Citroën pulled one of the surprises of the 2026 Paris Motor Show by unveiling the 2 CV Concept, a compact electric reinterpretation of the iconic 1948 original.

The concept targets a starting price of around €15,000, a length of just 3.76 meters — shorter than the historic 2 CV — and a weight of roughly one tonne.

Both Electric Cars Report and Motor1 (via ua.news) corroborate the price target, the compact footprint, and the plan for European production of a model positioned between the two-seat Ami and the e-C3/C3 in the lineup. Citroën says a production version could join the lineup by 2028.

At a moment when most new electric vehicles are getting larger, heavier and more expensive, Citroën is betting on the opposite formula: lightweight construction, a battery sized around everyday needs, and deliberately simple design.

CEO Xavier Chardon says the goal is to preserve the simplicity, accessibility and freedom of the original 2 CV while making electric mobility appealing to today's customers.

If the €15,000 target survives to production, it would place the car among the most accessible new EVs in Europe — a genuine outlier in a market of 600 km-range crossovers debuting at €42,695 and up.

The styling keeps the classic cues — rounded bodywork, an upright windshield, a curved roofline, separately mounted round headlights and 18-inch steel wheels inspired by the original — finished in a bright Infra Red with orange and yellow accents.

Electric Cars Report details an interior built around comfort and cleverness rather than a conventional dashboard: wide Advanced Comfort seats, a pull-out front passenger seat, a removable basket in place of a center console, strap-style door handles, a fabric sunroof, an eight-inch square touchscreen and a detachable Radioen radio that doubles as a portable speaker.

Per Motor1 via ua.news, flat body panels and separately replaceable bumpers are intended to simplify production and repairs, and Michelin is collaborating on a digital tire-condition monitoring system that adapts vehicle behavior to road conditions.

Plenty remains unconfirmed: Citroën has not announced battery capacity, range, charging performance, power output, a production site or final specifications, and the €15,000 figure is a development objective rather than a confirmed retail price, as Electric Cars Report notes.

ua.news reports the premiere of the production car may come at the 2028 Paris Motor Show — 80 years after the first 2 CV appeared there in 1948.

The concept pays playful tribute throughout, from tortoise-and-rabbit pedal symbols and egg-holding door pockets to windshield numbers marking 1948, 1990 and 2026.

If Citroën delivers on price, weight and everyday usability, the 2 CV could give urban drivers, first-time EV buyers and second-car households a genuinely affordable electric option.