Skip advert
Advertisement

Citroen C1 review - does French hatch offer the thrill of city driving? - MPG and running costs

Good value city car, but unrefined on the road

Evo rating
RRP
from £8,345
  • Efficient, easy to park, well-equipped and good value
  • Poor body control, coarse manners, better rivals

MPG and running costs

This is where the Citroen C1 shines. No version of the car emits more than 99g/km so there's no road tax to pay. For company buyers on the first rung of the new car ladder, this also means low Benefit in Kind tax. Add stop-start to the 1.0-litre engine and emissions drop from 95- to 88g/km, meaning it drops a further one per cent on the BIK scale. For everyone else, low CO2 ratings correlate with low fuel consumption. So the stop-start equipped 1.0-litre versions of the C1 return 74.3mpg on the combined cycle, while the standard 1.0's official figure is 68.9mpg.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The addition of the automatic gearbox reduces the C1's efficiency a tad, with 67.3mpg and 97g/km figures, while the 1.2-litre engine returns 65.7mpg and 99g/km. In reality, there's little to choose between the fuel consumption during real world use of all versions as the smaller engine needs to be driven harder to achieve the same performance as the 1.2.

For buyers keeping a close tab on monthly costs, Citroen offers its 'SimplyDrive' leasing scheme. Terms and conditions apply of course, but the C1 is available from £159 per month, inclusive of insurance, routine servicing and breakdown assistance. 

 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Citroën C5 Aircross review – quirky, honest SUV offering Range Rover comfort on a budget
Citroën C5 Aircross
In-depth reviews

Citroën C5 Aircross review – quirky, honest SUV offering Range Rover comfort on a budget

When is a generic family crossover not the dullest thing on Earth? When it’s a comfy Citroën glazed in weirdness
9 Apr 2026
Looking for a used performance car icon? Try these – car pictures of the week
Used performance car icons
Features

Looking for a used performance car icon? Try these – car pictures of the week

Does price, a lack of personality and irritating mandated nannying in new cars put you off? Look to the stars of the past…
11 Apr 2026
Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005 - 2017) – the 'baby' Aston to face the Porsche 911
evo Fast Fleet Aston Martin Vantage
Reviews

Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005 - 2017) – the 'baby' Aston to face the Porsche 911

The so-called ‘baby Aston’ was always punchy but got better and better over the years. It's now a sorely tempting used prospect
7 Apr 2026