Skoda’s new sub-compact, the Citigo, is about to blossom forth from its home territory in the Czech Republic to markets in Europe and elsewhere this year.
The five-door Citigo, which follows the three-door version that has been on sale in the Czech Republic for only a few months, is based on Volkswagen’s Up! city car, which is expected to arrive in Australia during the first half of 2013.
To be revealed at this year’s Geneva motor show, the five-door version of the Citigo will go on sale in Europe alongside the three-door version in May this year as the entry model in Skoda’s global lineup.
Skoda says the Citigo has scored a top five stars in Euro NCAP safety ratings.
The sub one-tonne Citigo is dimensionally the same as the Volkswagen Up! and has a boot volume of 251 litres, expanding to 951 litres with the seats folded. Clever features include a “photo and document holder, a bag hook on the glove compartment, a range of net holders and . . . many storage options.”
Power will come from a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine in 44kW and 55kW forms, with quoted fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures as low as 4.1L/100km and 96g/km.
And Australia? According to Skoda PR manager Karl Gehling the Citigo is under consideration “but there are no plans” at present. If it did come here, the Skoda – not unlike other cars in its local fleet – would be in more or less direct competition with Volkswagen product, in this case the Up!
A local Citigo would need to be priced a bit below Volkswagen although the differentials would not necessarily be big with the Up! hoped to arrive here at less than $15,000 pre delivery costs.
The Citigo, apart from being the company’s smallest car, will also boast another first: The new corporate logo that will eventually find its way across the Skoda range.
Globally, Skoda had a successful year in 2011, with a record 879,200 vehicles sold. The company aims to sell no less than 1.5 million cars around the world by 2018. It is on a roll here too, with 3501 sales in 2011 more than doubling its efforts in Australia during 2010.
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