Citroën did the thing everyone guessed they would. The 2CV name is back. Officially.
Xavier Chardon, the brand’s CEO, took the stage at Stellantis’s investor day in Michigan and dropped the bomb. The upcoming budget electric car? Yes, it’s a 2CV. He showed a dark, shadowy silhouette. It looks like a snail. It’s supposed to be charming.
The full reveal isn’t until the Paris motor show in October, but the shape is there. You can spot it. It’s that bulbous, retro-modern look. Think ELO concept but for actual streets, not just press conferences.
Why the rush?
The plan is simple. Build these little things at the Pomigliano plant in Italy, starting in 2028, and keep the price tag under £15,001. Actually, right around £15k is the target. Fiat is doing the exact same move with a new Panda, reusing their 1980 legend. It’s a coordinated push. Stellantis wants to dominate the affordable end of the market while everyone else is fleeing it.
Autocar broke this rumor way back in January. They saw it coming. Now Chardon is standing there confirming it with a straight face. He says the old petrol C1 is dead. This is the replacement.
He spoke about icons. How products don’t make them. Emotions do.
“Icons create emotion. Icons connect brands with People. And today, one icon is back.”
He means it literally. Deux Chevaux. Two horses. It’s a heavy nod to history. The original car gave mobility to millions after WWII. He says this electric version will democratize it again. That sounds corporate, but the sentiment tracks. People want cheap transport. The market has gone cold on EVs for everyone who isn’t wealthy. Citroën sees a gap. A wide one.
Is it really as simple as they say? Chardon thinks the future isn’t about complex tech. He thinks it’s about being “intuitive.” Simple cars. Cars that work for real life. Not showrooms.
The new model is part of seven launches by 2030 for Citroën. Most are refreshes of stuff you already own. This, and maybe one other larger supermini, is supposed to be the money maker. The “new profit pool.”
He left the details for October. Just a shadow in the dark. But you know what you’re getting. A cheap electric city car with a lot of nostalgia wrapped in thin metal. It might just be enough.
The market is waiting. Or it isn’t. We’ll see in October.
