Citroën unveiled the ELO concept at Brussels Motor Show, a six-seat MPV developed with Decathlon featuring central driving position and sustainable materials. The electric concept transforms into sleeping, cinema, or workspace configurations, showcasing design elements destined for future Citroën and Stellantis production models.
At a time when the SUV and crossover markets continue to grow, Citroën has dared to be different by presenting an alternative vision of the future in the ELO concept. Having announced ELO in December 2025, Citroën used the Brussels Motor Show for the bright six-seater’s international debut.
Speaking at the event in Belgium, Xavier Chardon, CEO at Citroën, stated that the French company was “ready to rumble” when it comes to bringing new ideas and models to market. He added that the OEM had already had a lot of recent success with cars elsewhere in the Citroën portfolio – such as the C3 Aircross, C4 and C5 Aircross – but the ELO was a chance to see what would be possible in the future and with different customers.
The car is a joint development with Decathlon, the sports equipment retailer, which brought a fresh perspective to the use of materials, interior layout and functions of the car. Decathlon’s design team helped the Citroën team devise new features and encouraged them to use materials sustainably. One example can be seen in the bumpers, where polypropylene (used in cycle helmets) is incorporated.
Chardon said he believed the ELO represented ‘the return of the MPV’, Citroën being one of the pioneers in that sector more than 20 years ago with the Picasso. One of the goals with ELO was revolutionising interior space – and that has been achieved by essentially reimagining the driver’s seat. In the ELO, the driver is seated centrally, which creates enough space for two front passengers either side. It also makes the requirement to build left and right-hand drive models obsolete.
Citroën says ELO is intended to be a place for drivers to ‘Rest, Play and Work’, indicating the name comes from the second letter of each of those words. The ‘rest’ element can be seen in the ELO’s ability to transform in the rear into a sleeping space for two – and the concept comes complete with an inflatable mattress, which can be inflated via the onboard power supply. Meanwhile, ‘play’ refers to a different transformation into a home cinema, while ‘work’ is covered off by a rotating driver’s seat that combines with a small table to provide a viable workspace.
Citroën says that while the vehicle in its presented form is unlikely to become a production reality, there are many elements that will be introduced – in one form or another – into future models within the brand and possibly elsewhere within the Stellanits group.
