Citroen is bringing back the legendary 2 CV!

• Citroen is re-birthing its 2 CV
• Fully electric hatchback expected from 2028
• No design pics just yet
• But Citroen says the new 2 CV will ‘capture the spirit’ of the original

^{(Screenshot from Citroen's promo video, which you can watch here)}

One of the most iconic vehicles in automotive history is on the brink of a comeback - the legendary Citroen 2 CV!

The original 2 CV (aka ‘deux-cheveaux’ or 'two horses') was built to offer affordable mobility for the masses and ran for more than 40 years, barely changing in shape during that time.

Now Citroen is preparing a fully electric 2 CV which will ‘capture the spirit’ of its predecessor without resorting to outright ‘nostalgia’.

^{(Copyright Citroen)}

Xavier Chardon, Citroen CEO, tells us: “Reinventing the 2 CV of tomorrow is a huge challenge and responsibility. The original 2 CV was never created to become an icon. It became one because it gave people freedom. The new 2 CV will carry that same spirit forward - not through nostalgia, but by reinventing its simplicity and accessibility for today’s world. Electric. Essential. Affordable. Human. Just like the original once democratized mobility, the new 2 CV will re-enchant electric mobility for a new generation through a highly desirable model.”

There’s no word just yet on an official launch date, but production is likely to start around 2028 with an estimated price of between £15,000 and £18,000.

It’ll compete with other retro-inspired rivals like the Renault 5 and Fiat 500e.

^{(Copyright Citroen)}

What was so unique about the original Citroen 2 CV?

Whether you think of it as an ‘umbrella with four wheels’, as Citroen famously said of its car during the design process, or a ‘tin snail’, as others dubbed it, the 2 CV was all about simple, affordable and practical motoring for those who lived in rural France.

The 2 CV, which ran from 1948 to 1990, was conceived by Citroen Vice-President Pierre Boulanger as a viable alternative to horse and carts, which were still de rigeur in the 1930s.

It had to carry four people and a cargo of 50kg at speeds of 30mph across bumpy roads and farm tracks, whether you were heading to the local market or to church, and also needed to be economical.

It was never fast - even the latest models from the late 80s made do with a 0.6-litre petrol engine developing a heady 29 bhp.

^{(Copyright Citroen)}

But what set the 2 CV apart was its pothole-devouring, almost self-levelling suspension that had huge amounts of travel.

As the famous story goes (and thought to be part of the original design brief) the 2 CV had to be able to carry a basket of eggs across a ploughed field without breaking a single one.

What’s more, the car was built to be so lightweight that the original prototype only had one headlight!

Will the new electric 2 CV ever see a ploughed field? Unlikely.

But Citroen could still deliver a cut-price hatchback with cool retro styling that’ll have bags of appeal to those who remember the original so fondly.

Watch this space for official design pics - as Citroen hasn’t revealed anything just yet.

Can't wait for the new Citroen 2 CV? Check out the affordable e C3 instead, which Citroen says 'already provides a concrete response to today’s mobility challenges'.

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