Citroen is reviving one of its iconic car models, the legendary 2CV, but this time it will be powered by batteries. The manufacturer will reboot the model almost four decades after it was last in production.
Almost four million 2CVs were sold after it was launched in 1948, and it was affectionately dubbed the 'tin snail' due to its rounded shape resembling a shell and its unhurried performance. Citroen said the revamped vehicle is due to launch in 2028 and is inspired by the original model but this time will be electric-powered.
Prototype shown at Paris Motor Show
The model will be manufactured in Europe at a starting price of around £12,686 (15,000 euros). An early prototype of the new 2CV was revealed at the Paris Motor Show 2026 earlier this month.
The new model will be 3.76 metres long, which is shorter than the original, and will focus on being a 'minimalist, affordable, compact and ingenious'. While the new version has been reinvented to slot into modern day living, it will still include a door storage compartment, designed to hold eggs, like the original.
Design and features
The new concept car will also have a controlled weight, aiming for one tonne, to ensure a more cost-effective battery to keep everyday running costs low. The original 2CV was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show nearly eighty years ago in 1948 and, while not originally meant to be an iconic model, it soon became one.
The revived 2CV will not have a traditional centre console but will have a removable storage basket, and fabric straps will be put in place of door handles. There will also be no internal speaker in the car; instead, a removable radio will sit beneath the dashboard. The horn will be inspired by the original 2CV sound, and the numbers 48.90.26 will be engraved into the windscreen to mark the original launch of the car. The exterior of the car will be a warm orange, and the interior will be decked out in bright yellow with a white steering wheel.
Citroen CEO on reinvention
Xavier Chardon, Citroën CEO, said the new 2CV is not about recreating the original model but reinventing what made the original car unique. Xavier said: "Reinventing the 2CV is not about replicating a car from the past, it is about reinventing what made it unique: its simplicity, its accessibility and the freedom it offered."
"With the 2CV Concept, we are bringing that spirit into today’s world to make electric mobility simpler, more human and more desirable. The world has changed. But the idea remains the same: to make life more beautiful with Citroën."
A Citroen spokesperson said: "With the 2CV Concept, Citroën isn’t content merely to look in the rear-view mirror to revive the past. It's reinventing an idea that has lost none of its relevance."
"A more accessible, lighter and more essential electric car that puts freedom and pleasure back at the heart of mobility. A new 2CV, faithful to the spirit of the original but resolutely focused on the uses and challenges of tomorrow. An icon cannot be copied, it must be reinvented."
