This heavily disguised car is the replacement for the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1 models.
The trio of city cars was originally developed as a joint venture and will be built in the Czech Republic. Current versions were launched in 2005 and facelifted again last year. These replacements are expected to appear in 2014.
Styling of the original models partly reflected the distinctive engineering (including a single-piece glass tailgate and rear windows that did not wind down), which made the car cheap and simple to build.
However, the new models will be less ‘rational’ in their appearance, exploiting the ‘cute’ styling pioneered by the Mini and Fiat 500. They will also feature more chrome than today’s versions.
The quality of the interior finish will also be improved, and the dashboard design is said to have more character than the new Volkswagen Up, which is now this trio’s closest rival.
The three-cylinder engine will be retained, albeit in significantly updated form. The current engine is already known to be impressively frugal, so improved refinement is the most pressing concern.
In 2012, the cars’ seventh year on sale, PSA Peugeot-Citroën shifted a combined total of 141,000 C1s and 107s, making them vital models for the group, especially in a sector that is still expanding.
