Hi all. Back in the Skoda family after quite a break. Previously had a Superb 1 and two Fabia 2s (1.6 TDi and VRs).

 

Just upgraded/downgraded from a 2018 W213 Metcedes E Class estate. Parking is so easy now!

 

I think I have done 700 miles in the first 10 days and so far averaging 54mpg according to the car. Best motorway run so far is 63mpg over 100 miles.

 

Car is March 17 with 20k miles, ex VAG lease car. I may be being picky but can perhaps hear some gearbox input/clutch noise. Annoyingly, the driver's internal door handle stopped working 3 days ago.

 

Main observation so far is how much more fun it is than the Merc I had. The engine does feel quite limited at times but it is better than a Fiat Panda I had. The main road nearest my house is pretty steep and demands a lot of 2nd gear to get up. The last car was a 195PS 9 speed automatic diesel and so it was really very highly geared (40+ mph/1000rpm in 9th). 5 gears and 19mph/1000rpm or so is such a difference and feels like a throwback to the 90s.

 

I have been driving very hard on quick A roads and cruising at 60 on the motorway. I do wonder if I should have bought the 95PS TSi but this was a purchase to get out of car finance.

 

All in all I am really happy 

The 95PS is a turbo engine and has about 60% more torque and a much flatter torque curve. Motoring journalists often say "get the turbo" as even if you don't always use the top end power, the turbo makes the engine a lot more flexible. Having more torque and a flatter torque curve enables you to pull higher gears and can therefore improve fuel economy.

 

Without the turbo, the engine could really do with being a 1.2 litre rather than a 1.0 litre. This would enable the engine to have the same top end power or slightly more, but have well over 20% more torque at low revs.

 

Peugeot have such an engine with their 1.2 litre PureTech engine. It produces 82PS, so about 10% more top end power, but the important thing is that it produces far more low end torque due to not only its 20% increase in engine capacity but its lower revving nature. Maximum torque comes in at just 2,750rpm and maximum power comes in at just 5,500rpm. So maximum torque comes in at just 50% of the revs of where maximum torque comes in.

 

VW/Skoda should go one better, and have a 1.2 litre petrol with its peak torque coming in at a low 2,500rpm and its peak power at a low 5,000rpm. You could then gear it at 20mph/1,000rpm and have 100mph at peak power and 50mph at peak torque. This gives not only the potential for excellent economy, but excellent driving pleasure. Nowadays, too much emphasis is put on peak power at the expense of low end driveability.

Edited 28 November, 20196 yr by Carlston

You will get some noise from the gearbox/clutch, it's a Citigo thing. The 1.0 non turbo engine does a good job in both the Fabia and the Citigo, you have to adapt your driving style to the shortage of power and use the gearbox a bit more than you would with the turbo engine. I had a 60bhp Fabia and was quite happy with the performance for our needs, mostly rural and town with the occasional motorway use. No turbo means one less thing to pack up.