CITROEN'S exciting C2 range is now even more attractive to younger buyers looking for a car with sharp lines and sporty good looks, but who don't need or can't afford to run a high-powered supermini, thanks to the arrival of a new 1.1i Furio petrol version.

With a recommended retail price of £8,995, which drops to just £7,758 when taking Citroen's May 'No VAT' offer into account, an ultra-low insurance group rating of just 2E, and combined fuel economy of almost 50mpg, the C2 1.1i Furio is sure to appeal to the head as much as the heart.

Styling touches which help set the Furio apart from more mainstream C2 models include a rear spoiler, fog lights, colour-coded mouldings, two-tone bolstered sports seats and a leather bound steering wheel. The C2 1.1i Furio doesn't want for standard equipment either, offering a CD player, ABS with EBD and EBA, four airbags, remote central locking with deadlocks, as well as electric front windows and door mirrors.

In combining dynamic good looks with a peppy 1.1i engine, the new model brings together two of the C2's key attributes. Over 40% of the 25,000 C2 cars on the UK's roads already belong to a sporty range that includes Furio, VTR and VTS models, while the 61hp engine is the single most popular unit, accounting for almost half of all sales.

"Our sporty C2 models already have a wide appeal among younger, new car buyers. This new Furio is the first to offer our highly economical 1.1 litre petrol engine, making it an even better purchase for the cost-conscious customer," said Alain Favey, managing director of Citroen UK Ltd.