An iPod is undoubtedly the thing to have amongst today’s trendy urbanites. Citroen hope that the ‘Airplay’ special edition will help their C1 assume similar status. Steve Walker reports…
Anyone between the ages of 16 and 25 who is not in possession of an iPod might as well give up all pretence of being ‘hip’ or ‘with-it’ and start wearing socks with their sandals right now. The slimline white, black or multicoloured boxes with their accompanying earplug headphones have become the essential accessory to fashionable modern life. It’s not as if they’re difficult to get hold of either and buying one is very much a last resort. There hardly seems to be a competition or promotional offer going these days that doesn’t promise a free iPod of some description. From Kentucky Fried Chicken to the Ministry of Defence, there’s barely a company or organisation out there that hasn’t attempted to woo the public by dishing out Apple’s eminently covetable little MP3 player. It was never going to be long before car makers like Citroen got in on the act.
Citroen have some good products in their range and others that even border on the excellent but, crucially, they also have a masterful marketing department. From the legendary cashback deals on new vehicles to the famous dancing robot TV advertisements, the French firm really know how to make the most of what they’ve got. This is why it was only a matter of time before we got to see something along the lines of the Citroen C1 Airplay special edition. Yes, the Citroen with free iPod has arrived.
Now, you can see the appeal behind a mobile phone, a flat-packed chest of draws or a chicken fillet burger with the opportunity to claim a free iPod: even competitions where the first five correct callers win one. None of these require a personal investment that could be considered significantly more valuable than the iPod itself but the Citroen C1 Airplay is a £7,595 car. Are Citroen going to generate a stampede of would-be customers with a free gift worth less than 2.5% of the product’s list price? Luckily, there’s more to the C1 Airplay package than the free iPod.
"…the main reason why buyers should be attracted to the C1 Airplay is that the Citroen C1 is such a thoroughly competent little citycar…"
What you actually get is a one gigabyte black iPod Nano plus an integrated docking station that allows you to rest the iPod at eye-level on the dash and play your vast library of music through the car’s above average stereo system. In addition, Citroen are throwing in remote central locking and front electric windows, neither of which feature on the 1.0-litre Vibe model that the Airplay is based on. The special edition also comes with either red or ‘chrome’ interior trim. Normally, the Citroen Airplay would be £500 more expensive than the Vibe, which seems reasonable given the extras thrown in, but Citroen being Citroen, they’re offering cashback deals that render the Airplay £300 cheaper than its more sparsely equipped and iPod-less relation.
For another £70, buyers can also opt for a set of exclusive Airplay decals that adorn the hindquarters of the vehicle. The red and black graphics spell out in no uncertain terms that you’ve got an iPod on board in the same way that the white headphone wire snaking from inside your jacket does when you’re out and about. This may be great for your street credibility but it may not be the best idea from a personal security point of view.
All iPods aside, the main reason why buyers should be attracted to the C1 Airplay is that the Citroen C1 is such a thoroughly competent little citycar. Citroen may have the magic touch when it comes to marketing but the C1 stands up to scrutiny even when the promotional smoke and mirrors are stripped away. The Airplay is available in three or five-door form powered by the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine.
It’s a surprisingly vocal powerplant given its size and although the performance is far from stellar, the feisty engine note gives you plenty of encouragement to explore the upper reaches of the rev range. When you do, the 0-60mph sprint can be covered in 13.7 seconds and there’s a 98mph maximum but this isn’t really the point. Although the car is brisk enough off the line and up to 30mph or so, the engine’s standout feature is its 61mpg combined cycle fuel economy. Both the economy and the performance are helped significantly by the C1’s modest kerbweight and the 109g/km CO2 emissions aren’t bad either.
Once, paying bottom dollar for a small runabout meant you slammed the door gingerly and operated the controls with a degree of caution because you expected things to drop off but the C1 and its brethren have a level of build integrity that really does inspire confidence. You can see where corners have been cut to keep the price down. There’s only one strut to support the boot lid, one piece of string that lifts the parcel shelf and basic equipment levels are, well, basic. In this car though, none of it seems to matter. The money-saving innovations are clever and almost endearing rather than cheap and annoying.
The features you need to get the most from the car day to day work well. The dash layout is neat and modern, the controls are simple and thought has obviously been given to the provision of useful storage space. The C1 offers outstanding rear legroom considering its dimensions and there’s a reasonable amount of boot space behind. The car is extremely light with a kerb weight of under 900kg and this translates into handling that’s lively and fun, although strong winds tend to give it a bit of a buffeting.
Good citycars need to be compact, cheap and economical but it also helps if they’re cute and trendy as well. Citroen’s C1 manages to fulfil the urban runabout brief as comprehensively as anything out there at the moment and the Airplay special edition gives it even more gravitas with its iPod generation target market. There are cheaper ways to get hold of a free iPod but unless you enjoy using premium rate phone lines or you’re addicted to fried chicken, few are as rewarding as the Citroen C1 Airplay.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: Citroen C1 Airplay+
PRICES: £7,595-£7,945 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 1
CO2 EMISSIONS: 109g/km
PERFORMANCE: Top Speed 98mph / 0-60mph 13.7s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 51.4mpg / (extra urban) 68.9mpg / (combined) 61.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/width/height 3435/1630/1465mm