Citroen already teased the arrival of a reborn electric 2CV, but now we’ve got our first idea of what the car is going to look like with the new 2CV concept car revealed ahead of this week’s Paris motor show. 

The new 2CV doesn’t just channel the spirit of the original, it has resurrected it with a jolt of electricity, pointing the way to a production car that Citroen promises will come in under £13,000 (€15,000) and weigh less than a tonne. 

The arrival of the new 2CV is tied in with the European Union’s new e-car class, which is being drawn up in an effort to make smaller cars in the EU more economical by loosening strict safety requirements that mean new cars are being sold with lots of expensive electric tech. 

​Citroen says it will put the 2CV into production whether or not the new format has been cemented into legislation – the bloc has been slow to finalise the details to the frustration of carmakers. 

The 2CV concept looks very familiar, with all the right notes from the classic – if you squint a little and dim the lights you could confuse the two. 

What the concept doesn’t have is the removable panels that made the original cheap but cheerful, though the fabric sunroof is still there. 

The 19in steel wheels are a touch bigger than the 15in numbers fitted to the original car, but look like they could have come straight off the older car. 

We’ve got no official information as to the concept car’s powertrain – the battery will have to be very small to meet the sub-1,000kg target weight though. 

Inside, the cabin is very minimalist in order to maximise interior space – there’s no dashboard, but the steering wheel, controls and dash display are all fitted to a single cylinder. 

An 8.0in touchscreen infotainment display is a concession to modern trends, and the radio does the neat trick of being removable so that you can take it with you as a Bluetooth speaker when you leave the car. 

Likewise there’s a removable storage basket in the middle of the front floor of the car that replaces the centre console. 

Perhaps my favourite thing about the 2CV concept is the phrase “hints of beige, reminiscent of Bakelite” that describes some of the style choices around the cabin and won’t be used to describe any other new car being revealed in the near future. 

Fiat and Jeep have become known for their Easter eggs, but Citroen clearly isn’t going to take that lying down in the Stellantis family – the numbers 48 90 26 appear on the rear window, not the number of a local Citroen dealer in 1953 but rather a nod to the original car’s launch in 1948, its demise in 1990 and the 2026 concept reveal. 

The sound of the horn and the e-motor have been designed to mimic the classic car, there are retro Michelin tyres fitted and the number plate shows off some of the 2CV’s nicknames it’s been given around the world. 

Meanwhile the door storage pockets are designed to hold eggs by way of homage to the 2CV’s original target of being suitable for farmers to get their wares to market across rutted fields. 

So when's the actual new 2CV coming? Expect a look at the final production car in 2027 with the real thing going on sale in 2028. Ginny's had a look at the new concept, find out what she thinks here.