Last seen in 1990, one of Europe’s most recognizable cars is officially coming back. Citroën unveiled the new 2 CV Concept at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, providing the clearest look yet at the inexpensive electric car it intends to put into production by 2028. Unlike many revived nameplates, the new 2CV is not being positioned as an expensive retro novelty. Citroën says the goal is essentially the same one that created the original: build a simple, useful car ordinary people can afford.
The concept measures just 3.76 meters, or about 12.3 feet, long and is intended to weigh around one metric ton. Citroën is targeting a starting price of roughly €15,000 when the production model arrives. The company has not yet announced battery capacity, horsepower or final driving range, arguing that a lightweight car designed primarily for everyday transportation does not need an enormous battery. It will be built in Europe and positioned between the tiny Ami and conventional C3 in Citroën’s lineup.
Visually, there is no mistaking what inspired it. Separate round headlights sit beside a sculpted hood, the roof follows the original car’s familiar arch and exposed windshield wipers reinforce the intentionally simple appearance. Nineteen-inch steel wheels reinterpret the skinny wheels of the old 2CV, while a fabric roof recalls one of the original car’s most charming features. Citroën insists it has not simply copied the old design, but it has certainly made sure nobody will mistake the new model for anything else.
The Simplicity Goes Far Beyond the Styling
The original 2CV became successful because there was remarkably little to it. Citroën seems determined to preserve some of that philosophy in an era when even inexpensive cars have become heavy, complicated and packed with screens. The new concept uses simple body surfaces, exposed air intakes beneath the windshield and bumpers that are separate from the body so damaged pieces can be replaced individually. Citroën says ease of repair and manufacturing were considered from the beginning rather than treated as afterthoughts.
The interior takes the same approach, although not without some playful French weirdness. There is no conventional dashboard. Instead, a cylindrical structure carries the single-spoke steering wheel, controls and driver information display. An eight-inch square touchscreen handles additional functions, while a removable “Radioën” serves as both the car’s audio system and a portable speaker. Door pulls are simple fabric straps, a removable basket replaces the traditional center console and the seats use bright tartan material inspired by historic 2CV interiors.
Citroën even incorporated small jokes aimed directly at people who know the original car. The brake pedal carries a tortoise symbol while the accelerator gets a rabbit, the door storage is shaped to hold eggs and markings on the windshield reference 1948, 1990 and 2026: the original 2CV’s debut, the end of its production and the unveiling of the new concept. Even the startup sound and horn are intended to recall the old car. Citroën may say this is not nostalgia, but it clearly knows exactly who is watching.
And Yes, Citroën Made a New 2CV Panel Van
Beside the passenger car in Paris sits something arguably even more charming: the new 2 CV Fourgonnette Concept. Citroën built panel-van versions of the original 2CV for decades, turning the basic little car into a delivery vehicle used by shopkeepers, tradespeople and businesses across Europe. The boxy cargo body became nearly as recognizable as the passenger model, and Citroën’s designers decided the revival would not feel complete without imagining what a modern Fourgonnette could look like.
The new version takes the front of the 2 CV Concept and adds the familiar tall cargo section behind it, creating a tiny electric commercial vehicle with considerably more personality than the average delivery van. Citroën describes it as an exploration of the same principles behind the passenger car: low weight, simplicity, accessibility and practicality. In other words, the company has recreated the idea of using the cheapest, simplest passenger car it can build as the basis for an equally straightforward work vehicle.
There is one important catch. While Citroën says a production model inspired by the regular 2 CV Concept should join its lineup by 2028, the Fourgonnette is officially only a design study. The company specifically says it does not preview a production commercial vehicle “in the short term.” That leaves the little panel van in much the same place many concept cars occupy: real enough to photograph, but not yet something customers can order. Considering how closely the original 2CV and Fourgonnette were connected, however, it is difficult not to hope Citroën eventually builds both.
