The VW Group’s triplets in the city car segment are known for being agile and economical but not everyone is interested in those virtues. A Skoda Citigo owner from the UK turned the model into a track monster by swapping the engine, adding an all-wheel-drive system, upgrading the suspension and brakes, as well as stripping the interior.
From the outside, it is clear that this is not your usual Citigo. The 17-inch wheels sourced from the Octavia look massive for the size of the vehicle, while the intercooler that is sticking out of the lower bumper intake, the bonnet scoop, the polycarbonate windows, and the ducktail roof spoiler give us an idea of what to expect. The same applies to the interior which is completely stripped with two racing bucket seats and a FIA-spec roll cage.
Read: New Skoda Fabia Rally2 Makes Us Wish For A Homologation Special That Won’t Happen
The tuning package comes from a UK company called Darkside Developments and includes quite an extensive list of mods. The highlight is the engine swap, as the Skoda traded the tiny 1.0-liter petrol with a heavily modified 2.0-liter TDI turbodiesel featuring a Garrett turbocharger, a custom exhaust, a Nitrous kit, and many other components. It is surprising that the tuner managed to fit an engine with double the capacity under the tiny bonnet of the Citigo, turning it into a sleeper.
According to Darkside Developments, the mill is good for 360 hp (269 kW / 366 PS) but the owner suggests it produced a healthy 270 hp (201 kW / 274 PS) in the dyno. This sounds like a great number for a vehicle that weighs 1,160 kg (2,557 pounds). While the stock Skoda Citigo is front-wheel-drive, the tuned model benefits from a Haldex all-wheel-drive system, a Quaife limited-slip differential, and a six-speed transmission.
The chassis has also been meticulously upgraded so that the extra power can be harnessed by the driver. The track-focused suspension features a custom tubular subframe, Eibach springs, and several components sourced from the VW Golf and the Seat Ibiza. Similarly, the brakes comprise larger-diameter Brembo discs and Porsche calipers.
According to the listing on eBay, the unusually fast Citigo may be track-focused but remains street-legal so you can do your errands in the city center in between track days. The asking price is £15,500 ($19,590), which sounds logical when we take into consideration the extent of the modifications. For a similar amount of money you can buy the entry-level trim of the facelifted Hyundai i10, or you can get this wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Skoda never made a performance-focused version of the Citigo, unlike the VW Up! twin that was available in GTI form. However, the company showed a rally-prepped concept in 2012 which never made it past the prototype stage. Below you can watch a detailed presentation of a similar Skoda Citigo 2.0 TDI 4WD build from Darkside Developments, highlighting all of the upgrades.
