Automotive reviews

Paris Motor Show kicks off: all brands present and your new exhibits

In contrast to other exhibitions, the one taking place in the French capital from 15 to 20 October sees the return of many manufacturers and a good number of previews. Here are those already announced and last-minute surprises

13 October 2024

4' min read

Are motor shows making a comeback? Perhaps not, but the Paris one that opens its doors to the public on 15 October after the day reserved for trade and international media and will be open until 20 October is an exception that has to reckon with a few carmakers, the Bmw & Mini group as well as Volkswagen are present, but represented by their French branch. Not so for the Renault group, present in force, while Stellantis is orphaned of Fiat, Lancia and Opel as well as inexplicably of DS: no Japanese, only one Korean, Kia and the ever-present Chinese brands that do not miss the opportunity to confirm themselves more and more as a concrete alternative to the Europeans. To which Tesla is also added;

Tesla

The Renault group is present with all its brands

The spotlight is on the Renault 4, another nostalgia operation after the R5 with which it shares the mechanics and engines, while the styling is that of a city crossover that will be offered at affordable prices, below 25,000 euros. Public debut also for the future Twingo, albeit in a concept version;

Dacia

Added to this is the big sister of the Duster SUV, the Bigster, the mid-range model that Dacia has been missing and which will be offered with the classic formula of petrol or hybrid and LPG engines.

Alpine

The other world premiere is that of Alpine, which presents the French manufacturer's first raised model, the A390, an electrically driven concept at the show.

Stellantis with French brands, but also Alfa Romeo

Protagonists at the show were the new French C3 and C3 Aircross, which really changed the face of Citroen with their decidedly singular style, but also an accessibility that ended up appealing to the general public.

Citroen C3 Aircross

Plus the restyling of the C4. While Peugeot, on the strength of its recent product innovations, the new 3008 and 5008 also available in an electric version, could anticipate the interior of the future 208 inspired by the futuristic Inception concept car. Completing the Stellantis group's offerings is Alfa Romeo, which in addition to the B-suv Junior is exhibiting its hottest model, the 33 Stradale, on the eve of its first deliveries.

Chinese manufacturers increasingly present in Europe

The most fierce brand is Byd, which in Paris could display the Seal 06 GT that recently debuted in China, but given the novelties announced for 2025, three electric and three plug-in, it is not excluded that some preview will be unveiled in Paris.

Byd Seal 06 GT

The other Chinese Forthing, a brand of the Dongfeng colossus, in addition to the models on sale in Italy, could add some novelties already available in China such as the Xinghai S7, a sedan. The stand of the Chinese GAC will display the electric hypercar, a 1,241 hp coupé. Finally, Seres and Xpeng will unveil all their major novelties directly at the Show.

German brands joined by Mini and Skoda

Audi brings to the show the premiere of the Q6 Sportback in addition to numerous recent innovations, from the A5 to the restyling of the RS 3, from the A6 e-tron to the Q5 equipped with both combustion engines and also electrified or electric motors.

Bmw M5 Touring

Bmw, on the other hand, has decided to exhibit in Europe after the USA the super M5 Touring with over 700 hp. For Mini, on the other hand, the French show is the occasion to add another piece to a completely renewed range, namely the Mini John Cooper Works with a thermal and electric engine. Vw will then bring the new GTX electric sports car and the ID.GTI. And Skoda is debuting its new battery-powered SUV, the Elroq.

Kia EV3

Korean brand Kia and American Cadillac and Ford

While there is no official confirmation yet for Kia on what's new in Paris, it is possible that the Korean company's stand will host the recent restyling of the Sportage, but also the 7-seater EV9 electric suv in GT version, as well as the latest electric activated, the EV3. Finally, the presence of the American premium brand Cadillac, part of the GM group, could not be missed as it officially returned to Europe about a year ago. The acceleration of Cadillac's European strategy will be ensured by the new Optiq model, an electric suv credited with a good 300 hp of maximum power, but above all with 500 km of autonomy. Still on the subject of American brands, Ford is returning to a European show with the Capri, the electric suv based on Volkswagen's Med platform;

Ford

Paris Motor Show, useful information

The presence of many car brands at the Paris Motor Show may spark the interest of some novelty enthusiasts willing to travel to the show location. The plane remains the most convenient option to get to Paris given the three airports available, Charles De Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais Tille, the furthest from the city centre. Then there is also the fast train, with the TGV, while the car option has to deal with the Mont Blanc tunnel, which is closed for now due to maintenance. The venue is at Porte de Versailles and tickets cost 18 euros or 22 euros at weekends.