In 2022, Citroën began repositioning its range of accessible cars in response to the promise of the brand's founder, André Citroën, to make cars accessible to all. As if to underline this tribute, the brand changed its logo, placing it for the first time on a concept that showed that all the audacity and creativity of Citroën were still very much alive.
It was with a UFO that Citroën unveiled its new logo and its new stylistic language with an SUV that is completely different from what we are used to. With oli, for all ë, electric for all, Citroën is breaking the rules to create an electric car that is accessible to all, with a range of 400 kilometres, and sustainable, with a life expectancy of at least 15 years with several rental cycles. In an electric car, weight is the enemy, and Citroën understood this very well with the oli, which was designed to be as light as possible, so the brand sought out new components that combined strength and lightness, such as the honeycomb cardboard used for the bonnet and roof.
The Oli concept was certainly radical and showed that Citroën, as an accessible and popular brand, was capable of the daring and innovation that had always characterised the Chevrolet brand. Logically, it could have been argued that the extreme nature of the oli concept was incompatible with mass production, even if the brand's managers were confident that everything was possible.
An arrival in 2026
However, things are changing and, recently, Citroën design chief Pierre Leclercq confirmed that the oli concept would lead to a production version, by 2026-2027, declaring "we are going to put a very close to oli" and specifying that when the concept had been studied "there was no idea that we did not want to put into production".
It is therefore an official confirmation made by Pierre Leclercq last June, which the media immediately turned into a confirmation that the future C4 would be a production version of the Oli. However, after some reflection and analysis, it seems difficult to believe that the production version of the oli concept could indeed be the future fourth generation C4, for the simple reason that the current generation will be restyled in October and the changes are so important that they can't be made two years in advance. In addition, the dimensions of the Oli concept, 4m20 long, are incompatible with a compact saloon that must offer sufficient space for passengers and a boot that can accommodate the family's holiday luggage. Finally, Citroën will not offer the Basalt in Europe, precisely because it is in direct competition with the C4, which offers more or less the same interior and exterior dimensions at a significantly higher price. Citroën could well have waited for the redesigned Basalt to replace the C4, but it is good that the brand is planning something else around this future car.
All the evidence suggests that the production version of the Oli concept could indeed be a new addition to the brand's range, joining the new C3 and C3 Aircross. Indeed, it is certain that the oli will be based on the STLA Smart platform currently used in the latest Citroëns, as Thierry Koskas indicated: "There will be other cars based on this platform, we are not yet at the end of our efforts to develop the STLA Smart platform".
Naturellement, il est encore bien trop tôt pour avoir des informations concrètes sur cette version de série du concept oli qui, par définition, ne pourra être que différente du concept, tant parfois il était extrême. La marque, à travers Pierre Leclercq et Thierry Koskas, nous donne toutefois de bonnes bases avec l’utilisation de la plateforme STLA Smart et l’annonce par Pierre Leclercq d’une volonté de proximité entre le concept et la version de série.
To conclude, the announcement of the arrival of a production version of the Oli concept is surprising because it is no longer in Stellantis' habit to produce niche cars, which seems to be the case with this futuristic vehicle. But the concept was so daring, so radical in its proposals, so in keeping with Citroën's audacity and creativity, that it sketched the contours of the car of tomorrow, and if there's one brand capable of going beyond expectations and creating something radically new, it's Citroën.
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