{"id":2003792,"date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2003792"},"modified":"2026-06-22T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T21:00:00","slug":"the-new-citroen-2cv-will-be-a-small-sub-e15k-e-car-thatll-come-to-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2003792","title":{"rendered":"The new Citroen 2CV will be a small, sub-\u20ac15k \u2018E-Car\u2019 that\u2019ll come to the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Citroen is making a new electric car using the name and inspiration from one of its most famous old ones. Makes sense in a world of rebigulated Renault 5s<\/a> and Mini Coopers<\/a> and Ford Capris<\/a> and Vauxhall Fronteras<\/a> and so on.<\/p>\n

Because with over a century\u2019s worth of heritage just sitting there collecting dust, the urge to plaster a classic name over a bloated new crossover, roll it out for sale and watch the euros roll in is surely irresistible. Right?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s not an easy path,\u201d Citroen boss Xavier Chardon told TopGear.com. \u201cThe museum [of past models] is very tempting.\u201d However, he\u2019s quick to point out what he\u2019s up against.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore and more Chinese cars are coming. And if you look at the pitch of my competitors, there\u2019s one car, then the successor is bigger, bringing more horsepower, more computing power, more screens, and I believe it\u2019s time for a brand like Citroen to go for a different path.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe 2CV is a kind of \u2018less is more\u2019,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

So, he confirmed that the new 2CV<\/a> will be pitched in the new segment of European motor cars built to be affordable and crucially, small<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s an E-Car,\u201d Chardon said, \u201cknowing that the definition of E-Car is not clear yet.\u201d That\u2019s because the regulation governing this segment is still being worked out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The only thing he does know is that it\u2019ll have to come in under 4.2m in length. Even then, Chardon said, \u201cthis is not a restriction because the E-C3<\/a> is currently below 4.2m\u201d.<\/p>\n

On the subject of regulation, Chardon was clear that it needs to be either checked, or put on freeze. \u201cIf I look at our current situation, we have between 20 to 25 per cent of our engineers that work on regulation. The question is that every time you bring new regulations, of course there are always good reasons behind them, but sometimes the good reasons may produce the wrong results.<\/p>\n

\u201cCars are getting more expensive, and young people cannot afford them, so they keep their old car that has higher emissions and a poorer safety package. This is something that we hope will get a freeze or a better understanding of what is really required by customers,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

To that end, he confirmed the new 2CV will be a fully homologated car, and will come with all the airbags, ESP and so on required for proper production. He wouldn\u2019t say exactly how far it\u2019d be able to go on a charge, only noting that it\u2019d be a long old trip if you took this new 2CV from Paris to Marseille (that\u2019s around 490 miles). There\u2019s no plan for hybrids or range-extenders, either. At least not at this stage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou will be able to drive 130kmh (80mph) [in the new 2CV], but you will have to take your time because we are close [in philosophy] to the original 2CV. That original car\u2019s [fuel] tank was 20 litres. You are not going that far on 20 litres,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to do Paris to Marseille, you have the C5 Aircross<\/a>, but this new 2CV is a very different philosophy. I think it will address the second car of a household, maybe commuters. If once a year you have to take this car to go elsewhere, it will be possible but it won\u2019t be the fastest one.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo enjoy life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019ll be made in Europe, with at least 70 per cent of its content sourced from Europe. \u201cWhatever is the regulation, this car will fit with EU content,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are developing a new platform and Fiat is also onboard, so it\u2019ll be two brands \u2013 Citroen and Fiat \u2013 but it\u2019s too early to give away too many details.\u201d (FYI, that new Fiat will be the reborn Panda – colloquially known as Pandina <\/em>in Italy – which is smaller than the current Grande Panda<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

One crucial detail we know is the new 2CV will be offered in right-hand drive, meaning it\u2019s heading to the UK. \u201cOf course,\u201d said Chardon.<\/p>\n

And, being a car that takes inspiration from the 2CV, the \u2018enjoy life\u2019 part is super important. \u201cWhat I did is really look back at what made the 2CV successful,\u201d he said. \u201cThe purpose was really to put people on wheels at the time, and this is the biggest challenge we are facing in the car industry today.<\/p>\n

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\"Citroen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cTo put people on wheels, to electrify the wheels, and make the offer accessible, affordable and enjoyable. Obviously, there\u2019s clear inspiration from the original model, but beyond the design it\u2019s an inspiration of keeping something that\u2019s essential, affordable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s form following function,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s something echoed by Citroen design boss Pierre Leclercq. \u201cTo be honest, I was always the one saying it\u2019s much more interesting to work with a philosophy than doing a neo-retro type of car,\u201d he told TG. \u201cNow\u2026 honestly we would be so stupid not<\/em> to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Now we would be so stupid not<\/em> to do it<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Because, he reiterates, competition from new Chinese brands is intense. \u201cHonestly, we have an incredible past, so many icons, why can\u2019t we use one or two that bring back a bit of what everybody is expecting? It\u2019ll bring so much joy on the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople want a bit of nostalgia in a very positive way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When approaching the prospect of a new 2CV, Leclercq and his team made a list called the \u2018tops and flops\u2019: a roundup of rival retro recreations. \u201cThere are successes, but I don\u2019t think everything will be a success. That\u2019s why it shouldn\u2019t just be a styling exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Citroen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

And it shouldn\u2019t be\u2026 cute, either. \u201cFor me, there\u2019s a word I really have a hard time with in the car industry, and it\u2019s \u2018cute\u2019. I\u2026 cannot. Take an Ami. You can say that an Ami can be \u2018cute\u2019, but when we designed the new generation, I told the guys, it doesn\u2019t have to be cute, it has to be productive. It has to be desirable. It should not look like a toy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as you put some eyes and you have a front face, then let\u2019s just say it\u2019s a fine line between looking like a toy and looking desirable. You have to make sure that you make a car as desirable as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you put 15,000 on the table to buy a car, it is still a lot of money. You have to make sure that the person falls in love with their car,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Hence the name. \u201cWe called the car 2CV because it\u2019s our history and it\u2019s our DNA,\u201d Chardon said. \u201cBut it\u2019s also the car that is supporting our brand positioning. We want to be caring. Affordable. Essential. Less is more.\u201d<\/p>\n

A beat.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to make burnouts at the traffic lights, this is not the brand to do it with,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

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\"Citroen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Citroen is making a new electric car using the name and inspiration from one of its most famous old ones. Makes sense in a world of rebigulated Renault 5s and Mini Coopers and Ford Capris and Vauxhall Fronteras and so on. Because with over a century\u2019s worth of heritage just sitting there collecting dust, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,237],"class_list":["post-2003792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-topgear-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2003792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003792\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2003792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2003792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2003792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}