Restrained, rational, utilitarian in the noblest sense of the term. At the same time the concept car ELO is playfully appealing, you might even say visionary. A design oxymoron that brings together the many different souls of the Double Chevron, drawing inspiration from a deeply authentic creative process. With a nod to the smart simplicity of the 2CV and plenty of carefree spirit perhaps borrowed from the Méhari, solutions worthy of a 1990s minivan and, of course, an ultra-modern emphasis on sustainability and the brand’s role in the Stellantis line-up.
Short lenght
“The starting point was a meeting called to discuss how to reinvent the cabin within a very cramped footprint”, says design chief Pierre Leclercq. “Length-wise, even when a dedicated electric platform is adopted, the comparison is with the 4.01 m of the C3. The exact contrary of some of the bloated SUVs out there”. Three pillars lend a structure to the concept and give it a name: rEst, pLay, wOrk, a celebration of today’s multifunctionality.
The ultimate experience: sleeping on board
“Six years on from Covid, many users deploy their car as an extension of the office, even if only to send emails, or even as an occasional substitute for home during weekends away”. A trend towards “digital nomadism” that is shifting people towards a renewed interest in camping and “a freer, more frugal lifestyle.” Curiously, therefore, the ultimate way to enjoy the vehicle is to sleep in it: when necessary, a comfortable mattress, developed in collaboration with Decathlon, is inflated with an electric pump.
Revolutionary interiors
Despite the spectacular “nighttime” configuration, the entire interior architecture has been turned on its head. While the dash has developed the current strip running below the windshield (“perhaps with a production future”) and the steering wheel is a reinterpretation of the single-spoke heritage, the single central rotating driver’s seat shatters convention, while two extra rail-mounted seats can be added alongside it as a surprise.
Flat surfaces extending to the windows
On the outside, the elaborate livability of the interior translates into a decidedly basic design language consisting of clean-cut sections, flat surfaces extending to the windows (“making them less expensive”) and a lowered beltline to ensure driver visibility “comparable to the C3” from his unique position.
A well-established team
The ELO experience, although not aimed at future production, reveals Citroën’s unique creative maturity: “We have designed and created a similar laboratory of ideas because we have a well-established team and, above all, the perfect mindset”, concludes Leclercq. “Sometimes we even explain to other divisions how to optimise components, calibrate costs, or highlight exceptional features”. Very Citroën.
(Full article in A&D no. 277)
