2014 Citroen C1 revealed ahead of Geneva Motor Show

Citroen has revealed pictures of its C1 city car ahead of its debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show – and it competes with the likes of the Renault Twingo, Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo for the crown of quirkiest small car of the show.

Citroen

Citroen says the new C1 features “more design”, which, although sounding a bit cringe-inducing, does signify how much the new car has changed over the outgoing model we first saw in 2005.

Impressive efficiency figures are the result of “innovative technologies” says Citroen, as well as weight saving

At 3.46m long, the 2014 Citroen C1 is 15cm longer than its predecessor. The French manufacturer says it’s roomier than before, and able to carry four adults in comfort. It’s available in three- or five-door body styles, and has a decent boot capacity of 196 litres (rising to 750 litres with the rear seats folded down).

Like the previous model, the new Citroen C1 retains a cheeky character emphasised by the two-part headlamps and vertical LED daytime running lights. Citroen is offering a large range of colours for its new C1, including a number of bi-tone options. Ideal for its target audience who want the personalised look.

One of the coolest things (literally) about the 2014 C1 is the introduction of the ‘Airscape’ soft-top version. Without being a full convertible, Citroen says the Airscape “creates a sense of escape”, by having an 80cm x 76cm electric opening canvas roof.

Buyers of the 2014 Citroen C1 will get a choice of two petrol engines – both highly efficient, with the 83hp 3-cylinder 1.2-litre VTi engine returning 65mpg and emitting 99g/km CO2. These impressive figures are the result of innovative technologies says Citroen, as well as weight saving – tipping the scales at 840kg.

The optional clutchless Efficient Tronic Gearbox (ETG) will also help fuel consumption, thanks to its creep function and optimised pedal mapping.

Citroen hasn’t confirmed figures for the 68hp e-VTi engine, but mated with a 5-speed gearbox and featuring stop/start with a special aerodynamics pack, we predict it will comfortably exceed 70mpg.

Citroen

So we’ve gathered that technology will help the Citroen C1’s emissions, but what else is the city car packed with?

Most buyers will like the C1 just for its oddball looks

For a start, there’s the 7-inch Touch Drive Interface that acts as a radio, telephone, video player and on-board computer – as well as a rear view camera, making reverse parking a little easier in congested urban areas.

The infotainment system can also work with a range of compatible apps, such as navigation and online radio stations. Content such as music can also be loaded off a smartphone through the car’s USB port and stored on the multimedia hard drive.

There are also luxuries such as heated seats and air conditioning.

Despite strong competition from the likes of the Volkswagen Up!, Citroen has sold 760,000 of the outgoing C1s over the last nine years, and the new one is sure to prove popular with traditional C1 buyers.

However, competition is extremely strong with rival French company Renault unveiling its Twingo at Geneva. Compared with the rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive Twingo, the C1 isn’t exactly revolutionary with its traditional front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout – but most buyers will like it just for its oddball looks.

And, like the previous Citroen C1, it’ll be sharing its platform with the Toyota Aygo and Peugeot 108.

How much will the new Citroen C1 cost? Prices are yet to be confirmed, but with the outgoing model starting at £8,095, the brand will be shooting itself in the foot if it’s much more expensive than that.

Deliveries are expected to start in the UK later this year.

On Bing: see pictures of the 2014 Citroen C1
Find out how much a used Citroen C1 costs on Auto Trader
2014 Geneva Motor Show preview

By Andrew Brady, contributor, MSN Cars