A few years ago, the automobile industry had an almost sacred triangle: Geneva, Paris and Frankfurt were the stops where the automobile circus periodically gathered. After the pandemic, the Geneva Motor Show disappeared completely and the Frankfurt Motor Show is going through something of an identity crisis since its move to Munich.
More recently, the Paris Motor Show also seemed to be in slow decline. The 2024 edition was largely driven by Chinese manufacturers, with Europe offering little enthusiasm. Two years later, the French capital presents a different picture: European carmakers have significantly revamped their model ranges and there is a sense of renewed momentum. We review the most important news.
The retro wave now arrives at Stellantis
While Renault has been successfully reviving classic models with electric versions for some time, Stellantis is now following a similar path at the Paris Motor Show. For example, Citroën recovers the iconic 2CV. For now it’s just a concept, so the French automaker has revealed few details. What we know so far is that the car will weigh less than a ton, its production will begin in 2028 and will cost around 15,000 euros. Citroën has not only visually revived the 2CV, but also aims to appeal to price-sensitive customers like the original.
Fiat is taking a different retro approach by breathing new life into the Multipla, a model that was never particularly iconic. The Italian automaker says little about the technology, but everything on the exhibition stand, which mimics an Italian square, screams “La Dolce Vita!” in a charming way.
Amid a sea of Chinese brands and vehicles (many of which look remarkably similar and all claim to have the best technology), Stellantis is taking advantage of what may be its most valuable asset: vehicles with character. Another example is the new Opel Corsa GSE. It is true that the Rüsselsheim model is no longer new and, with its well-known 54 kWh battery, is not designed to withstand long distances.
But in a world full of bulky, generic SUVs, an agile compact car with 281 hp almost automatically wins sympathy points.
To ensure that Stellantis keeps up the pace technically despite its retro verve and character-centric designs, its partnership with Leapmotor is playing a key role, as was once again evident in Paris.
Renault, on the other hand, had fewer new releases to showcase, having recently led the retro wave and launched a number of corresponding models. Instead, it introduced concepts like an electric Espace, the R8, and an R4 beach buggy.
The ‘real Volkswagen’ takes shape
For just over a year now, core brand VW has been communicating a new strategy aimed at making its electric models “true” Volkswagen again. At the Paris Motor Show, this slogan comes to life. “True Volkswagen” also means that the cars should not overwhelm customers with too much modernity. As a result, efforts have been made to visually align the ID.Polo, ID.Cross and ID.Tiguan with their internal combustion engine siblings. This has been surprisingly successful, although the underlying technology hasn’t changed much.
Electric mobility is also entering smaller segments in the rest of the Group’s brands. As in Paris, the VW Group’s presence is defined by the ‘Urban Electric Car Family’, made up of the Škoda Epiq, the Cupra Raval and the ID.Cross/Polo. A retro touch is also present here, as a wider audience sees the new Audi A2 e-tron for the first time. Many details of the original A2 have been faithfully reproduced, giving the MEB platform a completely new face.
Smart steals the show
The undisputed star and possibly the most anticipated car was the new Smart #2. The stand of the German-Chinese brand was almost constantly surrounded by crowds, which made it difficult to pass through. We looked at it more closely previously, so we’ll leave it out of this report.
At Mercedes-Benz, half owner of Smart (the other half belongs to the Chinese group Geely), the focus is again on compact and mid-size vehicles, following the luxury detours of Ola Källenius. But the current range is scarce in these segments, so the A-Class, now eight years old, has come to the forefront to demonstrate that the luxury strategy has been abandoned. That said, it must be taken into account that the German manufacturers in Switzerland have an 800-volt reference model: the electric C-Class.
The silent winners
Korean car manufacturers are quietly impressing again. Both brands now present an extremely attractive electric portfolio. Hyundai’s latest addition is the Ioniq 3, while Kia has the closely related EV2. From compact to full-size, Korea now offers the right electric model for almost everyone.
Notable by their absence are Porsche and BMW, as well as almost all Japanese car manufacturers. Some Chinese brands are also pulling back. Hongqi is no longer around, GWM was already absent last time and even MG, who has been quite successful in Europe, has chosen to stay home.
Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.
This saying can be applied not only to the European automobile industry, but also to the motor show concept itself. After this Paris Motor Show, no one believes that the era of motor shows is over and that car manufacturers only present new models at electronics fairs.
The European car industry has made it clear: it will not give way to China without a fight. This impression is reinforced by the French president, who positions himself as the brand’s top ambassador for “made in France” cars. With charisma he talks about battery factories, ‘re“industrialization” and how electrification makes it possible. At times like these, one might look with envy from Germany to Paris.
