Citroen takes the Paris Motor Show by storm with retro-inspired 2 CV concept

• Citroen is targeting some of the cheapest EVs on sale with its revived 2 CV
• The small electric car borrows some of the original’s much-loved features
• European brands are leaning heavily into their back catalogues in a bid to fend off Chinese rivals

Loved by French farmers, who transported eggs across rutted fields without incident during the 1940s, and adored by large swathes of the European car-buying public for its no-frills approach to multi-tasking motoring, the Citroen 2 CV now enjoys almost cult status among classic car enthusiasts.

Like Renault’s recent resurrection of both the Renault 5 and more blue-collared Renault 4, Citroen hopes it can tap into the trend for automotive nostalgia with an incredibly cheap EV that’s capable of wearing multiple motoring hats.

Citroen’s CEO Xavier Chardon stated that the company hopes to sell a production version of its visually arresting concept for around $15,000 when it reaches dealers in 2028, which would work out to roughly £13,500, making the 2 CV potentially the UK and Europe’s cheapest electric vehicle.

To do this, the French firm is developing an all-new electric car platform that it hopes a number of small models will eventually sit on, reducing production costs and enabling it to pass on those savings to the consumer.

There is no word on what will power the electric 2 CV, although we can assume it will be in a similar battery ballpark to Renault’s latest Twingo, which uses a diminutive 28kWh LFP pack for a 157-mile range.

However, Chardon revealed that its engineers are busy shaving kilos off its current crop of electric cars, with the goal of selling an electric 2 CV that weighs "less than a tonne". That would make it lighter than any electric car currently on sale, and could drastically increase its range.

What’s more, the company is bucking the trend for creeping footprints, as the modern 2 CV is actually shorter than its predecessor, at just 3.76m in length.

Analysis: better in the flesh

While the 2 CV is still just a concept for now, there are some clever design elements that make the interior look and feel much larger than it actually is.

There’s no traditional dashboard, for a start, while both the front and back seats look more like a garden bench than something you’d find inside a vehicle.

A removable wicker storage basket at the front is probably the most French thing since Renault offered a baguette holder in the R5.

Rather than the traditional bulky infotainment setup, Citroen designers have opted for what they call an 8-inch square ‘phygital’ touchscreen, which looks like an ereader and features graphics inspired by comic books.

There's also a very simple gear-shift lever that almost floats on a large cylinder mounted to the steering wheel, as well as an old-school detachable radio that's situated in front of the front passenger that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for picnics.

Look closer around the concept and you’ll find myriad easter eggs and nods to the original, such as pedals that feature a rabbit (or maybe it's a hare) and a tortoise to distinguish the accelerator from the brake, door-storage compartments that are designed to hold eggs, and the sound of the digital horn, which is a direct copy of the original 2 CV.

The enormous fabric sunroof, which practically turns the 2 CV into a convertible, is a direct link to the past, while the solid metal bumpers at the front and rear are designed to protect against the typical Parisian 'touch parking' technique. It's both fantastically retro and forward-thinking at the same time.

In all honesty, I wasn’t convinced when I first saw it in the press images, writing it off as a bit too much of a novelty, with not enough retro cool to make it hit home like Renault’s recent offerings; but I changed my mind when I saw it in the flesh.

It’s cute, it's hugely practical, and the interior is a masterpiece in simplicity. It is unmistakably a 2 CV, but also has hints of the original VW Beetle, and even Renault’s more recent Twingo about it.

Citroen says this concept is close to production in terms of design, adding that it's also considering a small commercial vehicle variant, illustrated by the 2 CV Fourgonnette (above) concept that accompanied by this reveal.

Only time will tell if it will be as successful as the Renault 5 reboot; but the price is fiercely competitive — and riffing on heritage is something Chinese rivals simply can't mimic.