You might not know that Skoda offered an electric version of its popular Citigo small car. Introduced after the petrol model disappeared from sale in 2019, and based on the Volkswagen e-Up, it’s Skoda’s smallest electric model.
It’s also rare, having debuted in 2019 and disappeared just a year later, so your choice of used models is limited compared to the largely identical e-Up. It’s just as good to drive and live with though, even if the range no longer looks too impressive alongside newer EVs.
You can also add the SEAT Mii Electric to your shortlist alongside the Skoda and VW versions, while other small EVs to consider include the MINI Electric, Fiat 500 Electric, Honda E, the Renault Zoe, and the BMW i3.
Given the Citigo e iV’s relative rarity, it’s probably best to consider it an extension of an EV shopping list that also includes the Volkswagen e-Up and SEAT Mii Electric, its two near-identical cousins. If the right example of one of the three doesn’t come up, you can always move on to another.
And styling aside, you won’t find much different among the trio anyway. The five-door body is still surprisingly practical, with a fairly small boot (though no smaller than the petrol models) but more passenger space than you might expect, especially in the front. The dashboard design still feels fresh too despite being more than a decade old. There’s no infotainment screen, but that means no screen to go out of date - you just hook up your smartphone in a cradle instead.
While the claimed WLTP range of 161 miles will ultimately limit how far you’ll want to take the Citigo e iV (and real-world range will be less than that), in many ways the electric version is better to drive than its petrol equivalents. It’s quicker, the extra weight makes it feel more grown-up, and naturally it’s smoother and even easier to drive too. Plus, running costs should be very low indeed, and with it being such a simple car, it’s likely to be reliable in the long run too.
As well as the Volkswagen e-Up and SEAT Mii Electric, the Renault Zoe is well worth a look. They were popular when new and affordable today, and later variants have a much longer range than the Skoda. The MINI Electric and Honda E don’t go quite as far, but are probably two of the more stylish options in this class.
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You’ll be somewhat limited by what you can find for sale, as the Citigo e iV wasn’t on sale for as long as the Volkswagen e-Up, and that probably means you’ll be looking at the higher-spec SE L. You’d want the SE L anyway, as it gets desirable equipment like heated seats, alloy wheels, and rear parking sensors that the base model does away with, but more importantly, it came with Combined Charging System which allows access to public fast charging points.
Skoda offered the Citigo e iV in two trim levels, SE and SE L, though given the SE’s equipment level very much covers only the bare minimum, you’re likely to find more SE L versions for sale, which have a specification more in line with what small car buyers, and EV buyers in particular, expect.
The Skoda Citigo e iV’s dimensions are:
The Skoda Citigo e iV’s boot size is:
Like other electric vehicles, the Skoda Citigo e iV currently enjoys zero-rate VED, meaning no cost to tax the car each year. This is set to change in 2025, but the Skoda should still be cheaper to tax than petrol or diesel alternatives.
There’s no beating the petrol Skoda Citigo, which starts in insurance group 1 - but while the electric model’s group 11 rating sounds high in comparison, it should still be among the cheaper EVs to insure, being similar to its VW and SEAT siblings and sitting in a lower group than cars like the Renault Zoe.
Read our full Skoda Citigo e iV review