Citroen Ami Review

Practicality and boot space 

Assessing the Ami’s practicality by any usual parameters would see us being extremely unkind. It’s half the length of most other cars on this site, and it doesn’t take a long inspection of its shape to see there isn’t a traditional boot – or, indeed, frunk. It’s a box with two seats aboard and as such you get a not-so-princely sum of 63 litres of luggage space, ahead of the passenger. Bin off the idea of a passenger entirely – we suspect a lot of Ami drivers will be doing so alone, in fact – and you naturally open up the interior space a lot more. You can commit to that idea by going instead for the Ami Cargo van, a strict one-seater with up to 400 litres of luggage space (with a 140kg payload), which basically matches the boot of a small crossover.  

Parts sharing is turned up to the max – note how its shape is utterly symmetrical, its direction of travel only really marked by the colour of the lights at each end and the placement of the mirrors. All Amis are left-hand drive – Citroen notes that it’s so compact, this won’t impede your view down the road in the UK anyway – while the doors are hinged on opposing sides. What you might not anticipate is that the Ami will accommodate anyone 6ft6 and below. 

Technology 

One glance at the Ami’s interior will show there’s not a huge amount to discuss here. In fact, you’ll find just three buttons inside, controlling the fan, heated rear screen and the hazard warning lights. The speedo is digital but doesn’t contain any other functions – nav and media come from your phone which you’ll tether into the dock provided then plug into a USB slot. In fact, a good summary of just how technologically advanced this car is comes from the fact it only charges with a basic three-pin plug (albeit reasonably quickly, because its battery is so tiny). The most advanced thing about the Ami is its no-frills mentality and its eschewing of the stuff we don’t need to make a neater, simpler, less socially disruptive car of the future. 

Safety 

Euro NCAP won’t ever crash test the Ami because it’s not technically a car; it’s a quadricycle, which means it conforms to far fewer regulations than most other four-wheeled vehicles. This is what allows under 16s to drive the Ami in other countries, though you have to be 17-plus in the UK. Sorry, kids. Quadricycle status limits its top speed to 28mph, which in turn limits the roads you can (or should) use it on. Motorways are illegal, and anything with a speed limit over 30 or 40mph is strongly advised against. You’re not recommended to fix a child seat inside either. There’s little in the way of airbags or active safety tech too, of course, but Citroen insists judging the Ami by regular car standards is wrong, suggesting that thinking of it as “a safer mode of transport than either an e-bike or e-scooter is a much more suitable comparison”.