Five great options
Cities can be stressful places to have to drive around, so whether you live in one or regularly venture into one in your car, you want to do everything you can to take the hassle out.
Though defined ‘city cars’ make a lot of sense, these compact models don’t suit everyone, so larger models might want to be considered too, depending on your circumstances. Here are five great options.
PEUGEOT e-208
Electric cars make a fantastic deal of sense around the city, as they contribute little pollution to these built-up areas. If you’re wanting to choose something relatively compact, PEUGEOTs e-208 is a great option.
It’s one of the smallest superminis on the market, and incredibly easy to drive and park down narrow streets. With particularly bold styling, the e-208 will stand out on the crowded roads, while standard equipment levels are plentiful – including climate control, LED headlights and electric folding mirrors. Plus, with an electric range of up to 225 miles, there’s plenty of scope for a longer journey if you want to escape the city.
Volkswagen Up!
Though the Volkswagen Up! might have been on sale for a number of years, it remains an excellent city car option. Available with a choice of three- and five doors, the Up! is ideal thanks to its compact size – it measures just 3.6m in length.
The Up! is a very easy car to drive too, with light steering and great visibility making it a breeze. It remains one of the most eye-catching city cars on the market too, with its small petrol engines being very frugal and also placing this VW in some of the lowest insurance groups. An electric e-Up! is also offered to those wanting an EV, offering an electric range of up to 160 miles from a charge.
SEAT Ibiza
Just because you want a small car, it doesn’t mean you don’t need plenty of space. So if you want a more practical supermini, a solid option is the SEAT Ibiza. With its 355-litre boot and plenty of rear seat space, it offers levels of roominess you’d only normally get from the class above.
The Ibiza is also good to drive, with a range of well-rounded engines on offer delivering in both the performance and efficiency stakes. As with all Seats, standard equipment levels are generous, with even the basic SE models getting a digital dial display, eight-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone mirroring and LED headlights.
Range Rover Evoque
Choosing an SUV to use around the city might seem an unusual choice, but these high-riding models are a particularly popular choice in urban areas. As the smallest model in the Range Rover line-up, the Evoque is best suited to city life, while still giving drivers a great view of the road. It’s a rather practical choice too, and ideal for a family.
Available with a ‘Clear View’ rear mirror to enhance visibility and a 360-degree camera system, it’s packed with technology to take the stress out of driving around the city. A plug-in hybrid P300e model is also ideal for city drivers, with a claimed electric range of 39 miles.
Audi A1
As Audi’s most compact model, the A1 is brilliantly suited to life around the city. Like the SEAT Ibiza, it’s relatively small in size, but very roomy inside, having room in the back for adults to sit comfortably, as well as a 335-litre boot.
Getting a particularly well-built and upmarket interior for a small car, the A1 also offers that premium image that you get with all Audis, but at a more affordable price here. Also boasting very slow depreciation, the A1 is a great option to use around the city.