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Citroën Revives 2CV as Electric Concept to Challenge Chinese EVs
Citroën has unveiled the 2 CV Concept at the Paris Motor Show, a retro-styled electric hatchback that previews a production model arriving in late 2028 with a target price of €15,000. The design includes removable seats, a portable hamper, and in-door egg storage as a nod to the original 2CV's brief to carry eggs across a field without breakages.
By Charlotte Redford · 3 min read
Citroën has taken the wraps off the 2 CV Concept at the Paris Motor Show, a four-door electric hatchback that resurrects its most famous nameplate as a weapon against cut-price Chinese electric vehicles. A production version is promised for late 2028, with a targeted price of just €15,000 (£12,700), positioning it as one of the most affordable EVs on the European market.
The original 2CV was sold from 1948 to 1990, with more than 3.8 million units finding homes. Previous Citroën chief executives had vowed never to revive the model, but the company now joins a long list of legacy brands mining their heritage — from the Mini and Fiat 500 to the Renault 5 — to remind buyers why they should stick with established marques as Chinese automakers take an ever-larger slice of the European car market.
The concept does not merely dip a toe in retro waters. All the classic cues are present: the plunging, ribbed hood, bug-eye headlights mounted on fenders that stand proud of the flat bodywork, and the roll-back canvas roof. But there is a pumped-up muscular look this time, with a wide track and 19-inch wheels filling the fenders in a way no original 2CV ever managed. At 3.76 metres long, it is around 20 centimetres smaller than the original, a size Citroën says will make it easy to park in cities while helping keep production costs down.
Inside, the cabin channels the simplicity of the original without screaming budget car. The bench seats can be removed for picnics, and a portable hamper on the floor serves as both console and storage cubby. The doors even incorporate an integral egg box — a direct nod to the original 1930s design brief, which called for a car capable of carrying a basket of eggs across a rutted field without a single breakage. Other retro details include a single-spoke steering wheel and a transmission shifter that sprouts from under the dashboard, though it is hooked up to an electric drivetrain rather than the air-cooled two-cylinder engine and four-speed manual of the original.
Citroën has not revealed specifications for the motor or battery, but the target price makes it unlikely to be fast or long-legged on a charge. Rival Renault's base-model Twingo produces 81hp and covers 163 miles, which may offer some guide. More details are expected in the run-up to the production 2CV's global debut at the 2028 Paris Motor Show — exactly eight decades after the original premiered at the same event.
The move comes as European manufacturers face mounting pressure from affordable Chinese imports. By leveraging the 2CV's enormous cultural footprint, Citroën hopes to offer a distinctive, heritage-infused alternative at a price point that competes directly with newcomers. The production model will be a key test of whether nostalgia, combined with sharp pricing, can win over a new generation of drivers.
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