Citroën has confirmed the revival of the storied 2CV name for its upcoming £15,000 electric city car - and previewed its design ahead of a reveal at the Paris motor show in October.
Taking to the stage at parent company Stellantis's investor day presentation in Michigan, Citroën CEO Xavier Chardon gave a first look at the firm's new entry-level EV and confirmed: "The 2CV is back."
The long-awaited confirmation that Citroën will redeploy the iconic name for its new E-car – to be built alongside a reborn Fiat Panda in Italy from 2028 – comes alongside the first hint that the 1940s car's styling will be reinterpreted for a new era too.
Autocar exclusively broke the news that Citroën was plotting a revival of the 2CV in January 2025, as part of a bid to tap into opportunities in Europe's affordable car segment as rival manufacturers exited en masse.
Speaking to Autocar last month, Chardon said the new model would have "exactly the same purpose as the 2CV did in the late 1940s" in reigniting buyer demand in a stagnant European car market" and added that the company's priority was to give "buying power" back to European motorists.
The first teaser of the new city car reveals that it will adopt the same snail-shaped silhouette as its era-defining forebear, but with a more modern look influenced by Citroën's recent ELO concept, which set the tone for the brand's design going forward.
The preview comes just days after Stellantis confirmed it would begin building affordable electric city cars – with a target price under £15,000 – at its Pomigliano plant in Italy from 2028.
Fiat will similarly channel the styling – and likely the name – of its own historic 'people's car', the original Panda of 1980, for its take on the formula.
Chardon said the new 2CV will be one of seven new models launching by 2030. Five of these will be renewals of existing models, while the 2CV and one other – expected to be a slightly larger electric supermini – will take Citroën into "new profit pools".
Confirming the name of the firm's new entry model, which effectively replaces the old petrol-powered C1, Chardon said: "Products alone do not create icons. Icons create emotion. Icons connect brands with people. And today, one icon is about to return. Yes, the Deux Chevaux is back."
He then showed the darkened silhouette of the new EV and said: "If you want to see it in full light, you are invited in person to the [Paris motor] show in October."
He referenced the importance of the original 2CV in giving "freedom of mobility to millions" in the wake of World War II and said: "Eighty years later, the new 2CV will democratise electric mobility."
It will be "a true people's car designed for real life", Chardon pledged. "For me, the future of mobility will not be won by the most complex cars but by the simplest and the most intuitive ones.
"What truly matters is to be relevant."
