Citroen Is Finally Bringing Back The 2CV. And I’m Here For It
The electric concept channels the original’s charm and previews a European-built production car targeting a €15,000 starting price.
- Citroën’s electric 2CV concept previews a European-built production car targeted at around €15,000 by 2028.
- It’s slightly shorter than the new Renault Twingo and aims to undercut its price by roughly €4,500.
- Retro styling meets a one-ton weight target, but battery size, range and charging speeds remain undisclosed.
Renault is proving that nostalgia sells electric cars. Its new 5 and Twingo are getting good reviews and finding plenty of buyers. Citroën has a 2CV-shaped hole in its lineup, and it’s finally addressing it.
This is the Citroën 2CV Concept, set to debut at the 2026 Paris Motor Show. It brings back the familiar shape of the little French icon, swaps combustion for electricity, and previews a production car due by 2028.
Making an expensive car that reminds people of a cheap one is easy enough. But to stay true to the original 2CV, the reborn EV will be very affordable. Citroën wants to build it in Europe and sell it from around €15,000.
It would even undercut the new Renault Twingo E-Tech. That car launched with a French starting price of €19,490 before incentives, putting Citroën’s target roughly €4,500 lower. We still need the fine print on the 2CV’s price, including whether it includes any subsidies (up to €5,700 in France), but the ambition is clear.
They’re almost exactly the same size, too. The Citroën is 3.76 meters (148 inches) long, making it just three centimeters (just over an inch) shorter than the Twingo. It’s also shorter than the original 2CV and would fit between the Ami and C3 in its lineup.
Citroën is aiming for a weight of around 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds). Keeping the weight down means it can have a smaller battery, which will help keep it affordable. That’s the thinking, anyway. The future production model’s battery capacity, range, charging speeds, and power output haven’t been announced.
The styling leans into what people remember about the old 2CV: separate round headlight pods, pronounced fenders, an upright windshield, and that iconic curved roof. The hood in particular takes inspiration from the TPV, the project that previewed the original car.
On paper, that sounds like the right approach. The 2CV had such an unusual shape that Citroën doesn’t need to pile on decorative references to make the connection. Keeping those proportions while tightening up the lines should do most of the work.
What surprised me were the concept's 19-inch wheels. They’re steel wheels, which feels right for a 2CV, but that’s still a lot of wheel for something supposed to be simple and cheap, although they will likely shrink for production.
The other exterior details include exposed wipers, air inlets below the windshield, and slim turn signals integrated into the rear roof pillars. It has a contrasting black tailgate that stretches down to the bumper, plus very modern-looking LED lights.
Inside, Citroën has tried to make the small cabin feel open by removing almost the entire dashboard. A cylindrical assembly holds the steering wheel, controls, and a “Smart Vision Display” that projects information into the driver’s field of view. There’s also a square eight-inch touchscreen with comic-inspired graphics, plus physical controls.
The broad seats use Citroën’s Advanced Comfort technology, and the passenger seat extends so you can stretch out during a stop. You also get a folding fabric roof, removable storage baskets, a removable speaker, and fabric door-pull straps.
Gallery: Citroën 2CV Concept (2026)
Citroën says door pockets are even designed to carry eggs, a nod to the original car’s famous design brief.
To bring this car to market at this price, Citroën is getting help from the European Union. The manufacturer says the production model will be designed to meet future European E-Car rules. The European Commission has proposed an M1E category for electric cars up to 4.2 meters long, aiming to freeze regulatory requirements for ten years. The idea is to give manufacturers a more predictable, less costly route to building affordable EVs.
What I really like about this reborn 2CV is that it arrives at a time when car prices have skyrocketed. Like the original, the new EV will give people a way to get around when more expensive cars are out of reach. If Citroën can do that again, the familiar face will just be a bonus.
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