So is this Citroen C1 cute, or quirky? Or plain ugly? (+video)

Whilst we’ve been treated with a preview of Peugeot’s 108 city car, now its Citroen’s turn to show its C1 sibling, expected to debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next week.

Developed alongside the Peugeot 108 and the Toyota Aygo, the new Citroën C1 looks a lot more different than its predecessor with a striking front fascia encompassing a rather odd headlight configuration with big rounded lights. The rest of the car clearly mimics the new 108 and provides the vehicle with a more premium and cheeky appearance.

The 2014 Citroën C1 is 3.46 meters long, 1.62 meters wide and has a 4.8-meter turning circle. Just like its French counterpart, the C1 will be sold in three- and five-door variants as well as an open-top body style called the “Airscape”.

The interior of the New Citroën C1 is bright and airy with a colourful ambience. Designed with clean, structured lines, the dashboard features bright colours on the multimedia panel, air vent trim and gear lever base. The door panels also include body-coloured inserts.

The functional 196-litre boot is easy to access, with the parcel shelf folding away when the tailgate is opened. With the rear seats folded, boot capacity increases to 780 litres.

The New Citroën C1 also has a range of comfort features, such as automatic air conditioning, heated seats and, for the 3-door version, memory settings for the front seats.

The New Citroën C1 is loaded with easy-to-use technologies. It is available with a 7-inch Touch Drive Interface, grouping together all media functions such as radio, telephone, video player, on-board computer.

The New Citroën C1 is available with a choice of two 3-cylinder petrol engines; a 68hp 1.0-litre e-VTi 68 ‘Airdream’ engine mated with 5-speed manual gearbox and featuring Stop&Start technology and the 82hp 1.2-litre VTi petrol engine. The latter averages 4.3 l/100 km with 99g/km CO2 emissions. Torque is 118 Nm and 0-100kmh acceleration takes 11 seconds.

Compared with the previous-generation model, the New Citroën C1 features a rear axle that is 4 kg lighter, new suspension springs, new shock absorbers and a new large-diameter anti-roll bar. These changes improve both suspension comfort and road handling. It also comes with new electric power-steering and low rolling-resistance tyres that contribute towards strong braking and lower fuel-consumption.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPzzGTJ_YeA