In an age when every carmaker is going overboard with what they can deliver in a certain price bracket, Stellantis has taken a few steps back and gone back to the basics with its quirky Citroën Ami. One look at the interiors, and you know that in this case, less is more.
The minimalistic design of the Citroën Ami on the inside, as well as the outside, makes commuting effortless. On the outside, it is very easy to get confused between the front and the rear of the Citroën Ami because they both use the same plastic panels on both sides to keep the cost low.
The plastic quality isn’t top-notch either, but it is not supposed to go fast anyway. There is a lot of glass on all four sides excluding the top. Interestingly, both sides are mirror images of each other with the driver door opening from the front and the passenger door opening as usual.
Does Ami Hint At The Future Of Automobiles Being Bare Minimum?
This is too tall a claim to make right now, but this might be a possibility in the distant future. With cars bridging the gap between an automobile and an engineering marvel, more and more tech is being put inside them. Every car, these days, is aimed at delivering something that has not been promised before. Be it performance, zero to 60 figures, overall range, MPG (or MPGe), or power and torque numbers humanity is unaware of, every car is trying to make a mark in some way or another.
The interior of the Ami is what we love the most. It’s minimal, to say the least. The Citroën Ami has a steering wheel console where you put your key, a handbrake, two seats, and a meter console. The dashboard is full of space where you get a cup holder and enough space to put your house keys, food items, and anything small. There is a mobile phone holder with a USB charger.
The meter console is the bare minimum too. It only displays speed, time, battery remaining, the gear (N, R, D), and distance it can cover with the battery left. This leaves us with a lot of space where two adults can not only sit comfortably but also carry a lot of luggage without cramming it all inside.
Is The Citroën Ami A Quadricycle Or A Car?
Shown for the first time to the world in 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Citroën Ami is a vehicle that will make you wonder if it is a car or a quadricycle. The fact that it weighs less than 937 lbs, and does not go over 28mph makes the Citroën Ami qualify as a quadricycle and not as a car. A quadricycle uses the same principles of physics as a car, so a certain set of rules were set in place to differentiate it from a car.
This also means that anyone over 14 years of age in France is eligible to drive the Ami with or without having a valid driving license. One look at the Citroën Ami and you will realize how tiny it is. It is 1.39 meters wide, 2.42 meters long, and 1.52 meters tall, which makes it extremely agile on city roads. These dimensions result in a turning radius as small as 7.2 meters, which means if it can fit in a space, it will. It can accommodate two adults and take them around the city with its range of over 46 miles.
The 5.5kWh battery can be charged fully in three hours using a conventional 22V socket to deliver charge to a motor that delivers 8HP. The motor propels the front two wheels using a single-speed gearbox. The Citroën Ami can be charged almost anywhere using a cable that can do the job. The Citroen Ami is made to do what an automobile is supposed to do – take you from point A to point B without making a fuss. And this is exactly what it does, without making any fuss, or sound (electric, remember?).
It has what it takes to ferry you to your office, school, college, and grocery stores and bring you back with enough juice left in it to go out for dinner at night. This is a vehicle that redefines mobility by providing just enough for it to move and carry two passengers. The Citroën Ami is fun. I doubt there would be anyone on this planet who would not find it interesting; liking or disliking it is very subjective. Well, some people do not like a Bugatti Chiron too.
This Is Why The Citroën Ami Is The Future Of Commuting
This is a vehicle that may, (or may not) excite you, but it surely is the future of a greener world. If the EVs are to be the flag bearers of a greener world, they have to replace scooters, bicycles, mopeds, and public transportation at a reasonable cost. In most parts of the world, EVs are still expensive which makes them difficult to buy for an average consumer.
It is refreshing to see a carmaker who is working towards the bigger picture apart from making a vehicle that is aimed at just being better than others. In the French market, you can bring home a Citroen Ami for €6,000. Citroën has not been overambitious with the Ami, and they are expanding slowly. The Ami is now available in a selected few European markets apart from France, while the US might have to wait a little longer to see it on their soil.
Source: Stellantis