Absent from the next Paris Motor Show, Citroën could have exhibited a new concept car there. Oli is a study of a small, light electric pick-up that heralds the style of the brand’s future models. The car takes over the philosophy of the Friend and is more versatile at the same time.
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Citroën’s absence from the 2022 Paris Motor Show does not prevent the brand from presenting a brand new concept car called Oli.
Wilfrid Veris
The Ami occupies a special place in the Citroën range. With its economical design and minimalist style, it was met with skepticism by many. But this quadricycle quickly achieved a great commercial success. To convince the Chevron brand to take inspiration from it for larger models? This is what one might think when discovering the Oli concept car. The name was also chosen to reflect that of the cart. While playing with the English pronunciation “All-ë”, which could be translated into French as “electric for all”. This perfectly functional prototype is teeming with ideas to make electric mobility accessible to as many people as possible, without imposing as many compromises as the Ami.
A featherweight without aerodynamics
“It’s very easy to make a car for €100,000 or €150,000, but it’s much more difficult to make a vehicle that the vast majority can afford” said Anne Laliron, director of future products and mobility solutions for the manufacturer. In this context, carrying a huge, very expensive battery was out of the question. The Citroën Oli is therefore satisfied with 40 kWh of power, instead of 50 kWh on the compact ë-C4. A modesty that does not prevent this concept to claim 400 km of autonomy, thanks to a consumption of only 10 kWh/100 km. By observing the vertical windscreen, you will have understood that this austerity is not the result of exceptional aerodynamics, Mercedes EQXX style. The French brand preferred to bet on a reduced mass of about 1,000 kg. A feat for a 100% electric vehicle that is 4.20 m long, 4 cm longer than a C3 Aircross. Despite its heat engines, the latter weighs almost at least 1,200 kg and the aforementioned ë-C4 does not fall below 1,500 kg.
A cardboard car
The power is all the more remarkable that it is not obtained through expensive materials, such as aluminum, magnesium or carbon fiber. No, the Chevrons preferred to use recycled honeycomb cardboard instead. A much more rational choice than it seems. Used for the roof, bonnet and cargo box panels of this pocket-sized pick-up, this material co-developed with BASF could prove to be very durable and resistant. To prove it to us, Citroën didn’t hesitate to get us on the roof of the Oli! Quite a contrast to most concepts, which are sometimes barely discussed. But this somewhat special cardboard has a disadvantage: to maintain its strength, it must be used flat. This largely explains the very geometric design of this style study, which further emphasizes the affinity with the Ami. As with this four-wheeler, we find the idea of identical front doors on each side. Pierre Leclercq, the design boss of the brand, even says that it is possible “Imagine such an iconic vehicle only coming out in one color with a few orange accents”. Another way to save money already exploited by the cart without a license from the Chevrons.
New logo and new face
These C-shaped headlights are presented as Citroën’s new light signature.
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The young designer Raphaël Doukhan is the author of the exterior style of this concept.
The argument
The silhouette of a small pickup truck is meant to be practical. However, she has almost no chance of being serialized.
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It is possible to raise the rear window and fold the seats to significantly increase the load space.
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The exterior design nevertheless remains more extensive than with the Ami. In particular on the front, where we discover a new logo intended to adorn future Citroën productions. Appearing for the first time on the 19_19 concept, during the centenary of the brand, this emblem opts for a look inspired by the past. A strong trend among French manufacturers, because Renault and Peugeot also played the nostalgic card last year when they changed their coat of arms.
This new logo has really become the central jewel of our front, explains Raphaël Doukhan, the young designer responsible for Oli’s exterior styling. It’s an unusual element that we want to highlight. So we put it on an extremely clean surface.
Without grille and equipped with an original C-shaped light signature, this study therefore marks a real break with current models. It heralds the end of a gimmick that has served the brand for many years, that of the chrome chevrons that extend from one headlight to the other. The next C5 Aircross, expected for 2025, could be the first with this new face. The silhouette of the pocket pickup, on the other hand, has more of a recreational function. It is useless to hope that Citroën will try to invest in this category that is not currently on the market. However, this did not prevent the brand from taking charge of the design of the waste container, in particular a system of rails on the two walls to be able to fix a large object such as a TV or a washing machine.
Towards the end of all screens on board
To save weight, the inner part of the doors has been reduced to the essentials.
Wilfrid Veris
The dashboard chooses to dispense with a large screen. A small slot in the center accommodates a smartphone, the information of which is then projected across the entire width.
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A location is provided on either side of the dashboard for Bluetooth speakers.
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In the absence of a closed glove compartment, pins ensure that the items are held in place. Also note the electrified rail system that can power a USB charger.
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The steering wheel hub design is inspired by Leica cameras.
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The very colorful interior also gives clues to the future. In particular, it predicts a possible abandonment of the race for increasingly large screens. Here, as on Dacia’s Manifesto concept, there’s no trace of a giant touchscreen. There is only a housing to insert a smartphone, the information of which is then projected in front of the driver. In particular, this is intended to make the car more sustainable and prevent the rapid obsolescence of on-board multimedia systems. “We know very well that what works best in infotainment and that is always up to date is the phone we all carry with us”, justifies Raphaël Doukhan. There is also no audio system. The latter is replaced by two housings on either side of the dash to accommodate aftermarket connected speakers. There is also a system of electrified rails to power various accessories and a steering wheel whose hub is inspired by a Leica camera. As for the door panels and seats, the design has been simplified to save weight.
A rolling laboratory… at 110 km/h
This Oli concept does not announce a production car and is therefore a real ideas laboratory for Citroën. Some are already known elsewhere, such as the ability to power an electrical device up to 3.6 kW from a 230 V outlet. Others are newer, such as the hybrid steel and aluminum wheels, fitted with Goodyear Eagle GO tires . They can last up to 500,000 km thanks to a durable carcass and a renewable tread. Finally, others are not afraid to be controversial, such as the maximum speed capped at 110 km/h to reduce consumption. A decision that does not tie the brand to a hypothetical reduction in the restriction. It justifies this choice by stating that the use of the highway is ultimately an ultra-minority in the life of a family car. This understated look compensates for the “aerodynamic wall” caused by the flat windshield. But the latter would also have advantages thanks to its small size. It requires less glass than normal and would allow less sunlight to pass through, limiting the use of air conditioning. A device called an Aero duct also allows air to be trapped under the headlight to improve airflow and create a “virtual windshield” of sorts.
A concept far from free
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The small, flat windshield isn’t great for aerodynamics, but it would reduce the use of air conditioning.
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Even though she doesn’t take herself too seriously, this Oli is therefore much more than a free exercise. The design has also been very careful so that it can roll in an almost normal way, unlike most style studies. The technical choices made favor simplicity over technology, sobriety over performance. They announce the turn Citroën wants to take to become the cheapest brand of the Stellantis group next to Fiat and thus put a spoke in Dacia’s wheels. A bet all the more difficult because it is accompanied by a transition to 100% electric in 2030 in Europe. As for the body, it doesn’t just serve as a showcase for updated Chevrons. It also signals the fracture looming for the facies of future Citroëns. What more to regret that the brand does not make the journey to the Mondial de Paris. But since he didn’t show up at the Porte de Versailles, this Oli concept could well afford a tour in several cities of France.
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