What's the news?
Citroen has revised the E-Mehari electric beach-buggy-thing to bring it into line with it revisions to the C4 Cactus. New looks inside and out team up with additional equipment and a modest drivetrain upgrade for the 2018MY E-Mehari, although perhaps the biggest change is the inclusion of the hard-top that was previously seen on the Courrèges special edition of 2017.
Exterior
So, the hard-top is the main addition, although it doesn't signal the end of the soft-topped E-Mehari model - rather, depending on whether you spend more time on the Cote d'Azure or halfway up the western face of the Alps (the Citroen tends to sell best in the south of its homeland), you can choose whether the car is open or closed to the elements. Aside from that, the E-Mehari benefits from wing and sill panel extensions, black lower skid plates, front and rear bumpers that are solid-dyed in body colours, 15-inch 'Give Me Five' alloy wheels, and Citroen's new 'black chevrons' logo front and rear. There are then four body colours, two soft-top roof colours (black or orange) and the hard-top is glossy black alone - and we make no apologies for listing the four paint finishes, which are Into The Blue, My Funny Clementine, Say Yellow or (this is the new one)... Stellar White. Which, actually, is the most sensible name of the lot.
Interior
The dashboard has been 'totally revamped' by Citroen Styling's team, with body-coloured trim on the passenger side and surrounding the air vents. There's a new three-spoke steering wheel and an interior with more black areas to hide any dirt coming into the cabin, while addition storage spaces on the centre console and door panels add to the practicality score. Additional equipment is included in the form of the Easy Entry system (with front seat backs that tilt and which have a position memory), central locking, airbags, automatic high-beam and a tyre pressure-monitoring system. A height and reach-adjustable steering column plus power steering with a City function are also welcome bonuses.
Styling additions include straps on the dashboard inserts and doors, and two seat upholsteries, which are 'Beige' - a luminous and natural interior, with a textured insert - and Orange, that boasts a floral insert composed of 'watersport-inspired patterns'.
Mechanicals
We're confused by this one - Citroen says the E-Mehari has had an upgrade to its electric drivetrain, which boasts a 20 per cent increase in engine torque to 166Nm up to 3,700rpm, and then 140Nm beyond that point. But it says the buggy now reaches a top speed of 110km/h... which, er, which is what it managed before. Similarly, the 195km range is the same as previously and its 10.5-hour charging time is actually longer than it used to be, at eight hours. Curious.
Anything else?
While we don't get the Citroen E-Mehari over here (yet... that hard-top might make a difference, though), the revised model has gone on sale in dealerships across its native country from €19,500 for the soft-top and €20,700 for the hard-top, including a €6,000 ecological bonus.