Citroën C1
Encyclopedia
The Citroën C1 is a city car
produced by the French
manufacturer Citroën
since 2005.
The C1 was developed as part of the B-Zero
project by PSA Peugeot Citroën
in a joint-venture with Toyota. The Peugeot 107
is identical to the C1 other than the front bumper and front and rear lights, while the Toyota Aygo
is slightly more differentiated but still obviously similar. All of them are built at the new facilities of the TPCA joint-venture (Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile) in the city of Kolín
, Czech Republic
. The project was presented for the first time at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show
. The cars are 4-seater, 3 or 5-door hatchback
s measuring 3.4 metres (133.9 in) in length. The body was designed by Donato Coco
.
A notable feature of the 5-door C1 and 107, though not the Aygo, is the large tail light cluster, which extends from the edge of the rear doors to the rear window, meaning there is no external metal "C-pillar
".
The C1 is powered by a 1.0 L 3-cylinder engine, which has a fuel economy of 61.4 mpg (UK gallons EU method; 4.6 L/100 km EU method; ca 43.4 mpg US with US method). A 1.4 L 4-cylinder HDI diesel engine which has a fuel economy of 68.9 mpg (UK gallons EU method; 4.1 L/100 km EU method; ca 48.8 mpg US with US method) is also available.
According to the German magazine, Der Spiegel
, the C1 is the production car with the second-best fuel economy both among petrol engines (after the Toyota Prius
) and among diesel engines (after the Smart ForTwo
). The newly released Toyota IQ
concept car uses petrol and has superior fuel economy.
In January 2010, PSA Peugeot Citroën announced that it is recalling "under 100,000 units" of the C1 and the Peugeot 107, following the worldwide recall
by Toyota for a faulty sticking accelerator pedal - in which the Aygo is affected. Under certain circumstances, the pedal can stick in a partially depressed position, or return slowly to the off position.
In January 2009, the C1 was facelifted at the same time as the Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo. The New C1 features a new front bumper incorporating a new grille, in-keeping with Citroen's family look. Trim levels were also refreshed - basic Vibe models became 'VT', and Rhythm became 'VTR'. Seat fabrics and ventilation controls were also changed, and all models received colour-coded front bumpers and new wheel trims. A special-edition 'Splash' was available at launch, though this was a strictly limited edition. It featured Air Conditioning and was available in Electra Blue or Lipizan White. The blue car came with white door mirrors, whilst the white car came with glossy black door mirrors. Engines remained the same, but tweaks mean the 1.0 petrol now emits just 106 g/km of and reportedly able to achieve 72 mpgimp fuel consumption. The 1.4 HDi diesel engine remains unchanged, again only available in the higher specification. Three new colours were also added to the line-up.
In Portugal is offered a commercial van version called the Entreprise, equipped with the 1.4L diesel engine and available only in the 3-door body, for urban use. Its 107 sibling also offers an identical version.
In the United Kingdom the Electric Car Corporation
has been selling an electric car
based on the C1, called the Citroën C1 ev'ie
since 30 April 2009. Its list price on that date was £16,850 ($24,989 US), "double the cost of the petrol version".
in May 2010 placed the Citroën C1 (which the data grouped with the Peugeot 107
and Toyota Aygo
) at the top of the sub-small car class in respect of the low break-down rates achieved for cars aged between 1 and 4 years. Class laggards were the Chevrolet Matiz (0 - 3 year old cars) and the two seater Smart
(4 - 5 year old cars).
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
produced by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
manufacturer Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
since 2005.
The C1 was developed as part of the B-Zero
B-Zero
The B-Zero project was a joint venture between PSA Peugeot Citroën and Toyota to develop a small city car. The project produced three similar cars:*Citroën C1*Peugeot 107*Toyota Aygo, which includes photos....
project by PSA Peugeot Citroën
PSA Peugeot Citroën
PSA Peugeot Citroën is a French manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot and Citroën marques. Headquartered in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, PSA is the second largest automaker based in Europe and the number eight in the world.-History:In December 1974 Peugeot S.A....
in a joint-venture with Toyota. The Peugeot 107
Peugeot 107
The Peugeot 107 is a city car produced by French automaker Peugeot since mid 2005.The 107 was developed by the B-Zero project of PSA Peugeot Citroën in a joint-venture with Toyota; the Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo are badge engineered versions of the same car, although the Aygo has more detail...
is identical to the C1 other than the front bumper and front and rear lights, while the Toyota Aygo
Toyota Aygo
The Toyota Aygo is a city car sold by Toyota in Europe since 2005. All Aygos are built at the new factory of the Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech joint venture in Kolin, Czech Republic. The Aygo was first displayed at the 2005 Salon de l'Automobile de Genève...
is slightly more differentiated but still obviously similar. All of them are built at the new facilities of the TPCA joint-venture (Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile) in the city of Kolín
Kolín
Kolín is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic some east from Prague, lying on the Elbe river.-History:Kolín was founded by king Přemysl Otakar II in the 13th century, first mentioned in 1261. Later on, 1437, a castle was founded here...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The project was presented for the first time at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show
Salon International de l'Auto
The International Geneva Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Geneva Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport...
. The cars are 4-seater, 3 or 5-door hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
s measuring 3.4 metres (133.9 in) in length. The body was designed by Donato Coco
Donato Coco
-References:...
.
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
".
The C1 is powered by a 1.0 L 3-cylinder engine, which has a fuel economy of 61.4 mpg (UK gallons EU method; 4.6 L/100 km EU method; ca 43.4 mpg US with US method). A 1.4 L 4-cylinder HDI diesel engine which has a fuel economy of 68.9 mpg (UK gallons EU method; 4.1 L/100 km EU method; ca 48.8 mpg US with US method) is also available.
According to the German magazine, Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
, the C1 is the production car with the second-best fuel economy both among petrol engines (after the Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
) and among diesel engines (after the Smart ForTwo
Smart Fortwo
The Smart Fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater city car manufactured by Smart GmbH, introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as the Smart City Coupé, and currently in its second generation...
). The newly released Toyota IQ
Toyota iQ
The Toyota iQ is a city car introduced at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, with Japanese sales having begun in October 2008 and European sales in January 2009. The production iQ followed a concept vehicle presented at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. A North American version of the iQ, branded as the Scion...
concept car uses petrol and has superior fuel economy.
In January 2010, PSA Peugeot Citroën announced that it is recalling "under 100,000 units" of the C1 and the Peugeot 107, following the worldwide recall
2009–2010 Toyota vehicle recalls
Three separate but related recalls of automobiles by Toyota Motor Corporation occurred at the end of 2009 and start of 2010. Toyota initiated the recalls, the first two with the assistance of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , after reports that several vehicles experienced...
by Toyota for a faulty sticking accelerator pedal - in which the Aygo is affected. Under certain circumstances, the pedal can stick in a partially depressed position, or return slowly to the off position.
Engines
| Petrol engine | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Engine | Displacement | Power | Torque | 0–100 km/h,s | Top speed | Note | emission (g/km) |
| 1.0i 12V | I3 Straight-3 A straight-three engine, also known as inline-three engine, or a triple, is a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with three cylinders arranged in a straight line or plane, side by side.... |
998 cc | 68 PS @6000 rpm | 93 newton metre @3600 rpm | 13.7 | 98 mph (157.7 km/h) | 106 | |
| Diesel engine | ||||||||
| Model | Engine | Displacement | Power | Torque | 0–100 km/h,s | Top speed | Note | emission (g/km) |
| 1.4HDi 8V Ford DLD engine The Ford DLD engine is an automobile engine family - a group of compact straight-4 Diesel engines developed jointly by Ford Motor Company and the PSA Group . The Ford/PSA joint-venture for the production of the DLD was announced in September, 1998... |
I4 | 1398 cc | 55 PS @4000 rpm | 130 newton metre @1750 rpm | 15.6 | 96 mph (154.5 km/h) | 109 | |
Trim range UK
- The Vibe, 3 door or 5 door, this was the basic model and the cheapest. Only available with the 1.0i engine.
- The Rhythm, 3 door or 5 door, this trim added remote central locking, colour coded wing mirrors, two side airbags and an engine rev counter. The 1.4 HDi diesel and the 1.0i petrol engines were both available with this trim.
- The Code, available in both 3 or 5 door and with the 1.4 HDi engine, added to the Rhythm specification by including 14 inch alloy wheels, half leather trimmed seats, chrome interior trim inserts and glove box cover.
Special editions (UK)
- The Cool - based on the Vibe, adding Air Conditioning and blue seat fabrics/dashboard inserts, available in Lipizan White or Damas Blue.
- The Airplay - based on the Rhythm, adding full iPod connectivity, iPod cradle, a 4 GB iPod Nano and coloured dashboard inserts and door pulls. Early models were available with bright, swirling decals. This model was originally revealed at the 2006 British International Motor Show.
2009 facelift and revisions
Additional versions
Designer Franco Sbarro created an extreme C1, called the C1 GT, a design concept that follows the same theme of his previous Xsara Picasso Concept. The extreme bodywork feature very wide wheels and gullwing doors, alongside a modified 1.6L 125 PS engine from the C2VTR and C4 WRC rallycar brakes. Its said to have reached over 130 mi/h.In Portugal is offered a commercial van version called the Entreprise, equipped with the 1.4L diesel engine and available only in the 3-door body, for urban use. Its 107 sibling also offers an identical version.
In the United Kingdom the Electric Car Corporation
Electric Car Corporation
The Electric Car Corporation plc is an electric car manufacturer and dealer based in Mayfair, London with an assembly plant in Flitwick, Bedfordshire. It makes and sells the Citroën C1 ev'ie, an electric car adapted from the Citroën C1...
has been selling an electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
based on the C1, called the Citroën C1 ev'ie
Citroën C1 ev'ie
The Citroën C1 ev'ie is an electric car conversion from a standard Citroën C1 by the Electric Car Corporation. The model was first released on 30 April 2009, with a 2010 list price of £19,860 this makes the C1 ev'ie a competitively priced electric car.The Citroën C1 ev'ie's body and fittings are...
since 30 April 2009. Its list price on that date was £16,850 ($24,989 US), "double the cost of the petrol version".
Reliability
Breakdown statistics reported by the German Automobile ClubADAC
The ADAC is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010. It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" and was renamed in 1911...
in May 2010 placed the Citroën C1 (which the data grouped with the Peugeot 107
Peugeot 107
The Peugeot 107 is a city car produced by French automaker Peugeot since mid 2005.The 107 was developed by the B-Zero project of PSA Peugeot Citroën in a joint-venture with Toyota; the Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo are badge engineered versions of the same car, although the Aygo has more detail...
and Toyota Aygo
Toyota Aygo
The Toyota Aygo is a city car sold by Toyota in Europe since 2005. All Aygos are built at the new factory of the Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech joint venture in Kolin, Czech Republic. The Aygo was first displayed at the 2005 Salon de l'Automobile de Genève...
) at the top of the sub-small car class in respect of the low break-down rates achieved for cars aged between 1 and 4 years. Class laggards were the Chevrolet Matiz (0 - 3 year old cars) and the two seater Smart
Smart Fortwo
The Smart Fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater city car manufactured by Smart GmbH, introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as the Smart City Coupé, and currently in its second generation...
(4 - 5 year old cars).