Citroën Ami

Is tiny Citroën the future of urban motoring or a G-Wiz reborn in funkier wrapping?

MODEL TESTED COLOUR

Price £8095

Power 8bhp

Torque 29lb-ft

0-60mph na

30-70mph na

Economy 7.1mpkWh

CO₂ emissions Og/km

70-Omph na

We like

• Compact dimensions
• Minuscule turning circle 
• Minimalist design and construction

We don't like

• Shonky ride quality
• Visibility is poor in bad conditions
• The Ami feels incredibly perilous outside its comfort zones

As modern motoring diverges from the old norm of big traditional car makers making big traditional cars, we see this now and again: someone branching out here and there with something novel, taking a chance, a rare bet, a delve into 'mobility'.

What do, if we look back sufficiently far, the Sinclair C5, BMW C1 scooter, Reva G-Wiz and Renault Twizy all have in common? That's right: they're not offered here any more, and their manufacturers or importers don't offer anything like them, either.

So a prolonged first run and a commissioned second series is not a given as we welcome the latest entrant into an uncrowded field, the Citroën Ami.

The idea was first shown as the Ami One concept at the 2019 Geneva motor show, gently rolling around the show stand itself, this cube on (relatively) huge wheels but with an interior straight out of the Transport for London design book, with blocky materials in light grey, highlighted in blue, orange or more grey (as here).

Like all concepts from big manufacturers, it was so well finished that even though it was basic, it screamed luxury like a concrete-walled bar.