Citroën E-Mehari 2018: now also with a hardtop

Citroën is updating the E-Mehari with interior changes, more safety and comfort equipment, and a hardtop version.

The Citroën E-Mehari was launched as an open-top electric car at the end of 2015, reviving the spirit of the iconic original Citroën Mehari. However, due to its concept and price, it has so far been pigeonholed as a true whim purchase for very restricted use, or as an electric rental car for beach areas.

Now, Citroën wants to give the new E-Mehari 2018 a more versatile character and broaden its scope, by completely renewing its interior with more equipment and the arrival of a Hard Top version with a rigid roof.

Inside, the new dashboard features a much more functional design reminiscent of other models from the brand. In a way, it now feels more like a car and less like a “toy”. The seats and steering wheel are new, and there are now more storage spaces. Access to the two rear seats has also been improved with a new Easy Entry system that folds the front seats forward. Among the new equipment available, the E-Mehari 2018 now gets four airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, and automatic high beams.

Externally there are also slight changes, affecting the widened wheel arches, new wheels, or protective trims painted in the body colour. But the most interesting novelty is the Hard Top version, which allows the E-Mehari to be used regardless of the weather. Citroën offers the E-Mehari in up to 4 body colours, which can be combined with two-tone finishes if the soft top is chosen, and a single gloss black finish for the Hard Top, which integrates the front windows and rear glass, as well as the rear glass tailgate and central locking.

There are no changes to the propulsion system. For the E-Mehari, Citroën still relies on a 50 kW electric motor, powered by lithium batteries that provide a maximum range of about 195 km if journeys are made on urban roads. This figure drops significantly – almost by half – if the E-Mehari is used to cover kilometres on fast roads, where its top speed is limited to 110 km/h. The battery recharging time is just over 16 hours using a domestic plug. It can be reduced to 10 hours at 16-amp public charging stations.