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Citroen C1 variants
Total price
Monthly payment

Finance representative example (PCP)

Total cash price £8,699. Borrowing £7,829 with a £870 deposit at a representative APR of 11.9%.

48 monthly payments
£156.15
Fixed interest rate
11.9%
Total amount payable
£11,247.31
Cost of credit
£2,548.31
Optional final payment
£2,882.00
Purchase fee
£10.00
Annual mileage limit
6000 miles

Citroen C1 buying guide

What Citroen C1 trim levels are there?

Touch kicks off the range, and is simple, essential transport. It includes front electric windows, central locking, LED daytime running lights, and a radio with a USB connection.

You’ll need to step up to at least Feel spec to get air con. It’s a more modern experience, with a touchscreen that features Bluetooth and DAB radio, and you also get split-folding rear seats, a height-adjustable driver’s seat and paint on the door handles.

Flair gets alloy wheels, chrome trim, heated door mirrors, a leather steering wheel, a reversing camera and even a rev counter. Feel and Flair became Sense and Shine in later years.

There are a number of C1 special editions, too. Furio gets black wheels, red mirror caps and side graphics. Flair Edition comes with a contrast-coloured roof, dark red interior trim, keyless entry and automatic lights. Then there’s the Urban Ride, with chunky wheel arch cladding, and the JCC+, which is a collaboration with a French fashion designer and boasts red, blue and yellow detailing.

Citroen C1 interior and technology

The Citroen C1 was always one of the cheapest new cars on sale, so it’s understandable that its interior feels built down to a price. There aren’t expensive-feeling touchpoints, and most C1s come with lots of dull grey plastic trim. A Volkswagen Up or Hyundai i10 will feel a little better built.

You do get some funky seat upholstery on selected versions, though. And the touchscreen fitted to the majority of C1s includes phone connectivity so you can call your mates or listen to your music while on the move.

Citroen C1 engine range explained

(Most popular) Citroen C1 1.0 VTi 72 petrol

More recent C1s only come with one engine choice – a 72hp 1.0-litre petrol engine. This is more than enough for driving around town, where the C1 is intended to spend most of its time. With a 0-62mph time of around 12.5 seconds and a 99mph top speed, the C1 can also handle the odd longer journey too. Because it’s so light, the C1 is very economical – it’s capable of up to 60mpg and will generally be cheap to run.

FAQs

This C1 was introduced in 2014 and remained on sale until 2022. It was available with three- or five doors, while some come with a fabric roof that Citroen calls Airscape.

The Citroen C1 is pretty small by modern car standards. It’s less than 3.5 metres long and little more than 1.6 metres wide – so it’s ideal if you have a small parking space or don’t need a big car. Its compact footprint means you shouldn’t expect limo-like space, but tall adults will feel squeezed in the back – and possibly in the front too. The boot space stands at 196 litres, which is a little more than you get in a Fiat 500 but not as much as a Kia Picanto.

The best engine for the Citroen C1 is the only one available – a 1.0-litre petrol engine with 72hp. It’s a fizzy little motor that’s perfectly suited to town life, but can also handle the occasional longer journey as well.

If you're after a cheap-to-buy, cheap-to-run small car with all the essentials and just a little bit of interior funkiness, the Citroen C1 is a good car. It's best suited to town driving but can manage longer journeys too, and it's just about big enough to squeeze in four adults and a few shopping bags.

The joy of a relatively basic car like the Citroen C1 means there's little to go wrong. The engine is fairly simple and well-proven, having been used in other city cars for a number of years. All used Citroen C1s from Motorpoint come with warranty cover included, or you can upgrade to an extended warranty for total peace of mind.

No, the Citroen C1 can't tow a trailer. Citroen doesn't give towing capacities for the C1, possibly because even a small trailer could overwhelm the dinky engine and brakes.

Yes, all Citroen C1s built since 2011 can use E10 petrol. If you're looking at a C1 that's older than this, the UK Government has an E10 checker website that shows you if your car is able to run on E10 fuel.

Yes, the Citroen C1 is a great first car choice. It's cheap to buy and running costs are kept in check with low insurance costs and inexpensive fill-ups. Most C1s come with air conditioning, a reversing camera and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto phone connectivity, leaving you cool, calm and connected.