So who's going to drive one?

[DaKKs_152]

I drove an Up! yesterday, which apparently is the same car.

Here are my opinions:

Very well designed internally. They used up the space available quite well. Three people my size 6 feet (182cm) and 78kg can fit decently. I wouldn't take it for a road trip through Europe, but for normal use its fine.

The tranny felt a bit sluggish, not as snappy as the Fox of my Fabia, but still alright. Would've preferred a sixth gear, like most modern VW's, but its a city car after all.

The bloke said the other one is faster, so i reckon i drove the weaker engine, but the respose was pretty good anyways. Push it up to higher revs and it feels like a go cart. The steering was very direct and it handles great. You can practically park it anywhere and it more or less produces petrol.

I'll withdraw my earlier statement. I see now what my gf likes about this design. Overall, if you need a car thats cheap to own, i reckon its the way to go. Unless you're not intending to have more than one passenger, its fine. I wouldn't want my greatest enemy sit behind the driver though. Its horrible.

EDIT: For the record, the bloke that let me drive got a *******ing from his supervisor. Apparently you're not allowed to tests drive these yet.

Edited 3 April, 2012 by DaKKs_152

[Babs]

I might consider test driving this vehicle if all of the following can be addressed:

It must be available with a 4 cyl PD type diesel engine (the 3 cyl PD has a chain driven balance shaft - doomed to fail - and runs like a bag of nails). The CR engine has potential fuel pump problems and I don't want Siemens injectors of any description.

No DPF. It's a city car and that's where it will be.

Full sized spare wheel. A can of goo or even a scooter wheel are not acceptable.

A complete change of attitude from VAG with regard to fully admitting and putting right their design c o c k ups - I don't want a repeat from VAG of the 2.0 PD self-destruct engine saga in the old Superb, water leaks in the old Superb, the Siemens 2.0 PD injector recall defect and the Teves Mk 60 brake controller fiasco.

James, are these fitments available and realistically, is there any chance of the M-K leopard changing its spots?

rotodiesel.

A 2.0 4-pot derv won't happen. And VAG stopped producing PD engines a while ago, haven't you heard?

The old 1.4 3-pot was a decent engine, not quite sure what your issues are?

And there's no space for a spare wheel. There's no spare wheel well.

[TeflonTom]

doesnt putting a hotter engine in there just defeat the entire object of it?? its supposed to be a small eco friendly city car for the masses, it needs to raw and simple without any electric windows or aircon or any other of the useless $hite you never use in your car.. i was thinking back to the days when the mk1 fabia came out and in those days skodas were seriously uncool and your average punter wouldnt be seen dead in one, they didnt become popular because they were anything special or anything better than the rival maunfactuers offerings, they were purely popular cars becuase they were far cheaper than anything else in that market sector, but now i'm seeing that the skodas are pretty much on a par with vw prices so who in thier right mind would buy one becuase the value plumets like a stone compared to a vw equivalent.... the future of motoring lies in alternative fuels and electric traction, i dont think they would bother to stick a 1.4tdi engine in these things, they would be more expensive to make and the percieved gains in mpg are far outweighted by diesel fuel being more expensive than petrol. they have a winning formula with the citigo, all they need to do is market it right (price)

[DaKKs_152]

doesnt putting a hotter engine in there just defeat the entire object of it?? its supposed to be a small eco friendly city car for the masses, it needs to raw and simple without any electric windows or aircon or any other of the useless $hite you never use in your car.. i was thinking back to the days when the mk1 fabia came out and in those days skodas were seriously uncool and your average punter wouldnt be seen dead in one, they didnt become popular because they were anything special or anything better than the rival maunfactuers offerings, they were purely popular cars becuase they were far cheaper than anything else in that market sector, but now i'm seeing that the skodas are pretty much on a par with vw prices so who in thier right mind would buy one becuase the value plumets like a stone compared to a vw equivalent.... the future of motoring lies in alternative fuels and electric traction, i dont think they would bother to stick a 1.4tdi engine in these things, they would be more expensive to make and the percieved gains in mpg are far outweighted by diesel fuel being more expensive than petrol. they have a winning formula with the citigo, all they need to do is market it right (price)

Well put. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Octy09]

@DaKKs_152 - I find these VW dealers a bit funny. They gave the salesman a telling off for letting you test-drive the Up? It's been available to buy since March - unless they want to hurt their own sales figures, they should be giving out all the test drives they can. The VW dealer I went to a couple of weeks ago, when asked when the 5-door was due out, replied with "Oh, they've thought about it, but it won't be for another two years!" - when in fact we all know that both the Up 5 door and Citigo 5 door are due out in the Summer. A friend of mine ordered an Up a couple of weeks after it's launch. When they went to pick it up, they were told they couldn't have it yet. Genuinely think VW dealers are messers - Skoda's track record of customer care could well ensure that the Citigo sells pretty well, even if it's less appealing on the inside.

[DaKKs_152]

@DaKKs_152 - I find these VW dealers a bit funny. They gave the salesman a telling off for letting you test-drive the Up? It's been available to buy since March - unless they want to hurt their own sales figures, they should be giving out all the test drives they can. The VW dealer I went to a couple of weeks ago, when asked when the 5-door was due out, replied with "Oh, they've thought about it, but it won't be for another two years!" - when in fact we all know that both the Up 5 door and Citigo 5 door are due out in the Summer. A friend of mine ordered an Up a couple of weeks after it's launch. When they went to pick it up, they were told they couldn't have it yet. Genuinely think VW dealers are messers - Skoda's track record of customer care could well ensure that the Citigo sells pretty well, even if it's less appealing on the inside.

They're bloody morons. The local VW dealership are a bunch of scrote$. I wouldn't trust 'em as far as I can throw 'em. They sell my mate a brand new Passat and give him the wrong bloody car. Then they refuse to pay for the repair. Claiming the fault was self inflicted. Of course it was bloody elf inflicted. They gave him a bloody TDI when he bought a TSI! Took him three months and I reckon over 2000 quid to get rid of the bloody thing.

With matching licence plates and without badges, how the hell was he supposed to know? You don't open the hood on a brand new car to make sure they put the right engine in it, do you?

Edited 5 April, 2012 by DaKKs_152

[RapidRonnie]

but now i'm seeing that the skodas are pretty much on a par with vw prices so who in thier right mind would buy one becuase the value plumets like a stone compared to a vw equivalent....

Skodas hold their value pretty well too, especially the Yeti.

Anyhow, Skoda must be doing something right because sales are at record levels and increasing every year.

The base Citigo seems to have the spec which you were talking about, however it's never going to be much cheaper than the Up because it's the same car built in the same factory.

[Octy09]

Skodas hold their value pretty well too, especially the Yeti.

Anyhow, Skoda must be doing something right because sales are at record levels and increasing every year.

The base Citigo seems to have the spec which you were talking about, however it's never going to be much cheaper than the Up because it's the same car built in the same factory.

Exactly. The Yeti represents far better value than a Golf or Tiguan - spec levels are far more generous on average. Same goes for the Octavia - so much better value than the equivalent Golf.

Skoda announced Citigo prices today. It'll start from £7630 for a basic model, 1.0 S three door.

• 1.0 S (3door) £7630 / Seat Mii 1.0 S = £7845 / VW Take Up 1.0 = £7995
  
• 1.0 S (5door) £7980
  
• 
  
• 1.0 SE (3door) £8530 / Seat Mii 1.0 SE = £9275 (with alloys) / VW Move Up 1.0 = £8970
  
• 1.0 SE (5door) £8880
  
• 
  
• 1.0 SE Green Tech (3door) £8890 / Seat Mii 1.0 Ecomotive = £9180 / VW Move Up 1.0 Bluemotion = £9330
  
• 1.0 SE Green Tech (5door) £9240
  
• 
  
• 1.0 60 Elegance Green Tech (3door) £9470
  
• 1.0 60 Elegance Green Tech (5door) £9820
  
• 
  
• 1.0 75 Elegance Green Tech (3door) £9860 / Seat Mii 1.0 Sport = £9980 / VW High Up 1.0 75 = £10390
  
• 1.0 75 Elegance Green Tech (5door) £10210
  

Interesting that Skoda have gone for 'Green Tech' labelling rather than Greenline. I think Green Tech sounds a bit tacky!

Anyway, S gets airbags, steel wheels, CD player, aux-in. SE models get Air Con, electric windows, remote locking, ESP. Elegance adds fogs, alloys, heated seats, heated mirrors, sat nav and bluetooth. So a 1.0 Elegance doesn't look like bad value at all at £9470. Certainly better value than the Up.

Edited 5 April, 2012 by Octy09

[RapidRonnie]

You can spec the "GreenTec" package on all Skoda's in CZ, rather than it being a standalone model, much like with the Yeti here in the UK (although I admit that is still called Greenline!)

Interesting that you can only have the Elegance with the Greentec package, but I think £10,210 looks pretty good value for that spec, 5 door, with Greentec.

[Octy09]

You can spec the "GreenTec" package on all Skoda's in CZ, rather than it being a standalone model, much like with the Yeti here in the UK (although I admit that is still called Greenline!)

Interesting that you can only have the Elegance with the Greentec package, but I think £10,210 looks pretty good value for that spec, 5 door, with Greentec.

It does indeed... specially when you consider that the equivalent Volkswagen High Up can't be had with the more economical engine.

[oldstan]

Hi

Been looking at the i10 as a second car,like to know what issues you have with it,waiting to see what the new skoda will be,looked at the vw,as others say should be £500 under vw,have to wait and see,looking forward to the del of the vrs,previous cars fiesta st wry etc etc.

Cheers Clive

Apologies for not checking back and replying...I'll send a PM.

[greenstripe]

Booked up a test drive for the Citigo on 20th May -my dealership are offering pre-launch test drives in which they calling a 'VIP event'. Mrs was quite taken with the VW Up after looking at one in the showroom -we didn't drive it though. I must say I was very impressed by the amount of space in the UP for such a small car -I'm 6" and I can sit in the back with the driver's seat adjusted for me whereas I can't get in the back of a Audi A1 3 door

[Matt Bodycombe]

Aparently Skoda are going to be pretty bullish with the pricing of the Citygo: it is only £400 cheaper than the Up as apparently VW thinks it will be how close a dealer is that will determine what badged version people will buy.

[CFB]

My daughter has booked a test drive for 23rd may.

I guess I should go along for moral support

[bilun777]

Aparently Skoda are going to be pretty bullish with the pricing of the Citygo: it is only £400 cheaper than the Up as apparently VW thinks it will be how close a dealer is that will determine what badged version people will buy.

Large multinational VW dealer 11 miles away.

Small friendly family run Skoda dealer 22 miles away.......and about £400 less.

No contest for us.

[Kiwibacon]

They're bloody morons. The local VW dealership are a bunch of scrote$. I wouldn't trust 'em as far as I can throw 'em. They sell my mate a brand new Passat and give him the wrong bloody car. Then they refuse to pay for the repair. Claiming the fault was self inflicted. Of course it was bloody elf inflicted. They gave him a bloody TDI when he bought a TSI! Took him three months and I reckon over 2000 quid to get rid of the bloody thing.

With matching licence plates and without badges, how the hell was he supposed to know? You don't open the hood on a brand new car to make sure they put the right engine in it, do you?

Wouldn't the rev counter redline and the general way they drive give you an idea?

Pretty mean trick to play though, I could imagine many non not so car savvy people not realising.

I had a recently opened VW dealership give me a 2007 Passat brochure just last month. Guess someone at head office mixed up the recycling and new brochures.

Edited 14 May, 2012 by Kiwibacon

[Matt Bodycombe]

@Dakks I don't think your friend would have been ripped off by the VW dealer deliberately as the TDI spec for spec is a dearer car than the TSI. But he must have been daft not to realise it straight away as the think would have a lower redline and a totally different power delivery as well as some clatter.

He could have easily got an exchange under consumer laws as the vehicle was not as described in the contract of sale.

[DaKKs_152]

Wouldn't the rev counter redline and the general way they drive give you an idea?

Pretty mean trick to play though, I could imagine many non not so car savvy people not realising.

I had a recently opened VW dealership give me a 2007 Passat brochure just last month. Guess someone at head office mixed up the recycling and new brochures.

@Dakks I don't think your friend would have been ripped off by the VW dealer deliberately as the TDI spec for spec is a dearer car than the TSI. But he must have been daft not to realise it straight away as the think would have a lower redline and a totally different power delivery as well as some clatter.

He could have easily got an exchange under consumer laws as the vehicle was not as described in the contract of sale.

They didn't try to rip him off, they were just bloody stupid. The cars are delivered with their plates in an envelope with the VIN number on it. Then when the buyer picks it up, they compare the VIN to the car and put on the plates. Only this time they messed up and put the wrong plates on the car. My mate drove 300 meters to the nearest gas station to fill it up and that's where he noticed that he had a TDI, instead of a TSI. I wouldn't say he's daft, but he knows jack $hit about cars.

The issue here was that VW claimed that the problem was self inflicted, that he filled the car up with the wrong fuel on purpose.