An old Citroen favorite, the Mehari that first got to see the light of day back in 1968 has been resurrected again, this time sporting 21st century credentials. That boils down to a new electric powertrain along with a more compact and lightweight design, and not to mention a digital dashboard layout as well.
Appropriately named e-Mehari, the ultra-compact utility vehicle, according to Green Car Reports comes powered by a 50-kilowatt (67-horsepower) electric motor which again has been borrowed from Bolloré Bluesummer, a convertible electric car also built by Citroen for its Autolib car-sharing service.
Top speed mentioned is 68 mph (110 kph) while range cited is a quite respectable 124 miles or 200 kms. That said, that fact that it has being certified as per the European testing cycle, which is also considered to be a bit too optimistic in its findings, the actual real world range could be vastly different than that.
The new e-Mehari also has enough space to seat four in relative comfort and features a convertible soft top along with thermoformed plastic bodywork. The latter not only makes the vehicle lightweight but is also known to be dent resistant as well.
The e-Mehari is already on sale in France and had also been on display at Citroen's pavilion at the Paris Motor Show.
However, so much for its retro but also quirky looks, the e-Mehari is best described as a holiday hire car of sorts, one that you can use it and return after a short trip.
Auto Express in its review of the e-Mehari found it to be a bit wobbly over undulating or potholed surfaced and around corners. Also at 27,000 Euros, the e-Mehari is by no means as cheap or affordable as it might look; more so when there also is an extra 87 Euros that one has to dole out as rental charges for the batteries.
The instant thrust and silent operations that's characteristic of EVs coupled to the simple build is what makes the e-Mehari so much likeable though. If only the price had been a bit more comfortable.
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