folding roof). An entry-level model will be added the range in early 2015.

Engine

The C1 upgrades from its previous 1-litre, three-pot motor to a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol. Outputs are claimed to be 61 kW with 116 Nm of torque. The engine improves the performance of the C1 as it now takes 11 seconds to get to 100kph and has a top speed of 170kph. Citroen claim it will return 4.3L/100km on the combined cycle. Size wise, the new C1 is slightly longer than the previous version by 29mm, the rest of the vehicle is fractionally smaller with the kerb weight being nearly identical.

Inside

The C1 is a great city car, fitting through small gaps and making parking and tight turns a synch. The interior has had a spruce-up as the seats are more comfortable and supportive. There are steering mounted controls as well as USB, Bluetooth and MP3 compatibility. If you buy the Airscape version you also get a seven-inch touch screen with the Mirror Screen application that lets you use certain apps on your phone. The boot has been enlarged substantially as it is up to 196-Litres now from the puny 139-Litres before.

Citroen C1 Pricing:

Citroen C1 1.2 Feel – R168990

Citroen C1 1.2 Airscape – R194 900