Five years ago, we first met the identical triplets Volkswagen Up,
Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo.
It's now 2017 and the Skoda Citigo is undergoing its second update.
That's right. Less than a year ago the Citigo received its first update.
New headlights, a smartphone holder with an integrated app, which provides extra information about the car and satnav.
Also, it received a light- and rain sensor.
This time, the changes aren't very big either.
Again the headlights have been changed. It's also got a new grille and a new bumper.
Optionally, you can get mistlamps in the bumper, which can shine one way if you're cornering.
On the inside, there hasn't been a lot of change.
The interior still is as large as it was before, or as compact as it was.
The dashboard is business-like and clear now.
In that dashboard, the most notable differences are the changed fonts on the dials.
Also, it's got buttons on the steering wheel now.
Now you can use your telephone and the radio, without having to get your hands off the steering wheel.
That's always handy.
The measurements of the interior haven't changed either. I'm 1.98m myself and I'm perfectly fine in the front.
I've got enough space. In the rear, it's a whole different story.
I don't like to sit in the back here, because I don't really fit.
Even if you're shorter than me, it still isn't very royal.
If you take a Hyundai i10 for example, you get a few extra centimetres.
On the other hand, an Opel Karl is more cramped in the back.
So the Skoda is the middle way.
If we look further to the back, we arrive at the trunk.
It fits 250 litres, and that's very neat for a little groceries-car.
I could fit my groceries in there, and I've seen worse.
In a few other countries, Skoda supplies the Citigo with a 75 horsepower 3-cylinder engine.
Unfortunately, the Netherlands isn't amongst those countries.
We can choose between two engines. A normal petrol-engine producing 60 horsepower,
or a natural gas-version which produces 68 horsepower.
Right now we're driving the 60 horsepower one, and to be completely honest... It isn't very powerful.
That's something you notice immediately.
If you want to accelerate a little, you might have to shift back.
A nice feature about the engine however, is that the performance becomes available at relatively low revs.
It produces its maximum level of torque of 95 Nm, when you're driving at around 3.000 RPM,
and that's about the rev range you're driving in when you're travelling at 130 km/h.
And that's very comfortable. That way, every disadvantage has its advantage.
When we first got to drive the Citigo, five years ago, we were very enthusiastic about its chassis and the steering.
You do notice however that in those five years, the competition hasn't remained quiet.
The Citigo has remained the same, and that's not bad at all. But if we look at the Opel Karl,
a newcomer... I have to say it's got a more comfortable chassis. So that's a thing.
Skoda wouldn't be Skoda, if they wouldn't have filled the Citigo with little handy things.
Simply Clever they call it at Skoda.
That means an umbrella beneath the passenger seat, a little bin, a paper compartment...
Some hooks for your bags, including in the glove box handle.
And that's what makes this car funny.
What hasn't changed with the facelift, is the price of the Citigo.
It's still available from €11.690, and that makes it just a tad cheaper than its rivals.
Or brothers, or sisters, from Volkswagen and Seat,
which are a few hundred euro's more expensive.
Of course, you'll have to compare the equipment-packages what's the best choice for you,
but maybe just as important; which dealer is closer to you?