Citroën has reimagined its electric microvehicle, the Citroën Ami, for a more rugged environment with the Citroën My Ami Buggy concept. While the standard Ami is designed for urban areas with its tidy proportions and low top speed, the My Ami Buggy concept showcases how the Ami could serve as a holiday toy for off-road adventures.
The Citroën My Ami Buggy concept features off-road jewelry, including thick tires (including a spare mounted on the roof), an LED light bar, and cages over its headlights to give it that rugged look.
Citroën My Ami Buggy
Citroën has removed the doors, utilizing the extra space for storage containers. The seats have thicker padding with memory foam, and Citroën included a matching luggage set in the bright yellow color of the upholstery.
No mechanical changes were mentioned, so the Ami’s maximum speed of 28 mph likely remains unchanged. Due to its small size and characteristics, the Ami is not considered a car under European Union regulations. It’s technically classified as a “quadricycle” and can be driven without a license by individuals as young as 14 in France and 16 in other European countries, according to Citroën.
When initially launched in 2020, Citroën mentioned that the Ami would be available for rent for the equivalent of $23 per month for 48 months. The automaker has also announced plans to bring the Ami to the United States through the Free2Move mobility service, owned by Citroën’s parent company, Stellantis.
Citroën has been showing creativity with its electric vehicles for the European market, and this innovative spirit is expected to influence other Stellantis brands. Much of this creativity is inspired by the brand’s past. The Ami borrows its name from a Citroën model from the 1970s that, like the current EV, was as basic as four-wheeled transportation. In 2016, Citroën launched the outdoor utility vehicle e-Mehari, inspired by the 1968 Mehari, which combined mechanical components from the Citroën 2CV with a minimalist ABS plastic body.
Both the e-Mehari concept and the My Ami Buggy concept embrace the same spirit that Volkswagen showcased with its ID.Buggy concept, a tribute to the classic Meyers Manx backed by VW’s dedicated MEB electric platform. It would be exciting to see more vehicles like these go into production and break the seemingly endless parade of similar electric crossovers.
