Citroen Ami 2026 review | City transport, not a car
Citroen Ami cars for sale
2.0
Expert review
Pros
Easy to drive in town
Stands out from the crowd
Cheap to run
Cons
Highly limited use
Crudely built
Uncomfortable
The CarGurus verdict
The Citroen Ami is officially a quadricycle, rather than a car, and it cannot do most of the things a car can do. As such, we can only recommend it in any capacity to prospective buyers who are fully aware of its incredibly narrow remit. Indeed, even then, before signing on the dotted line, we’d recommend dwelling on its crude build quality, uncomfortable ride, inability to maintain speed up even modest gradients, and its limited range.
Yes, the Ami is a vehicle that oozes charm and originality. But it’s not one you’d necessarily want to own.
What is the Citroen Ami?
The Citroen Ami isn’t a conventional car, but an electric quadricycle designed specifically for short, urban journeys. In the UK it sits in a niche of its own, offering a simple and compact form of electric mobility for people who don’t need – or want – a full-sized car.
Power comes from a small electric motor and a modest battery, giving the Ami a firmly restricted top speed of around 28mph and a real-world range of up to 46 miles on a full charge. That means it’s best suited to city streets and local roads, and it isn’t permitted on motorways. All UK Amis are also left-hand drive, reflecting its European origins and cost-focused design.
There’s little in the way of direct competition. The discontinued Renault Twizy is the closest historical rival, but today the Ami effectively occupies its own space between electric scooters, mopeds and city cars. It’s positioned as an alternative to public transport or two-wheeled electric vehicles, rather than a replacement for a conventional small car.
The Ami is sold in a small number of versions, including the standard model, which can be equipped with one of three cosmetic and equipment packs, or the My Ami Pop and My Ami Tonic, which have more equipment and even funkier styling.
Today’s Citroen Ami is the facelifted model, first seen in late 2024. The main changes were exterior styling, with the front lights being moved up to take the place of the previous version’s indicators. The ‘smiling’ face gives it a cheerier appearance, but updates elsewhere were limited.
How practical is it?
The Ami’s tiny dimensions (it measures just 2.4 metres long by 1.4 metres wide) make it well suited to city use. Its biggest advantage is its diminutive footprint, which means an Ami can be parked in spaces you wouldn’t normally consider viable for a car. Its turning circle of 7.2 metres makes it easy to manoeuvre in tight places, too.
However, there are plenty of compromises. It’s strictly a two-seater, which limits its versatility, although there’s generous legroom and headroom for such a small vehicle. What’s more, it’s only available in left-hand drive, which will be an immediate deterrent for some. There’s also no conventional boot, although you can store 63 litres of stuff in the passenger footwell.
For those who need extra carrying capacity, Citroen previously offered the Ami Cargo. This replaced the passenger seat with a load area capable of carrying up to 140kg and offering a total volume of around 400 litres – including a lidded modular storage section. The Ami Cargo was discontinued in 2024, but used examples are available.
Build quality is basic and creature comforts are limited across the range, reflecting the Ami’s low-cost, minimalist brief.
What’s it like to drive?
If you’ve ever used a golf buggy, you’ll have a fair idea of what the Ami driving experience is like. There’s no gear lever or even any gears, just a trio of buttons (drive, neutral and reverse) in a panel on the side of the driver’s seat base. The pedals (one for go, one for stop) are offset a long way to the right of the steering wheel which, incidentally, sits on the left-hand side of the cabin, rather than the right. Not that being left-hand drive is an overwhelming hindrance for such a small car. There’s a conventional handbrake, and you’ll need to remember to use it, as the Ami doesn’t creep when stationary and will issue warning beeps if you’re not holding the brake.
The unassisted steering is heavy at parking speeds, but becomes lighter once on the move. The lack of any self-centring effect to the steering does take some getting used to, however.
Performance from the 8bhp motor is modest. There’s a brief flash of the instant response you expect from an EV at very low speeds, but acceleration tails off quickly. Citroen quotes around 10 seconds to reach the 28mph top speed, but even gentle inclines can make it difficult to get there at all.
On the move, you’ll hear plenty of electric motor whine, along with knocks and creaks from the body as it passes over rough surfaces. The seats are thinly padded, which helps keep weight down but doesn’t do much for long-term comfort.
Visibility can also be challenging. The seating position is set a long way back from the windscreen, there’s no rear-view mirror, and the small door mirrors don’t offer a great view behind. Thick body panels can also obstruct your view of traffic lights at close range. For ventilation, the side windows fold open in the same style as a classic Citroen 2CV.
For all its faults, there’s an undeniable charm to driving the Ami. It’s not fast or even much fun, but it delivers an experience unlike any other vehicle on sale.
Technology and equipment
The Ami doesn’t offer much in the way of technology or equipment, regardless of which version you choose. The UK range consists of the standard Ami, which can be upgraded with optional colour packs (My Ami Grey, My Ami Orange or My Ami Blue), plus the more stylish My Ami Pop and My Ami Tonic models. In all cases, differences are largely cosmetic, focusing on decals, trim details and wheel trims rather than any additional features.
Equipment levels are extremely basic. The driver’s seat slides fore and aft on runners, there’s a heater and demister, and a simple fan helps prevent condensation. Switchgear is minimal, the indicators aren’t self-cancelling and creature comforts are thin on the ground.
A small digital display behind the steering wheel shows basic information such as speed and remaining range, although it can be difficult to read in bright sunlight. There’s no built-in infotainment system; instead, the Ami relies on the driver’s smartphone, which fits into a dashboard-mounted cradle. Higher trims and packs add Citroen’s My Ami Play system, but audio and navigation still depend on your phone. You’ll need to bring your own Bluetooth speaker if you want music.
Citroen Ami running costs
Purchase cost aside, the Ami can be run on the smallest of budgets. Depending on your electricity tariff, a full charge of its 5.5kWh battery will be just a couple of pounds and take around four hours. The Ami has a maximum charging speed of 2kW, so there's no advantage to using a faster charger.
As a quadricycle, the Citroen Ami is VED-exempt, so you won’t pay any road tax. Servicing requirements are minimal compared with a conventional car, too.
One point to note is that the built-in charging cable and Type 2 adapter supplied with the Ami will only work with untethered home wallboxes (those without a fixed cable). If you currently have a tethered wallbox and are considering an Ami, you’ll need to factor in the cost of switching to an untethered unit.
Citroen Ami reliability
The Citroen Ami doesn’t feature in the What Car? Reliability Survey, largely due to its low sales volume rather than its age. That makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about long-term durability, although a very simple mechanical layout works in its favour. As a basic electric vehicle with few moving parts, there’s less to go wrong than with a conventional petrol or diesel car.
Looking at the brand more broadly, Citroen finished a respectable 10th out of 30 manufacturers in the What Car? Reliability Survey, which suggests decent dependability across its wider vehicle range.
Citroen backs the Ami with a two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, while the battery is covered for three years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first. The battery cover is shorter than you’ll find on most mainstream electric cars, but reflects the Ami’s low-cost, urban-focused positioning.
- Safety is limited. As a quadricycle, the Citroen Ami isn’t assessed by Euro NCAP in the same way as a conventional car. It also lacks features such as airbags, and its lightweight construction means it offers far less crash protection than even the smallest city cars. Videos circulating online that show the Ami lifting onto two wheels during abrupt manoeuvres underline its narrow safety margins.
- Licensing rules are different. In the UK, the Ami can be driven from age 16, but only with the correct licence entitlement (typically category AM, rather than a full car licence). In France, the minimum age is even lower, at 14 – again with the appropriate AM/BSR certification. Wherever it’s driven, the Ami is not permitted on motorways, which is just as well given its limited performance.
- Choice is deliberately limited. The Ami’s restrictions extend beyond its performance. Exterior colours are limited, and most personalisation comes from option packs rather than different paint finishes. That said, its quirky, symmetrical design makes it one of Citroen’s most eye-catching models in years, even without a wide palette of colours.
- For the lowest price: The entry-level Ami is simply called Ami. If all you’re looking for is the cheapest (new) electric urban runabout possible and you’re happy to live with the vehicle’s limitations, this is the one to buy.
- For added colour: Optional extras for the Ami are limited, but Citroen does offer a range of customisation packs and decals to brighten up the vehicle’s exterior. These are available as colour packs on the standard Ami, or as part of the My Ami Pop and My Ami Tonic trims.
- For the business owner: The Ami Cargo sacrificed its passenger seat in the name of extra versatility, replacing it with modular plastic storage offering 260 litres of load space. Combined with the Ami’s existing storage areas, this gives a total cargo volume of 400 litres. This version is no longer sold new, but used examples are available.
- For most people: It’s worth reiterating here that the Ami isn’t a recommendable purchase for most drivers. Even if you’re drawn to the quirky concept, its limitations may still prove too much for living with day to day.
