French manufacturer Citroën is cemented in my mind as the maker of weird, quirky automobiles that push the concepts of engineering and design forward. Except, I don’t think the brand’s current offerings are nearly as groundbreaking or interesting as they used to be.
Peruse through Citroën’s current offerings, and you’ll find a smattering of differently sized crossovers, lifted wagons, and SUVs, each a bit more plain than the last. Sure, the Ami is amazing, but it’s also not really a car. It’s technically a quadricycle, with a top speed of 28 mph and an electric range of just 50 miles.
But, while Citroën’s production cars aren’t very inspiring, the opposite is true of its concepts. The past decade of concept cars from the brand has been hit after hit, with all the strange yet endearing design choices you’d expect from the brand. This disconnect needs to stop.
All Of That History Leads To This
Just look at this lineup. The falling demand for small cars and uptick in cravings for SUVs have meant the cute C1 and C2 hatchbacks no longer exist. The C3 is still around, but it’s no longer a hatch; instead, a small, unassuming crossover.
That’s not to say practical people-movers can’t be interesting. Hell, all I have to do is point to Citroën’s recent past to prove that point. The company’s “Picasso” line of small minivan-shaped cars delivered as much design pizazz as they did practicality. Now, that segment is filled by the C5 Aircross, which is just another SUV.
The farther you look back in time, the cooler Citroën’s lineup becomes. While that’s probably true of most manufacturers, it’s especially obvious here. The 2CV, the DS, and the SM are the obvious ones, but there are also more modern examples, like the C6 and the C4 Cactus. These cars could’ve gotten away without their respective quirks, but Citroën went the extra mile to make them memorable.
I Know You Can Do Better, Citroën
It’s not like Citroën has lost its touch. One look at its recent concepts will tell you that. In 2019, it showed off the ridiculous 19_19 Concept to celebrate its centennial, which was inspired by airplanes and looks more like a fuselage on wheels than a car.
Then, in 2022, Citroën revealed what is probably my favorite concept car of the last five years, the Oli. It was a city-minded EV crossover with an insane shape that included a flat, fully perpendicular windshield. To save weight, some of its body panels were made from straight-up cardboard. That’s the kind of freakazoid innovation I expect from Citroën.
That weirdness is alive and well, going by Citroën’s newest concept released today, the ELO. It’s a van-shaped electric car that the company describes as a “laboratory of ideas” that embodies its values for the future. In addition to a transportation device, it’s also meant to be used as a “modular living space” capable of accommodating up to six people. The name is an acronym, but in typical Citroën weirdness, it uses the second letter of each word, not the first: REST, PLAY, WORK.
I’m most interested in the ELO’s design, of course, because it’s so much more interesting than anything the company sells. The silhouette is weird as hell, with a shallow waterfall-like windshield that levels out at the nose. The back of the roof has an interesting kink to tighten up the rear fascia, which has a similar piece of glass as the front, albeit more upright. There are thin strips of LEDs for running lights front and rear, and big squares for the main headlights and taillights. I’m especially fond of the asymmetrical panels in the rear.
Inside, you’ll find a centered driver’s seat and a single back row with three seats. The rear seats can be reconfigured to lie flat to be used either as a workstation or a bed, with the driver’s seat able to rotate 180 degrees. Citroën envisions the ELO as a place where you can relax and get work done, in addition to driving places. Sounds like a fancy motorhome to me, except weirder-looking.
Obviously, there are several dozen reasons why concepts like this can’t make it to production. Citroën is a business that needs to make money, after all, so they can’t go producing cutting-edge, fringe designs hoping normal people will buy them. But Citroën has this unique ability to work aspects of these designs into its production cars without scaring away buyers. My point is, it should be doing more of that. That’s what makes Citroën, Citroën. Turning the mundane into something interesting, the boring into something exciting and charming.
Top graphic image: Citroën
The design language is bordering on Hot Wheels, not what I’m expecting from Citroen.
Just euthanize the brand.
And Peugeot too if it no longer makes tough, well damped cars.
I very nearly bought a Citroën Grand C4 Spacetourer (nee Picasso) early this year. I really liked the styling and it drove fine, but ultimately I found that the VW Touran beat it on ergonomics and practicality, so I bought that instead. I still have regrets whenever I see one.
Everyone – especially the French – know that two things sell products:
Good Design
and
Sex
Citroën knows the assignment – They just need to follow through.
At first I thought those little winglets sticking out around the rear hatch were semaphore trafficators. The rest of the car was weird enough I naturally assumed Citroen had incorporated them into the design and I got excited for a minute.