There was a time when Europe’s roads were dotted with compact and subcompact minivans, purpose-built to juggle space, versatility, and daily practicality. That era faded fast once SUVs rolled in and pushed the category toward near extinction. But Citroen isn’t quite ready to let the minivan disappear quietly into the past.

The French automaker has unveiled the Citroen ELO, a concept it calls a “laboratory of ideas,” blending a boxy, unmistakably van-like silhouette with a modular six-seat cabin that is, by all accounts, very orange.

Review: We Drove The New C5 Aircross And Lost Our Jeep’s Compass To Citroen’s Comfort

While not a direct preview of an upcoming production vehicle, the ELO hints at where Citroen’s design language may be heading, and perhaps at how the brand still sees a future for vehicles shaped around utility rather than what sells fashion.

The name of the concept originates from the words rEst, pLay, and wOrk, communicating some of its use case scenarios. Measuring 4.10 m (161.4 inches) long, it is about the same size with the discontinued C3 Picasso and the previous generation C3 Aircross. However, it looks nothing like these models, adopting single-box proportions.

Reinventing the Urban MPV

Its name is an acronym of sorts, built from the words rEst, pLay, and wOrk, each pointing to one of the concept’s imagined roles. Measuring 4.10 meters (161.4 inches) in length, it roughly matches the size of the now-discontinued C3 Picasso and the previous C3 Aircross.

In shape, though, it’s a clean break, leaning into a single-box form that has little in common with those models.

More: Citroen Oli Concept Could Inspire Next-Gen C4

Up front, the ELO wears squared-off LED lights and a large, illuminated Citroen badge, bookended by a utilitarian front bumper that’s mirrored around the back. The windshield has a weird curve and is joined by a small glass roof. The profile is dominated by the large greenhouse and the sliding doors that create a 1.92 m (75.6-inch) wide opening.

The concept rides on 21-inch wheels with futuristic covers. There are horizontal cutouts above the fender on the beltline, while the roofline drops towards the rear section. The rear has an asymmetrical door and glass, with split LED taillights mirroring the shape of the headlights.

Four Or Six Seats

Inside, the ELO is configured as a “modular living space,” designed to hold either four or six people. The layout is unorthodox: the driver’s seat is mounted in the center, with two removable passenger seats positioned slightly behind it, and a three-person bench completing the rear row.

The front seat can swivel, creating a living room or a work space for meetings. The rear section of the cabin can transform into a sleeping area thanks to a pair of inflatable mattresses.

These are made of a durable material called Dropstitch and can be stored in the trunk. Furthermore, a drop-down screen turns the EV into a home theater.

The ELO doesn’t have a dashboard in the conventional sense. In its place, the ELO features an open section ahead of the driver and a slim display mounted beneath the front windshield.

The steering wheel juts out from the front wall in a futuristic shape, equipped with two joystick-style inputs and traditional stalks, replacing the need for a touchscreen. Door cards and side panels incorporate clever storage solutions, as expected in a van shaped around practicality.

More: Citroen’s Budget Fastback Looks Fast Only When Standing Still

The concept rides on a fully electric architecture, which is beneficial for packaging. Citroen hasn’t shared the specifications of the electric motors or the battery pack, but said that the “natural habitat” of the concept is urban areas.

It Could Spawn a Subcompact Offering

The concept will make its first public appearance at the Brussels Motor Show in January 2026. While it’s not destined for production in this form, French outlet L’Argus reports that it could influence a future subcompact model expected in 2028. That vehicle would slot somewhere between the C3 hatchback and the C3 Aircross SUV.

Citroen’s Design Director, Pierre Leclercq, referred to the ELO as “a burst of energy,” describing it as a design experiment built around practicality, efficiency, and a touch of whimsy. CEO Xavier Chardon echoed that, calling the concept both “a laboratory of ideas” and “a powerful message that carries our vision of what Citroen should be”

Toyota has just unveiled the new generation of the Hilux, and while the new model has barely touched showroom floors, it’s already been reimagined to showcase just how far owners can take customization.

More: New Toyota Hilux Debuts Sumo-Inspired Looks And EV Option

During the truck’s official launch in Thailand, the brand presented a lineup of rugged, modified builds, blending genuine factory accessories with a few aftermarket touches to hint at the model’s versatility.

GR Flavor in Full Effect

The display featured no fewer than six distinct takes on the pickup, each aimed at a different type of driver. One stood out for its GR Parts catalogue treatment, equipped with a black grille, red skid plate, glossy black fender extensions, branded side steps, and black wheels wrapped in chunky off-road tires.

Accessories from Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division didn’t stop there. The brand also showcased roof and bed racks, plus the signature red mudflaps familiar to GR-badged models.

A GR Sport version of the new Hilux is expected to follow, with a tougher stance, refined performance, and chassis upgrades tailored to those seeking a sharper drive.

Interestingly, the GR Parts build wasn’t the star of the show. That honor went to an off-road-focused version developed by Australian tuner ARB, which looked ready to tackle almost anything.

It sat higher thanks to a lift kit and wore a rugged front bumper with clearance cutouts, auxiliary LEDs, a roof rack, a side awning, and a bed rack designed for specialized gear.

Overlanding Camper

Still, what caught our eye was an overlanding camper conversion of the Hilux with a tent mounted on a custom bed rack. The adventure-packed model came with a lifted suspension, all/terrain tires, beadlock wheels, rock sliders, a skid plate with integrated lights, an LED bar on the roof, and an aerodynamic snorkel.

More: Toyota Hilux Transforms Into A 6×6 Military Truck Ready For Battle

Another rugged example took a different visual route, wearing a matte gray-and-red color scheme with a snorkel, protective hardware, raised suspension, and carbon-plated tailpipe. Mudflaps and new wheels rounded out its stance.

Unlike the European and Australian Hilux, which come exclusively in double-cab form, the Thai-market truck is available in Standard Cab and Smart Cab configurations.

The Standard Cab provided the base for a particularly practical build featuring a lift kit, black wheels, white-and-black graphics, extended mirrors, and a metal cage that expanded the load capacity of the open cargo area.

More: Toyota Hilux Champ Shows Off Its Customization Potential

Rounding out the lineup was a sportier, road-focused Hilux finished in yellow with a carbon-textured wrap for the hood and tailgate. It sat lower on new wheels, backed by uprated brakes, though the heart remained unchanged, a 2.8-liter turbodiesel producing 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS).

Depending on the market, the new Hilux range will also include mild-hybrid diesel, petrol, and fully electric options, underscoring its global versatility.

Available Accessories

Toyota Thailand’s official website lists a comprehensive range of add-ons for the new Hilux. Among them are additional plastic cladding for the doors, larger wheel arch extensions, door handle covers, a rear spoiler, stainless steel exhaust outlets, and bed liners.

Owners can also choose underbody protection and metal-look garnish for the taillights, tailgate, hood, and bumper intakes. Inside, options include heavy-duty floor mats, aluminum scuff plates, and clever storage solutions.

Thailand has a prominent tuning culture, which is why most automakers advertise the customization capabilities of their trucks. Judging from the aforementioned builds and the popularity of the Hilux, we expect to see a lot of interesting conversions in the future.

Sometimes the best ideas are born out of failure. That is exactly what happened with the Dashaway eCT, a clever little camping trailer from British company Wheelhome. It started life as a sleek roof tent designed specifically for the Tesla Model 3.

More: This $3M Space-Age Motorhome Looks Like It’s From Another Planet

The original goal was simple enough: create a low-drag, space-age camping capsule that blended seamlessly with the Model 3’s curves. It was meant to be the ultimate companion for electric road trips. The snag? No one actually wanted to buy one.

And that’s a shame, because the eRC roof-camper prototype was far more sophisticated than your average roof tent.

What Happened Next?

Molded to fit the contours of the Model 3’s body, it featured a two-seat rear-facing sofa that converted into a double bed, and shelves and partitions to take a power bank, cooking equipment and even a toilet.

Wheelhome’s owner Stephen Wheeler tested it out on his own facelifted Model 3, taking it on a 3,500-mile (5,630 km) tour of Iceland this summer, and got a great reaction when he displayed it at EV shows with plans to put it into production, But that reaction didn’t translate into firm sales.

Rather than give up, Wheeler turned the prototype into something smarter. He took the same teardrop-style pod and placed it on a lightweight single-axle trailer chassis.

From Roof To Road

Suddenly the quirky Tesla roof tent became the Dashaway eCT, a tiny camper that almost any car can tow. Instead of being a niche curiosity for a small subset of EV owners, it’s a fully fledged mini trailer with broad appeal.

More: Daihatsu’s Microvan Camper Might Be The Only One That Actually Gets It

At just under 3,800 mm (150 inches) long, the eCT weighs only about 340 kg (750 lbs), which makes it easy to pull even with small hatchbacks. And because it’s so low and sleek when folded down, it shouldn’t ruin your mpg. But park up and the top extends so high you can stand up inside.

The eCT’s design still carries the DNA of the original concept, but has the added benefit of not getting in the way of trunk opening and offering an additional underfloor storage area because it now rides on a trailer chassis.

Wheelhome

Each camper has a sink with electrically-pumped 10-liter (2.64 US gallon) water supply and there’s room for a Porta Potti that can be accessed with the bed in place. In fact, it’s so close you can almost use it without leaving the bed.

A campsite mains hook-up and large lithium battery pack and 2,600 W inverter let you plug in electrical devices like air fryers, microwaves and kettles, and together with a 200 W solar panel provide power for at least two days of off-grid camping.

Bigger batteries are available if you’re planning longer escapes, though that’ll bump up the £26,225 ($34,600) price.

Wheelhome