French car maker Citroen has chosen the Brussels motor show to debut its newly refreshed C1 city car.

Available in the UK in April, the car is one third of the Citroen, Peugeot and Toyota urban runabout range.

Featuring a new nose and shorter bonnet, restyled bumper plus LED daylight running lights at the front, its maker hopes the revisions will ensure the C1 is now more distinctive and easily identifiable when out on the road.

The car's credentials have been further boosted with an increase in available equipment. Buyers now have access to steering wheel gearchange paddles for the C1's optional EGS semi-auto gearbox and, depending on trim level, an audio unit complete with Bluetooth and USB connection for MP3 players.

Buyers of EGS-equipped cars also get a leather covered steering wheel, with those opting for a manual transmission car gain a restyled gearlever.

Not all the C1's changes are purely cosmetic, however. Citroen's longstanding commitment to reducing emissions and fuel consumption run to the introduction of a revised 1.0-litre petrol engine boasting 99g/km CO2, making it congestion charge exempt.

The three-cylinder, 68 horsepower motor also returns an impressive 65.7mpg on the official combined economy cycle. Buyers selecting a C1 equipped with Citroen's EGS gearbox can experience an equally wallet-friendly 62.8mpg and 104g/km CO2 performance.

With 2011 seeing around 15,000 cars sold in the UK, the C1 is Citroen's top model, closely followed by the larger C3 hatch. The French firm's facelift plan will no doubt help the C1 maintain a strong position in light of new completion from VW, Skoda and Seat plus newly improved cars from Kia and Hyundai.

Citroen is keen to stress that the C1's low CO2 and fuel consumption performance is due to detailed improvements to its powertrain and not the result of stop-start technology, which can add unnecessary cost to low price city cars.

With a starting price of £7,995 in the UK, the French car maker hopes such a policy will help its C1 remain competitive in a growing market.

Joining the C1 at the Brussels show were the other two cars in the joint venture, Peugeot's 107 and Toyota's Aygo. Both have received similar enhancements to the C1. Since their original launch all three cars have been good to their respective makers, posting healthy sales figures and attracting a younger profile of buyer.