Skoda Citigo e iV hatchback - Interior & comfort (2011-2020)

Inside, the Skoda Citigo e iV has a more spacious feel than its modest dimensions suggest. Its suspension provides a comfortable ride at most speeds, although the extra weight of the batteries does make itself felt on particularly poor road surfaces.

Skoda Citigo dashboard

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The Skoda Citigo e iV is very recognisably a VW Group product on the inside: quality is good and the design is simple and crisply laid out. The latest model has an updated dashboard with better instruments, a multifunction steering wheel and a new trim splash to mark it out as the electric model. Despite the updates, the fundamental design of the interior, which was drawn up in 2012, is starting to show its age.

Both SE and SE L models come with a ‘Swing’ radio system featuring a colour display, Bluetooth smartphone integration and DAB radio. There’s no CD player or sat nav; instead, Skoda supplies a dashboard-mounted docking station for a smartphone, and provides an iOS or Android app for navigation, music streaming and fuel-saving tips. Incorporating a touchscreen infotainment system would have meant a full redesign of the interior, which would have increased the car’s price.

Equipment

The low price of the entry-level Citigo e iV SE means you don't get much in the way of equipment, but the essentials are covered. It makes do with plastic wheel covers and black door mirror caps and handles, but it does feature climate control, remote central locking and the aforementioned DAB radio.

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The SE L adds extras such as heated front seats, ambient lighting and 16-inch alloy wheels. It also receives rear parking sensors, but cruise control remains an option - it’s standard on the SEAT Mii electric.

SE L versions are roughly the same price as the SEAT Mii electric and Volkswagen e-up!, but the entry-level SE undercuts these cars by about £2,500. If you can live without some of the creature comforts of the SE L, the Citigo e iV represents excellent value and undercuts similar electric cars.

In mid-2020, Skoda added remote voice control functionality to the Citigo e iV that can be operated by the Amazon Alexa personal assistant. Once the car is parked and plugged into a charging point, owners can check on the current charge status, and start or stop battery charging simply by asking their Alexa device. This connectivity is also available on the Superb iV plug-in hybrid and the forthcoming PHEV versions of the new Octavia.

Options

The Comfort Pack adds heated seats and parking sensors to the SE for a reasonable price of £400, so we can see this being a popular option. Gaining access to fast-chargers will cost you £720. On both SE and SE L models, you can also pick from extras such as a variable-height boot floor (£75), privacy glass (£70) and front fog lights with a cornering function (£120).