Citroen C1 review

The big thing when buying is to keep a check on your options: there are plenty of flamboyant colour schemes and natty alloys to choose from, but they can easily take the C1 towards £14,000. Best to keep things relatively simple and only spec what you’ll really need.

Both engines produce sub-99g/km of CO2 – sadly no longer the tax break it once was – and both claim nearly 70mpg, which is handy when the fuel tank’s a dinky 35 litres. Around 350 miles on a tank should be attainable in the real world, even if you’re driving pretty hard.

Your first year comes with free Citroen breakdown cover, but dealer services might not be as cheap as you hope, so it’s possibly worth building in the optional three-year servicing package when you buy.

The C1 gets a four-star NCAP safety rating, one star below the VW Up, but on par with all the rest of its rivals.