New Citroen C1 sprouts up in Brussels

There has been plenty of pre-show hype about next week's extravaganza in Detroit but a bit closer to home, the Brussels Motor Show is also on and it is here that Citroen has chosen to launch the newest version of the C1 on January 10.

With a combined fuel economy of 65.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 99g/km for the manual and fuel economy of 62.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 104g/km for the variant with funky new paddleshifters, it is certainly one of the cleanest petrol-powered cars around. If you want to fang it F1-style, the paddles are on offer with a new gearbox, the efficient and responsive Electronic Gearbox System (EGS), which sounds to us like it could be an able competitor to Volkswagen's DSG - we'll have to get behind the wheel of one to test that theory.

Available as three-door and five-door, the C1 is just 3.44m long and has a teeny turning circle of 9.63m. The seats fold down so cargo space increase from 139 litres to 700 litres. Other nice touches include a new glass tailgate featuring the new Citroen chevron design, LED daytime running lights, a revised front end, new 14-inch wheel options, upgraded audio system and a vertical LED light signature. Drivers who go for the EGS will get a leather steering wheel and there's also Alcantara leather upholstery as a rather plush option for an entry-level compact car.

For the launch, there is a special colour on offer, Botticelli blue, which is also available on the DS3 and C4 Aircross models. Safety features include ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, traction control and Isofix anchorage points.

UK pricing has not yet been released but it will be on sale from April.

www.citroen.co.uk



New Botticelli blue















New alloy wheel design



New LED driving lights 





By Georgia Lewis

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