ROAD CAR TESTS
Talk of the town
Is Citroën’s ‘quadricycle’ the solution to our urban needs?
Just remember,” warned the PR man, “it’s not a car.” And he’s right. The new Citroën Ami may have four wheels and a steering wheel but in feel it’s closer to the Heathrow Pod.
Were it a car, it would be Britain’s cheapest by a mile. But it’s not. It’s a quadricycle mandated by law not to have more than 8bhp, weigh more than 420kg (not including the battery) or do more than 28mph. It’s also why it looks that way: it is required to pass none of the stringent crash tests any car would have to undergo, nor does it need (or have) airbags, ABS or traction control. It’s illegal to drive without seatbelts, but it won’t ‘bong’ to remind you. And with the right licence, you can take to the roads aged 16.