Citroen Ami

THERE aren't many cars on sale today where it’s possible to legally hit their top speed on a public road. But with a maximum of 28mph, the Citroen Ami is one car where buyers will find themselves mashing the throttle on every journey - and still there will be other traffic that will be willing you to get a move on just that little bit quicker

- Alex Ingram [e-mail]

The Ami first came to the UK back in 2022 (it launched in Europe in 2020), but now the dinky quadricycle has been treated to a midlife update.

That fundamental shape remains unchanged, with a big part of the Ami’s appeal down to the fact that it measures just 2.4 metres long and just under 1.4 metres wide. Instead, the tiny, boxy body has been subject to some cosmetic updates.

The headlights are moved higher up the body, essentially taking the place of the old indicators, which are dropped lower down into the bumpers. It gives the car more of a face than it had previously, making an already cutesy-looking model even more adorable. The styling changes are the same at the rear, because part of the genius of the Ami’s design is that it is entirely symmetrical front to back.

The front and rear bumpers are interchangeable, and so are the doors, because one is hinged from the front and the other from the back. Having fewer components makes the Ami cheaper to produce - and to fix, if it ever gets bumped.

It was a shame that the plastic body panels were originally finished in such a dreary blueish grey tone, because the Ami’s Italian cousin, the Fiat Topolino, looks much sweeter in its standard pale green. Citroen has changed that, with the standard car in a new grey finish, which looks more expensive.

On the regular Ami, a trio of option packs can alter the looks. Named Icy, Spicy and Minty, the exterior colour packs add blue, orange or green highlights for the Citroen logo, door handles, window decals and new wheel trims - the latter featuring a new, funky pixel-like design.