It is gone.

While Citroen is now more mainstream-oriented than ever before, it still offers some of the most quirky and entertaining vehicles in the business. You can think of the C4 Cactus to get an idea. However, it is unlikely that we will see a successor to the 2CV.

Let’s first briefly review the history of the 2CV. It was first introduced in Paris in 1948 as a motorized vehicle that could be used by the common man. It was named after the French word “deux chevaux,” meaning “two steam horses”. The engine produced just 9 horsepower (8 kilowatts).

Spy Photos: Audi A7 loses fastback design, gains longer wheelbase

Only China will have the long-wheelbase model.

 

China’s consumers are known for their desire to have rear legroom. Automakers have responded by making long-wheelbase versions. Audi has already entered the LWB market with many models that cater to the Chinese market. Soon, it will offer another model – the long-wheelbase Audi A7. New spy photos confirm that the report that Audi was developing such a model was accurate.

Audi is not content with just adding inches to the wheel. The model’s steep fastback roofline will be gone from the A7L. It will instead transform into a more traditional-looking sedan. Although the camouflage is almost complete, it doesn’t cover the modified rear end. Even the grille, taillights, headlights, as well as taillights are covered. The styling isn’t affected by the extra coverage. The taillights and lower front fascia look identical.

The Audi A7L will only be made and sold in China. Production takes place at SAIC-VW, Shanghai. The A7L will be the first China-made car that uses Audi’s MLB Evo platform. The older MLB platform is used by the A6L. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder will power the luxury saloon. It produces between 190 to 240 horsepower (141 – 178 kilowatts). It is possible to make a hybrid later.

The rear should see the biggest changes, with the increased wheelbase increasing the rear legroom. Audi may offer rear-seat passengers some extra amenities but they shouldn’t expect an extravagant rear-seat experience. Customers can choose to upgrade to the more expensive and more luxurious Audi A8L if they desire something more extravagant. In China, the Audi A7L will debut in the first half 2021.

Citroen is not planning to revive their classics from the past century, as Mini and Fiat did. Instead, Citroen will look for inspiration from its most beloved models of decades past to launch new models.

“We look at the past to evolve our designs,” Linda Jackson, Citroen’s boss, said TopGear recently. “But what I don’t want is to become a retro manufacturer.” I won’t make a new 2CV. It was a good design, and it served its purpose. But it’s all about the next design that will be best for the customer.

While we are sorry to hear that the 2CV has been essentially dead for good, Jackson’s words make perfect sense. We are currently in the middle of a revolution within the automotive industry. Reintroducing old ideas won’t work.

Jackson said, “No, that’s not what I want to do.” Jackson said, “I believe you have to continue thinking innovatively. You can’t go back to the things you have done before. It was successful back then, but people still want something new. People want something new, but it is important to maintain coherence. When I look back at 2014, when I started, we had some amazing cars but there was no coherence. It wouldn’t have been a family, you would not have known.