Paris Motor Show 2026 recap: key debuts, concepts and Chinese newcomers

Paris Motor Show 2026 (Mondial de l'Auto, 12–18 October) highlighted three main trends: French brands bet on retro concepts with electric underpinnings, Koreans and Germans brought production new models for 2027, and Chinese brands were present in record numbers in the show’s history — according to various agencies, from 20 to 25. Below is a summary of what was actually shown in the Porte de Versailles halls, with links to our separate reviews of each premiere.

Contents

• What Paris Motor Show 2026 was like
• What Renault, Alpine, Peugeot and Citroën showed
• Which concepts Fiat, Opel, Alfa Romeo and DS brought
• Which production new models Hyundai, Mercedes and Volkswagen unveiled
• What the Chinese brands brought
• Paris’ main premieres in one table
• What of this can be expected in Ukraine

What Paris Motor Show 2026 was like

This is the 91st Mondial de l'Auto. Press day took place on 12 October; for visitors, the show runs from 13 to 18 October. Organizers claimed over 100 exhibitors and more than 60 automakers across five halls covering 70,000 m² plus 15,000 m² outdoors. What was expected before opening — dates, participants and anticipated premieres — we covered in the preview “Paris Motor Show 2026: dates and main premieres”. This piece is about what was actually shown.

The key takeaways from press day:

• Record number of Chinese brands. Xinhua counts 25 Chinese brands from 16 automakers — roughly twice as many as in 2024. Reuters cites around 20 brands, meaning roughly a third of all automakers at the show. The difference comes down to how sub-brands are counted.
• Returns and absentees. Mercedes-Benz returned to Paris for the first time since 2018; BMW and Mini canceled their participation back in July.
• More driving than static displays. For the first time for the public, rides in cars with autonomous steering were offered, and test drives are available on about 90 models from 20 brands.

What Renault, Alpine, Peugeot and Citroën showed

This time, French brands spoke in the language of their own history: almost every major concept echoes the silhouette of a 1960s–1980s legend, but with electric hardware.

Renault

The main premiere is the Renault E-Space Concept, a six-seat electric minivan 4.70 m long with swiveling second-row seats. It references the first Espace from 1984, but Renault explicitly says it is not a preview of a specific production model. Nearby are two more “memory” concepts: an electric Renault 8 Gordini with a rear-mounted motor and a claimed 270 hp, and the beach Renault 4 JP4x4 with a second motor for all-wheel drive.

Alpine

Alpine showed the concept that teased the press for a week under the PS1 code — A310 Vision: a 4.55 m two-seat coupe on the platform of the next A110, inspired by the 1971 A310. Nearby is a sculpture silhouette of the future third-generation A110. Alpine does not promise a production A310 Vision.

Peugeot

There was no new production 208 in Paris. Instead, Peugeot showed the E-T16 concept, calling it the “ultimate vision of the future E-208”: 816 hp, three electric motors, an 85 kWh battery and a Hypersquare steering wheel with no mechanical link to the wheels. The stand’s second world premiere is the RCZ Vision coupe.

Citroën and Dacia

Citroën brought a concept of the new 2CV — an electric city car whose production the brand previously announced for 2028 — and a cargo version, the 2CV Fourgonnette. Dacia showed the second-generation Spring to the public for the first time, after its September reveal.

Which concepts Fiat, Opel, Alfa Romeo and DS brought

Stellantis held a separate presentation on the evening of 11 October and showed six concepts: Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso, Citroën 2 CV Concept, DS F3VER, Fiat Multiplay, Opel STX Concept and Peugeot RCZ Vision. We covered two of them separately:

• Fiat Multiplay — a 4.45 m-long “3-in-1” vehicle: the rear roof section together with the third row of seats slides forward, and a seven-seat (6+1) family car turns into a four-seat pickup.
• Opel STX Concept — an electric Sports Tourer eXperimental wagon concept that the press considers a hint at the next Astra on the STLA One platform.

Which production new models Hyundai, Mercedes and Volkswagen unveiled

If the French brought mostly dreams, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen brought cars that will appear in dealerships in 2027.

• Hyundai held the world premiere of the second-generation Bayon: 4,245 mm body length, two 12.3-inch screens, with 1.0 T-GDI petrol engines at 90 and 115 hp at launch; a 1.6 full hybrid at 138 hp — in 2027. For Europe, it showed the fifth-generation Tucson for the first time: a 245 hp hybrid and a 292 hp plug-in hybrid with up to 81 km of electric range (pre-homologation figures), as well as a new Tucson N Line version. Another new model on the stand is the Staria Cargo electric van with a WLTP range of up to 450 km.
• Mercedes-Benz brought six premieres: the new GLA, the VLE electric minivan, updated GLE and S-Class, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé, and the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 — now electric, with three motors and 680 hp.
• Volkswagen showed the ID. Tiguan to the public, the successor to the ID.4 and ID.5, unveiled on 9 October: MEB+ platform, 58 and 77 kWh batteries, up to 600 km WLTP.

Separately, the second-generation Electric MOKE is worth mentioning — a British doorless beach EV whose battery grew to 23.5 kWh and whose range increased to 170 km WLTP.

What the Chinese brands brought

There are so many Chinese stands in Paris this time that show director Serge Gachot is talking about a new stage: according to him, Chinese manufacturers are now investing more in brand recognition and looking for local partners. Among the participants are BYD, XPeng, Changan, Dongfeng, Leapmotor, Zeekr, Li Auto, GAC, Lynk & Co, Chery and others. We covered three new models separately:

• Leapmotor D19 — a 5.25 m-long six-seat flagship with a petrol generator and over 300 km on electricity by preliminary WLTP; shown outside China for the first time on a stand alongside Stellantis brands.
• Lynk & Co 07 GT — the brand’s first wagon, a 523 hp plug-in hybrid; sales in Europe are planned for 2027.
• Omoda 4 — a compact Chery crossover for Europe with a 224 hp hybrid; it is being shown in France for the first time.

According to CarNewsChina, Paris also hosted the European debuts of the Geely Monjaro EM-i plug-in hybrid crossover (305 kW), the large Xpeng G9L and Zeekr 9X, the electric Li Auto i6, and the two-seat smart #2. Wallpaper also noted niche newcomers: Beijing 212 off-roaders with a roof tent as an accessory, and the Forthing V9 camper.

Paris’ main premieres in one table

What of this can be expected in Ukraine

Concepts — E-Space, A310 Vision, E-T16, Multiplay, STX — will not go on sale in this form: they are design statements for the next production cars, not models with prices. Real candidates for the market in 2027 are the new-generation Hyundai Bayon and Tucson, the Volkswagen ID. Tiguan and the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45, as well as Chinese models that brands are already bringing to Europe. Paris announcements do not specify timelines and prices specifically for Ukraine — use the European sales launch as your reference point, which we cover in separate reviews.

For owners of new models, accessories do not appear immediately: model-specific floor mats, window deflectors and side steps are made from templates of the production vehicle, so you should expect them after sales begin in Europe.

The illustrations for the article are generated from premiere descriptions and are not photos from the show.

We deliver with Nova Poshta across Ukraine.