In September 2022, Citroën surprised the world with the presentation of the oli concept, which foreshadowed the face of future Citroëns in terms of both style and product range. More than two years after its launch, what impact has the oli concept had on the range and what can it still do? The analysis.
A breakthrough style
It is true to say that the oli concept marked a break for Citroën. After a generation of fairly smooth vehicles, the oli concept opted for clean lines, with horizontals and verticals, and imposed a new three-point lighting signature, common to the front and rear.
This completely new and unique visual signature was first used on production cars, starting with the new C3, which was the first production car to feature the brand's new style. This new lighting signature, which can be seen from a distance and is easy to identify, is located at the rear of the car and has gradually been adopted by the brand's other models, such as the C3 Aircross and the restyled C4 and C4 X, in a different definition that adapts to the different models.
The lines of the cars also adopt this change in style, starting with a more vertical front end, necessary for pedestrian impact, which breaks with a very horizontal bonnet, thus translating another aspect of the Oli concept, even if the cars cannot, of course, be as radical as the concept.
But did you know that the new style of the Oli Concept was present even before its presentation? If you look at the rear lights of the restyled C5 Aircross and the C4 X, both of which were presented before the concept, you will see the visual signature of three light points... This is no coincidence, the concept should have been unveiled before 2022, but the pandemic context delayed its presentation to such an extent that the models planned for production, which cannot be postponed, were unveiled before the concept.
Finally, the future C5 Aircross, whose concept was the surprise of the last Paris Motor Show, goes even further, particularly thanks to its rear lights, the famous Citroën Light Wings, which protrude clearly from the bodywork to guide the airflow and allow better aerodynamics. They are in line with those of the concept, which also stood out, a new translation of the influence of the Oli concept on the style of the brand's cars.
A renewal also inside
Inside, the new C3 and C3 Aircross have adopted the C-Zen lounge concept, with a very horizontal dashboard and neat details, with the upper part of the instrument cluster located at the base of the windscreen on a thin strip, just as proposed by oli.
The lower part of the dashboard of the brand's latest models is decorated with fabric, just as in the oli concept, in a smooth section that contributes to the warmth of the interior. This fabric, with a 3D effect, is directly derived from the oli concept, making it soft to the touch and enhancing the quality of the interior. And if the brand has not yet dared to use red in the interior of its vehicles, it is trying the colour again with a light interior on the Max versions of the latest C3 and C3 Aircross, which bring a lot of warmth and conviviality.
In conclusion, when the oli concept was launched, it was presented as a manifesto, a vision of what a popular and accessible electric brand should be, where boldness still has its full meaning. The brand's latest innovations, particularly the C3 and C3 Aircross, have translated these intentions into series production, and both are much more accessible without ever seeming cheap. Of course, the oli concept went much further in terms of materials or design, but its influence on design is real and, in the long term, the next Citroëns will have its heritage in mind.
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