A few months ago, Citroën said one of France’s best-known cars would return as an affordable EV. Now you can see what that means. The Citroën 2CV Concept debuted at the 2026 Paris Motor Show. It previews a production model that Citroën plans to put on European roads by 2028.
Citroën kept its earlier promise. The car is fully electric and built to be simple. It is also small enough to fit in Citroën’s lineup between the tiny Ami and the C3. It also holds on to some of the odd character that made the original 2CV stand out.
The Citroën 2CV Concept
At 3.76 meters, the concept is shorter than the original 2CV. Citroën is aiming for a weight of about one metric ton. Less weight means the car can run on a smaller, cheaper battery and still give you enough range for everyday trips. The company has not shared the battery capacity or the actual range.
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Citroën took cues from the original design but didn’t copy it. The car has round headlights that stand apart from the body, wipers you can see, a vertical windshield, a curved roof, rounded fenders, and 18-inch steel wheels. The details inside are just as playful.
The door pockets are shaped to hold eggs, a reference to the well-known brief the original 2CV had to meet. A tortoise marks the brake pedal and a hare marks the accelerator. The startup sound and horn are tuned to remind you of the old car. The windshield also carries three dates: 1948 for the original’s debut, 1990 for the end of its production, and 2026 for this concept.
Citroën 2CV Comes with a Removable Radio
Citroën has not turned its back on modern tech. An 8-inch square touchscreen handles the digital functions, with physical controls sitting next to it. A Smart Vision display puts the key information right in your line of sight. The car also has Radioën, a removable radio that works as a portable speaker when you take it out of the car.
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The rest of the package includes a fabric folding roof, a removable storage basket, strap-style door handles, and a front passenger seat that slides outward. Citroën wants to build the production car in Europe with a starting price of around €15,000. That price depends on the upcoming European E-Car regulations.
When Citroën announced the project in May, the low price was the main story. Now that the car is finally here, I am glad to see that a cheap EV does not have to lose its quirks or its personality.
