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For many years, City cars have contributed a lot of sales to various manufacturers all around the world. The city car design shows little cars that are great for the city in busy traffic and tight parking spaces. The majority of city vehicles come as good fun for the whole family and can perform well. Many companies from around the world have city cars available in their line up such as Ford with the KA and the Toyota brand with vehicles such as the Yaris and the Aygo. A lot of city cars benefit from great emissions,fuel consumption and an all round comfortable driving experience. In our report today we are taking a look into some of the best all round city cars you could ever wish to known that are on the market right now.

 

The list of city cars we will provide are in no particular order but they are certainly five of the best available to purchase right now. City cars in different countries are sometimes known under other names such as Supermini,Subcompact and in Japan the vehicle style is known as Kei car which means a light automobile. The Japanese consider the term city car to be incorrect for their country as the majority of Japan is city. They view this as a normal car for their country. The sales of city cars began just before the fifties and vehicles such as the Austin 7 and the Fiat 500 were a part of these sales. The style of vehicle really took off over in Japan though with the introductions of city cars by Daihatsu ,Mitsubishi and Subaru. Ever since then the demand for city cars has been nothing short of amazing. With many manufacturers offering these certain vehicle styles, competition from all companies around the world rapidly began to rise and now we see more of these vehicles being produced than ever before.

 

The five best city cars on offer around the world

 

So what top five vehicles have found their way into this list that help define the city car range and make them something special all the way around the world ?. Well many manufacturers are represented here ranging from Hyundai to Fiat. So why not start with one of the brands that started it all on the city car market..Fiat.

 

First of all we take a look into the Fiat Panda Hatchback model. The original Fiat Panda was introduced to the world back in 1980 and has since proven to be one of the biggest money makers for the Italian manufacturer. With the second generation of Panda launching in 2003 it achieved much success and was awarded the European car of the year award just a year later in 2004. 10.5 million units of the Panda have been sold on a global scale and 4.5 million of these sales contributed to the first generation of models. The latest generation of Panda hatchback models come from 2012 and this latest addition to the range is much bigger than previous models and a large boot and more storage locations are included with the 2012 model.

 

Not only is the Panda Hatchback good value for money, it also offers four unique trims to choose from. The different variations carry more additional pieces of kit than the last. So if you choose to opt for the entry level trim you can expect to receive 14 inch steel wheels,electric windows,MP3 compatibility and a CD player too. Other pieces of equipment that come along with the higher up trims include : alloy wheels,heated door mirrors,front fog lights,15 inch alloy wheels and a traction plus system. Prices for a brand new version of the 2012 Panda hatchback begin at £9,095 and range upwards to a total of £13,795 for the top spec version.

Fiat Panda Shortfall

 

 

Another great city car to make it onto our list today is the Mii city car from Spanish car maker Seat.

 

The Seat Mii has been compared in the past to the UP! Model from Volkswagen and the Citigo from Czech firm Skoda. Not only is the car small enough to be a good all rounder for the city, it also benefits from some good overall looks too. The car features the design of swept back headlights, a revamped set of tail lights and the choice of either a three door body style of five door. The vehicle itself measures just 3.5 meters in total. The Seat brand are famous for vehicle additions such as the Leon and the Ibiza and you certainly see some of their features make an entrance with the Mii. Oversized headlights, a narrow grille and a glass tailgate demonstrate this well. Unfortunately there is only one engine choice to choose from. This is a 1.0 litre, three cylinder. In total we see 59 units of brake horse power developed from this engine. This could be seen as a good or bad move depending which way you look at it. This engine is good though for a city car so we see no reason why you would really need a bigger engine for the Mii.

 

Different trim levels are available for the Mii too which pack in some added pieces of equipment that could very well be determined as some key selling points. With the entry level model we see 14 inch alloy wheels,tinted glass,electric windows and air conditioning all as standard. As the trim levels climb higher, we see other features such as lowered suspension,bigger wheels, a sat nav system,SD card compatibility and Bluetooth connectivity also. Prices for the Seat Mii range begin at £8,060 for the entry level model.

Seat Mii Shortfall

 

 

 

 

 

Next on our list is the Citigo city car from the Skoda brand. Not only is this vehicle good for those journeys around the town it also benefits from much interior space. It has been said that this vehicle is just as spacious as the Volkswagen UP!, also good value for money too. The Skoda Citigo was officially voted by autocar as the 2013 best city car. It is great to see how far the Skoda company have come over the years. Many years ago they were not one of the best brands available but today all that has certainly changed. Engine wise there is not much to choose from. The Citigo only comes fitted with one engine line up. This is a 1.0 litre,three cylinder. Power development from the engines range from 59 to 79 brake horse power. Much like our other two additions in this list do, the Citigo benefits from different spec levels. Entry level features consist of plastic covered 14 inch, steel wheels, black alloy wheels for the sports version which are also joined by racing stripes. The 'Elegance' spec sees the additions of 14 inch alloy wheels, front fog lights,new door mirrors and handles also.

 

The purchase price on the Skoda Citigo ranges from different trim levels. The entry level price for the Citigo comes in at £8,210 with prices for the highest spec model rising to £11,045.

Skoda Citigo Shortfall

 

 

Our next addition to the city car collection is the up!model from German manufacturer Volkswagen. The very first Volkswagen Up city car was introduced around the world in 2011. They are often compared to the Skoda Citigo and the Seat Mii mainly because they are the same vehicle with modifications made to the front and rear of the vehicle. All three of the cars are also manufactured in the same factory. The Up is made available in a choice of a three door layout or five door with a five or six speed transmission system also made available. The Up is often seen as a top contending rival for the 500 model from Italian brand Fiat and it also shares nearly the same dimensions in width and height as that of the 500. Diesel engines have never been made available for the Up with just petrol engines going on offer. The range of petrol engines for the Up include 1.0 litre, three cylinder's which put out different power outputs. Added pieces of kit to come along with the vehicle depend entirely on which trim level you choose at the time of purchase. For example, we see the entry level addition benefit from Isofix seat belts and a CD player. Mid range level models benefit from split folding rear seats and the range topping 'High-UP!' receives heated seats for the front of the car,15 inch alloy wheels,front fog lights and a built in, touch screen sat nav system. A special edition of the Up is also available and we see some luxurious alterations to this addition including 16 inch alloys,a touch screen infotainment system and a bonnet stripe. Prices for the latest UP range begin at £8,635 with the price range rising to £13,325 for the top spec model.

Volkswagen UP! Shortfall

 

 

 

 

 

Last but not least...The Hyundai i10 :

Perhaps the very best city car available on the market right now, the i10 from Hyundai which was originally put on sale with the first generation model back in 2008, has proven to be one of the best all round city cars available on the market today. It has brought in big sales records for the South Korean manufacturer and has locked horns in the past with other big city cars stated on our list. Now currently in the cars second life cycle, both generations of this car have proven to be all as vital as the last. The second generation of the vehicle is the more refreshed and updated version. So we will today have a look into just what it is that is making the second generation i10 model a key ingredient into the success of the manufacturer. Power and performance wise, we see that the latest i10 model is made available with two engine ranges on offer. The first consists of a 1.0 litre,three cylinder engine which puts out 65 brake horse power with your alternative engine choice being the 1.2 litre, four cylinder range which sees a power output of 86 bhp. In our opinion the top spec range for the car is the most impressive. We see that the South Korean manufacturer have included added pieces of equipment such as LED daytime running lights,14 inch alloy wheels,air conditioning,electric rear windows and a trip computer.

 

The car itself was rated very highly for reliability and safety features are also aplenty. Six airbags,tyre pressure monitoring and electronic stability control are also welcome additions. Prices for a brand new Hyundai i10 begin at £8,595 for the entry level model with £11,465 being the purchase price for the top notch model.

 

How will city cars affect the future of the car industry ?

 

With city cars being in high demand right now across a range of different manufacturers, the future for city cars is looking very promising at this point in time. As each month goes by more and more drivers are joining our roads and the car industry is growing at an incredible rate. Parking spaces in the town can be difficult to find at times. Sometimes the spaces are too small for bigger cars. City cars help influence this problem already and we certainly have no trouble in believing that the future looks very bright for these smaller cars without a doubt.