Citroen

Ami

The Citroen Ami is not a car. Let’s get that straight from the off. It’s a fully electric , left-hand drive quadricycle that is designed to cope with busy city life. And it does exactly that.

The good

Fun, funky and fully electric two-seat quadricycle

The bad

Don't compare it with a car!

Tech Specs

Price from

£7,695

Combined Fuel up to

EV range of 46 miles

0-62 from

10 seconds

max speed up to

28mph

co2 from

0g/km

Test Drive

Citroen My Ami Pop – First Drive (2022)

The prospect of heading up to the Big Smoke to spend a day driving round the tourist attractions is not one that fills anyone with joy – unless, of course, it’s in the funky Citroen Ami.

That’s because the Ami is not a car but is classed as a fully electric quadricycle. As such, it is lightweight, agile, can turn on a sixpence and is very, very cheap to buy and run.

It’s a two-door, two-seater that is only available in left hand drive guise. Priced from just £7,695, the Ami has a top speed of 28mph which is certainly quick enough in London’s congested streets and is quick off the mark too.

Although the Ami was never intended for UK shores, Citroen says it aims to change the urban landscape with the vehicle. And, in fairness, after a day fizzing round London, I’m inclined to agree.

There are trim levels called My Ami, My Ami Pop, My Ami Tonic and My Ami Vibe with the range-topper still only costing £8,895. All models feature a 5.5kWh battery working alongside a 6kW motor. It can complete the 0-28mph dash in 10 seconds and has an official driving range between charges of 46 miles.

Charging the Ami takes just three hours via a type 2 connecter which is tethered to the vehicle for convenience. It can also be adapted to plug into a three-pin socket.

There’s no denying the Ami is an attention seeker. With its box-like shape, it’s difficult to tell which end is which when viewed from the side. Factor in a panoramic sunroof, huge windows and compact wheels and it has a real quirkiness about it.

We drove the My Ami Pop priced at £8,495 and what a brilliantly entertaining day we had. With the ability to connect a smartphone, navigating complicated city one-way systems is a breeze and a special mention to the superb all-round visibility. Both the driver and passenger sit quite far back in the Ami and you are surrounded by large windows.

There are side mirrors, but no rearview mirror, although after just a few miles, you realise you don’t miss it at all. And if it’s a real problem, you can always get a stick-on one.

The top speed of 28mph is just fine for busy traffic, but move away to faster roads and you will be pretty unpopular with following traffic. But, once again, this is not a car – it is designed to cope with congested roads and it does that superbly well.

It’s agile with a turning lock of just 7.2 metres and with its width of just 1.4 metres across, narrow streets will be easy to navigate. Factor in the length of 2.4 metres and parking becomes a lot simpler too.

It’s quick out the blocks so you won’t be left at lights and, as the Ami is classed as a quadricycle, it can be driven by anyone with a moped licence aged 16 and above.

Its limited top speed makes it far safer than scooters, bicycles or motorcycles, but don’t expect to find any of the modern safety systems such as airbags that you would find on standard vehicles. I say again, this is not a car.

But one thing is guaranteed, you will be greeted with enthusiasm from onlookers at every turn. That said; the Ami’s styling will not be to everyone’s taste – it could just be too outrageous for some.

Our My Ami Pop featured a panoramic roof, LED front and rear lights, LED indicators, a single front windscreen wiper, pop-out windows, a driver’s seat with manual adjustment, a heating fan, neat upholstery and a USB port. There is no boot as such, but loads of storage space in front of the passenger.

And there are numerous ways to personalise the Ami too with colour packs, colour-coded dashboard storage boxes, storage nets and various wheel trim colours and patterns.

Citroen recently launched a single-seat Ami Cargo version too which would be perfect for city centre delivery purposes. With the driver exiting on the left side, closest to the kerb, it is safer than a car and there is a vast amount of storage space where the passenger would usually sit – 260 litres of room to be precise This means the My Ami Cargo, costing £7,995, can carry 400 litres of stuff.

Finally, earlier this year, an Ami Buggy (without any doors) was launched in France. Within less than 18 minutes, all 50 models were snapped up. Hopefully we will see this coming to UK shores too as it would be ideal for a beach or golf course.

The Citroen Ami could be seen as quite a gamechanger. It is a zero-emission model that is fun to drive and agile enough to cope with the busiest traffic. It’s guaranteed to make you smile, just like it did the tourists near Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral.