Skoda Citigo scores 5 stars at Euro NCAP

The Citigo which is a rebadged Volkswagen up!, is the VW group’s take on a mini urban runabout. The Skoda Citigo is designed to be an affordable hatchback globally, but in India it will be priced a notch below the VW up! from its parent brand. But the VW group has not used the budget factor as an excuse to compromise on the safety front of their new small car.

The Skoda Citigo has recently been given a five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP, that rates the crash worthiness of new cars under different situations. Five stars is the maximum rating a car can score at the Euro NCAP. The overall safety aspects of the Citigo include passenger, infant and pedestrian protection. 

The Citigo was subjected to front, side and pole impact collisions. The head-thorax airbags, seat belt reminders for all seats, City Safe Drive features along with other passive safety features have made the Citigo a very safe car. The car also scored high marks in the whiplash test which measures strain on the upper cervical spine caused by a rear end collision. 

“This excellent five-star rating confirms the Citigo’s high level of safety,” said Škoda board member in charge of technical development Eckhard Scholz. “The development team has done outstanding work and it has proved that affordable, yet uncompromising safety is achievable even in the city car segment. The award by Euro NCAP is deserved praise for this great dedication.”

All three cars built on the same platform, namely the VW up!, Skoda Citigo and the Seat Mii will score the same Euro NCAP safety rating. Judging by cost constraints in India, the base models are not likely to have features such as City Safe Drive and the head-thorax airbags. 

The Volkswagen up! which should be undergoing testing for Indian conditions. Will be on the stands at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi.