{"id":45512,"date":"2026-07-28T18:32:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:32:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=45512"},"modified":"2026-07-28T18:34:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:34:54","slug":"ds-revolte-the-2cv-revival-has-already-happened-but-in-a-luxurious-version-rather-than-a-popular-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=45512","title":{"rendered":"DS Revolte: the 2CV revival has already happened, but in a luxurious version rather than a popular one!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With two and a half months to go before the unveiling of a concept car offering a glimpse of what the popular electric 2CV of 2028 will look like (it will be unveiled to the public at the 2026 Paris Motor Show in October), here\u2019s a little reminder. It traces the origins of another concept car that also reinterpreted the Citro\u00ebn icon, but in a completely different vein \u2013 as a highly luxurious version!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What will the design of the electric 2CV, due to be unveiled on 12 October, look like? Here is LIGNES\/auto\u2019s take on it. Will it be based on a Chinese Leapmotor platform (with the dimensions that go with it\u2026) or on a modified Stellantis platform?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 2CV revival was something nobody at Citro\u00ebn wanted between the 1980s and 2000s, despite a few attempts, notably the one unveiled during the brand\u2019s centenary celebrations at La Fert\u00e9-Vidame in 2019 (below). For the brand\u2019s various bosses, notably Claude Satinet, looking back was out of the question. As if doing so would bring up painful memories, when in fact Citro\u00ebn\u2019s very DNA lay there\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Times have changed, and with Xavier Chardon taking the helm at Citro\u00ebn and the restructuring of the entire Stellantis group, the 2CV has broken free from the confines of that little rear-view mirror. It has now been catapulted onto the road. Well, almost \u2013 as we\u2019ll have to wait until 2028 for the electric 2CV 100, which complies with the new European M1E standards (a category between quadricycles and cars), to hit our roads. And it will pay homage to the 1939 TPV (Tr\u00e8s Petite Voiture), pictured below. That\u2019s what the brand is telling us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A 2CV revival has, however, already enjoyed the thrill of a grand unveiling, even though it was a one-off concept car: the 2009 Revolte \u2013 seventeen years ago now! Whilst the second-generation C3 had only just made its world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, alongside the production version of the first DS3, Citro\u00ebn was exhibiting the Revolte on its stand \u2013 a concept car ahead of its time; indeed, completely out of step with it. It speaks volumes about the energy and ideas bubbling away in the minds of the brand\u2019s creative team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Seventeen years after the DS R\u00e9volte concept car, which reimagined the spirit of the 2CV with a highly luxurious theme, the 2CV is set to return in 2028 as a production model, and as early as next October in the form of a concept car. It won\u2019t be luxurious \u2013 it\u2019ll be a people\u2019s car! We\u2019ve come up with our own, unofficial design.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Soubirou, pictured below, the car\u2019s designer, admits: \u201cI\u2019m not often at home at the moment, but these are the best years of my life! It\u2019s an incredible phase in my career \u2013 I\u2019m absolutely loving it!<\/em>\u201d It\u2019s true that, having been selected for the C-Sportlounge (2005) and the DS Inside (2009), he is now at the helm of the Revolte project, another iconic Citro\u00ebn concept car. Naturally, since then, he has followed a career path that has taken him to the helm of exterior design at DS Automobiles. But back in 2009, we weren\u2019t there yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Soubirou and the design team had given us a behind-the-scenes look at the studio during the early stages of the Revolte concept car\u2019s development.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON STELLANTIS\u2019 NEW STRATEGY, THE POSITIONING OF THE CITRO\u00cbN BRAND AND THAT OF THE FUTURE 2CV HERE. https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=45141<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a bit of an anniversary he was celebrating that year, with a 2CV that was unveiled in 1948 but only went on sale in small numbers in 1949. \u201cI wanted to pay homage to the 2CV, but Jean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 immediately told me, \u2018OK, but we mustn\u2019t fall into the trap of the 2CV\u2019s spartan nature \u2013 that\u2019s not what I want. I want a luxurious concept, with a premium feel\u2019 \u2013 and so, I\u2019m going to commit a bit of a sacrilege: the Revolte will be a luxury car!<\/em>\u201d Quite the opposite of the upcoming 2CV, which will embrace its mass-market appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The DS R\u00e9volte, unveiled in 2009. An illustration by the Citro\u00ebn Design Centre: Laurent Nivalle and Charles-Antoine d’Autichamp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Citro\u00ebn, a \u2018popular\u2019 brand \u2013 in the best sense of the word? Pierre Leclercq, Citro\u00ebn\u2019s current head of design (pictured below), who is currently keeping his prototype of the future 2CV under wraps in his studios, told us that \u201cI\u2019d like to emphasise that I love Citro\u00ebn\u2019s \u2018popular\u2019 side. Our role is to design products that are popular and accessible, and which, by their very nature, must be built to last and, above all, be sexy. We\u2019re going to present products that will capture people\u2019s imagination. Designing cars that are accessible to everyone is certainly fantastic, but it\u2019s not just about design: I genuinely feel that we\u2019re making people\u2019s lives better.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Soubirou told us at the outset of the Revolte project that \u201cJean-Pierre Plou\u00e9 (now replaced by Gilles Vidal) is part of the momentum surrounding the initial launch of the DS line within the Citro\u00ebn range. He wants to create a premium range. But conveying luxury through exterior design is always rather complicated. Our means of expressing opulence are more limited than those available to specialists in materials and colours, for example.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Julien Famchon (below) and Vincent Lobry, the C&M manager on this project, are indeed rather proud of the depth of the exterior colour. \u201cInside, the crystals reveal streaked effects similar to those of velvet. This velvety moir\u00e9 effect causes the light to shift across this specific material. We\u2019re really going for a sense of softness. On the door panels, coloured trim complements the dark, aubergine shade, which is highly glossy thanks to several layers of varnish. Next, we needed to add a touch of refinement with leather in the upper section, which also enhances the brightness. This leather is also beautifully finished with a powdery texture, like make-up powder.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Julien Famchon, who designed the interior, explained to us in 2009 \u201cthat it was essential to clearly distinguish between the two different worlds: that of the driver and that of the passengers. He also discussed how to convey this rebellious spirit in the interior design. The dashboard features a layout that is very different from anything available today. All the instruments are situated below the dashboard line. All the controls, meanwhile, are grouped together in the crystal cube. This central cube has a gemstone-like quality, whilst the structure supporting it acts as a vent.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Soubirou recalls that \u201cthis is the first time at Citro\u00ebn that we\u2019ve emphasised this notion of luxury!\u201d Was the Revolte easy to design, though? \u201cFor the Revolte, I worked on the elevation, just as we did with the 2CV. And I remember the 2CV Charleston, the classiest of the 2CVs with its famous side paint cut-out. That was the guiding principle. Then I added depth to the wings to give it a dynamic look.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Two stages in the development of the concept car: the foam model at the back and another, still in its solid form, to validate the design.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although the development of a compact concept car takes less time than that of a production vehicle, designers not directly involved in the project have time to watch it evolve in the design studio. \u201cThe Revolte will split the studio in two<\/em>,\u201d recalls Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric. \u201cThere are those who are on board and those who cry foul! Some \u2013 and not necessarily the most senior members \u2013 say that\u2019s not what the 2CV is all about. But we\u2019ve captured the spirit of the design, not the rural spirit of the 2CV. It was a deliberate choice and it was quite hard to stick to that commitment at first, but eventually the car won unanimous approval.<\/em>\u201d We\u2019ll find out in October, when the 2CV is unveiled, whether its down-to-earth appeal will prove more accessible than the luxury of the Revolte!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And for Soubirou, is it hard to cope with colleagues who don\u2019t see the appeal? \u201cNo, I\u2019m really in a mindset where I just go for it, but it\u2019s true that I haven\u2019t stayed true to the 2CV\u2019s spartan nature. But I fully stand by that!<\/em>\u201d The Revolte shatters the boundaries of the luxury car and imposes its own vision of this world so dear to French culture, in a tiny format, and is clad in a design that bombards the onlooker with nods to the brand\u2019s history. You can indeed spot the \u2018Deuche\u2019 on its sides and wings, but also the DS with its floating windscreen base, and even the SM with a front glass panel that doesn\u2019t encompass the headlights, but the grille instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 2009, the DS R\u00e9volte accompanied the launch of the \u201cCitro\u00ebn DS\u201d range, which was introduced with the DS3. Five years later, DS Automobiles would become a brand in its own right\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In short, it takes time to take in all the messages this hybrid is trying to convey. Carlo Bonzanigo, who was in charge of concept cars at the time, confirmed to us in 2009 that \u201cthis concept car is a rebellion on every front! It\u2019s a car with which we wanted to take the opposite approach to everything that already exists, whether in terms of the concept, the use of materials or the positioning of the product. It\u2019s a rejection of boredom and convention. It\u2019s clearly a project rooted in the world of luxury, drawing inspiration from the worlds of cosmetics, fashion and even jewellery. There you have it \u2013 that\u2019s the word: the Revolte is a real urban gem!<\/em>\u201d Between 2009 and 2026, the vision of the Deuche of the future will have changed considerably!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JUST FOR FUN!<\/strong>
What would happen if we combined the REAL 2009 concept car with our VIRTUAL IMAGINATION of the future 2CV \u2013 which is entirely subjective? Here\u2019s an answer that has nothing to do with the future 2CV, but we rather like it! This document is obviously not official!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With two and a half months to go before the unveiling of a concept car offering a glimpse of what the popular electric 2CV of 2028 will look like (it will be unveiled to the public at the 2026 Paris Motor Show in October), here\u2019s a little reminder. It traces […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45462,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45512"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45512"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45534,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45512\/revisions\/45534"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}