Try it, Citroen Ami: in winter, how does the nearly 6,000 euro electric car behave?
Try it, Citroen Ami
Traffic and pollution in large cities are always on the rise and car manufacturers are well aware of this, which is why the solutions proposed by manufacturers are continually more geared towards electrification. Although the size of vehicles tends to increase year by year, with SUVs and crossovers at the forefront, this concept does not seem to be shared by the French company Citroen which, thanks to a flicker of madness, has managed to create an innovative and fun product called Ami.Starting from the basics it must be emphasized that Citroen Ami is not a traditional car even on paper, in fact it is positioned as a two-seater quadricycle suitable for driving even without a B license but only with an AM license, that is the one obtainable from 14 years old to drive 50cc scooters; the dimensions make a Smart pale, in fact the length is 240 cm and the width is 139 cm, this allows it to be agile in all city conditions.
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This the car has immediately intrigued us since it was presented, in fact its design is iconic and avant-garde, using identical and interchangeable panels for the front / rear and even for the doors which are simply hinged in reverse to each other . We wanted to try it in winter because - as you well know - modern batteries perform worse at low temperatures and what better occasion to test the efficiency of a product of this type than in the Milanese traffic in December?
if (jQuery ("# crm_srl-th_motorlabs_d_mh2_1"). is (": visible")) {console.log ("Edinet ADV adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_motorlabs_d_mh2_1 slot id: th_motorlabs_d_mh2"); } As soon as you enter the passenger compartment of Ami you realize how the external dimensions do not match the internal ones, in fact the perceived spaciousness is almost disarming, not being able to touch the windshield with your hand was something that had not yet happened to us in a modern car; space management is 10+, the seats are in fact offset so as not to suffer from the reduced width in the cabin, in this way the shoulders of the driver and passenger will never touch. The internal conformation has allowed Citroen engineers to produce customized accessories to be able to house various types of objects including a phone holder, an object holder, a drink holder and also a resistant hook to hang the backpack in front of the passenger.
Federicovecchio.com
Federicovecchio.com
The assemblies are simple but functional as well as the windows, inspired by the historic 2cv, which allow for effective air circulation both in winter than in summer (perhaps the worst period considering the presence of a huge glass roof). Unlike its competitors in its own segment - the so-called microcars - Ami is equipped with a highly efficient defroster that manages to defrost the front glass in just under 2 minutes from just turned on and this has definitely surprised us; the infotainment is as advanced as your phone, in fact the only truly technological interface of this car will be your trusty smartphone even if in front of the driver we find a low resolution screen that shows important data such as speed and remaining range .
if (jQuery ("# crm_srl-th_motorlabs_d_mh3_1"). is (": visible")) {console.log ("Edinet ADV adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_motorlabs_d_mh3_1 slot id: th_motorlabs_d_mh3"); } While driving, you immediately notice the lack of power steering which makes low-speed maneuvers more complex than those of modern cars, the absence of the central mirror can also be annoying at first; the comfort exceeds expectations, even on uneven asphalt Ami remains composed and absorbs the roughness of the asphalt well; the lack of ABS and basic safety systems such as airbags, however, make it much less safe than a car but still superior to a moped.
The maximum speed is 45 km / h as per law, these are reached quickly enough thanks to the instantaneous torque of the electric motor; Ami has no high beams, yet the headlights are very bright even for night use.
Autonomy is in fact one of the points on which we must dwell for this review, Citroen declares 75 km of city autonomy in ideal conditions which decrease in winter; in our test we found that in normal use the real range was around 45-50 km in the middle of winter also using the defroster / heating and often going to the maximum speed of the vehicle. It should be noted, however, that under approximately 20 km of autonomy the car automatically enters energy saving mode by reducing the maximum speed to 30 km / h and limiting the starting point making it quite difficult to use, in fact we did not appreciate this function. particularly and we would have preferred it to be disabled.
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if (jQuery ("# crm_srl-th_motorlabs_d_mh4_1"). is (": visible")) {console.log ("Edinet ADV adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_motorlabs_d_mh4_1 slot id: th_motorlabs_d_mh4 "); } Recharging is one of the peculiarities of this car, in fact it takes place via a classic Shuko socket which is integrated into the passenger door. The recharging time takes about 3 hours at a classic power of 3 Kw; the battery pack is in fact only 5.5 kWh and the engine has "just" 8 hp. In Italy it is not allowed to charge at public columns using an adapter that can be removed from the outside; therefore, Ami will only be rechargeable in the home environment.
The strong point of this car, however, is its price; in fact, the total cost of the Citroen Ami is 7,600 euros but thanks to the Ecobonus dedicated to electric quadricycles and scrapping, it is possible to get it for just over 5,700 euros. The most interesting option, in our opinion, remains the leasing formula which, for a first fee of 2,188 euros, allows you to pay only € 19.99 per month to be able to use it. Of course, the leasing plan is completely configurable, even on the official website, for duration and amounts.
Driving this car through the streets of Milan arouses the curiosity of passers-by who often stop and look at it in disbelief; Furthermore, the exterior color is not a choice but is always the same and the only customizations are those of the "My Ami" packs which can also be in bright colors like this orange in our test; it should be emphasized that the tested sample was equipped with the My Ami Pop Pack which adds some contrasting black finishes including the front bumper reinforcement, the roof spoiler and the grille on the front even if to optimize the value for money we would take it with the basic package My Ami Orange saving about 450 euros on the total purchase price.
Federicovecchio.com
Federicovecchio.com
In conclusion, we liked the Citroen Ami and we recommend the '' purchase to all those who live in a large city, often congested by traffic, do not make particular journeys and have the possibility of being able to charge it privately. In our opinion, this is the perfect identikit for future owners of this small green solution. Furthermore, considering that it is possible to drive it from the age of 14, it is the perfect alternative to the moped which has always been a source of great concern on the part of the most apprehensive parents. Even if on the one hand, as in all "machines", the most classic driving aids and aids are absent, on the other hand the presence of a bodywork and a roof over the head enormously increases safety on board and the dimensions to be ultra-compact allow it to move easily in city traffic.
