Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Citroen will revive the fun, back-to-the-basics beach car in Frankfurt

Ronan Glon
By

2010 Citroen Lacoste concept
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Fun-focused beach cars used to be a common sight across southern Europe. On paper, the concept was relatively simple. Automakers like Fiat simply took a mundane economy car, chopped off the roof, and added a canvas top, while others — notably Citroën and later Renault — went through the hassle of designing a model-specific body.

Popular beach cars like the Citroën Méhari, the Mini Moke, and the Renault Rodeo all vanished without a true successor in the 1980s and the early 1990s, but at least one of those nameplates seems all but set to make a comeback. Paris-based Citroën has surprisingly beat MINI to the punch, and it has announced that it will give us an accurate preview of what a modern-day beach car could look like at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

Recommended Videos

According to Citroën, the concept will take the form of a “fresh and invigorating version of the C4 Cactus crossover that revisits the spirit of the legendary Méhari.” That’s not a lot to go on, but the statement seemingly hints that the yet-unnamed concept won’t feature a full-on retro-inspired design because it will be billed as an offshoot of the funky crossover, not as a standalone model.

Related

Power will come from either a three- or a four-cylinder gasoline-burning engine pulled directly out of the Citroën parts bin, and the original Méhari’s famously light plastic body panels will most likely be replaced by sheet metal for cost and safety reasons. Whether it will retain the regular-production Cactus’ four-door setup or feature only two doors like the highly collectible 1968 model is anyone’s guess at this point.

Similarly, what the future holds for the funky concept largely depends on how showgoers, Citroënaholics, and prospective owners react to it. However, Citroën is progressively getting its wonderfully unique strand of weirdness back, and company CEO Linda Jackson recently hinted that she’s open to the idea of bringing back the Méhari.

“Maybe there is a place [in the lineup] for the Méhari. It’s something we are considering,” revealed the executive in an interview with trade journal Automotive News.

We’ll bring you full details and live images of Citroën’s next concept straight from the show floor in Frankfurt starting on September 15.

Déjà vu

Citroën has toyed around with the idea of a modern-day beach car on two separate occasions in recent memory. In 2003, the company launched an open-top version of the C3 city car dubbed C3 Pluriel that featured an innovative (albeit bulky) removable roof. Over 100,000 examples of the Pluriel were sold across Europe until it was given the ax in 2010.

The C3 Pluriel’s successor was previewed by a futuristic concept dubbed Lacoste (pictured) that was shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Ultimately, the company couldn’t justify developing such a low-volume model because it was in dire financial straits so the Lacoste remained a concept and the C3 Pluriel was never replaced.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations
The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more
Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Read more
Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs
Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.

Read more