Citroen Revolte hybrid concept at 2009 Frankfurt motor show

By Ben Pulman

First Official Pictures

15 September 2009 09:30

This is Citroen’s very cool Revolte concept, unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show. Is it the French company’s long-awaited take on a 21st century 2CV? Sadly not.

Rather, look at the tech powertrain – a plug-in range extender like the Opel Ampera's. It's due on a production car by 2011 or 2012, we hear.

Citroen claims the Revolte is 'a bold vision of the luxury, compact city car of tomorrow', so there’s chic styling and a hybrid powertrain. And while the 2CV was paired-back, the Revolte is technically very advanced with a touch-screen system and a re-chargeable hybrid powertrain with that sits beneath the rear seats and allows for zero-emissions running.

Those rear seats are behind a single driver’s seat, so the Revolte only has room for three. It means one rear passenger can stretch out into the space where a front passenger could sit, although a rear-facing child seat can also be fitted.

There are also suicide doors, plus woven black leather, thick crimson velvet and aluminium trim. The folding roof is covered in solar cells, which help run the Revolte’s on-board power systems.

Size-wise the Revolte is 3.68m long, 1.73m wide and 1.35m tall, making it a little longer, wider but lower than a Fiat 500.

And intriguingly, there’s also a DS badge on the nose above the backlit glass grille... It's not production bound, however. The Revolte is a tech showpiece, but we're assured it won't go on sale. Shame; we rather like those Alfa SZ-inspired headlamps!

By Ben Pulman