Citroen: Tonka toy with a touch of style

The Citroen Lacoste Concept car allows driver to move the steering wheel for ease of access. Photo / Supplied

It's a Tonka toy for grown-ups. Citroen's new off-road concept, designed with the help of fashion label Lacoste, has been stripped back to the essentials to hint at a future economical supermini-sized SUV.

The Lacoste Concept, which debuts at this week's Paris Motor Show, measures 3.45m, making it over 50cm shorter than Mini's Countryman.

The car's pared-back ethos evokes Citroen's 1970s Mini Moke rival - the Mehari. This is evident on the dash, which is cleared of all clutter to leave a two-spoke steering wheel and LED display strip.

It would be practical, though - the steering wheel can be moved out of the way to improve access, the rear bench can slide into the boot to carry large items and there is storage in the two benches.

The exterior is an evolution of 2007's C-Cactus concept and features a high waistline, bulging wheelarches and a wheel at each corner.

An innovative soft-top inflates along the centre rail to keep passengers dry. Power comes from a three-cylinder petrol engine, likely to be Citroen's next-generation 1.2-litre unit, with 100gr/km of CO2 emissions.