The Paris Auto Show is considered the world's first motor show, having been held since the late 19th century, and this year's event is already the 91st in a row. The main feature of the current exhibition, which takes place in the pavilions of the Porte de Versailles complex from October 12 to 18, is an impressive "landing" of nearly two dozen Chinese brands. The familiar picture of the automotive world is changing before our very eyes, with European automakers preparing for a new round of confrontation with companies from China.

Europe

Some of the serial novelties of the Paris Auto Show were declassified in advance, including the electric hatchback Audi A2 e-tron, the updated Mercedes C-Class along with the new AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, and the crossover Dacia Striker.

In addition to the latter, the Romanian company Dacia, which is part of the Renault Group, showcased in Paris the second-generation "five-door" Spring.

Dacia Spring

The new hatchback is 3.85 meters long. The trunk can hold 337 liters (and 1283 liters with the rear seats folded), and there is an additional 18-liter compartment in the front. The technical filling is borrowed from the new Renault Twingo E-Tech, which includes an 80-horsepower electric motor and a traction battery with a capacity of 27.5 kWh, providing a range of up to 250 km according to the WLTP standard. In Germany, the new Spring is priced from 17,900 euros.

Also among the most significant debuts of this year's Mondial de l’Auto is the fifth generation of the Hyundai Tucson. As before, a short-wheelbase version of the Tucson has been prepared for Europe, and with the change of generations, its length has grown to 4.56 meters, and the distance between the axles has increased to 2.72 meters.

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

The new euro-Tucson will be offered with a 150-horsepower gasoline turbo engine 1.6 TGDi paired with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed robot and two hybrid units based on it (245 and 292 horsepower) with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The drive is either front-wheel or all-wheel, and the range will also include a sports version of the N Line.

Hyundai Tucson N Line

Smart, which is currently a joint venture between Mercedes and Geely, has introduced the two-seat electric car #2 - this is the successor to the previous ForTwo model. From nose to tail, this "little one" measures about 2.75 meters, with a wheelbase of 1.87 meters. The trunk volume is 305 liters.

Smart #2

Smart #2

Smart #2

Smart #2

The new #2 is based on the ECA architecture, the electric motor on the rear axle develops 82 horsepower and 130 Nm of torque, and the car takes 11.6 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h. The top speed is 140 km/h. The charge of the 35.8 kWh battery should be enough for 290 kilometers of range (according to the WLTP cycle). European sales of the new Smart will begin in the first half of 2027, but the electric car is already available for order at a price of 19,990 euros in Germany, France, and Italy.

Smart #2

Smart #2

Volkswagen has brought the ID. Tiguan crossover to the capital of France, the exterior of which is designed in the latest Pure Positive style. In the brand's lineup, it replaces two models at once - ID.4 and ID.5.

Volkswagen ID. Tiguan

Volkswagen ID. Tiguan

Volkswagen ID. Tiguan

Buyers will be offered three versions of the 4.62-meter crossover. Two of them have rear-wheel drive and a single electric motor (190 hp and 286 hp), the most powerful all-wheel drive modification is equipped with two engines with a total output of 299 hp. The capacity of the battery of the base version is 58 kWh, the rest of the modifications are equipped with a 77 kWh battery, which allows you to travel up to 600 km on a single charge. The ID. Tiguan will appear at European dealerships at the beginning of next year, and on the domestic German market, the crossover will cost from 42,695 euros.

Volkswagen ID. Tiguan

In the automotive industry of the Old World, the trend of retro design continues to gain momentum - and Citroen has joined the trend of reviving classic models of the past in an electric format. At the show in its home country, the company presented a small (3.76 meters long) electric car under the legendary name 2CV, which was worn by the cult French subcompact car of the last century, known by the nickname "ugly duckling".

Citroen 2CV Concept

For now, the 2CV is in the status of a concept - the manufacturer has not shared information about the technical filling, but announced its intention to keep the starting price of the production version in the range of 15,000 euros. The revived 2CV is expected to go on sale in two years.

Citroen 2CV Concept

Similarly, the FIAT Multiplina concept shown in Paris, the style of which is inspired by the 600 Multipla microvan from 1956. It is known that technically, the Multiplina is an electric quadricycle of the L7e category, but there are no details about the filling yet. The production version is expected to enter the market in 2028.

FIAT Multiplina

FIAT Multiplina

FIAT Multiplina

At the Renault stand, there is a conceptual monovolume under the unequivocal name E-Space. This car reaches a length of 4.7 meters and has a six-seat salon with separate seats and wide transformation capabilities, and some of its details and stylistic elements remind us of the first-generation Espace (1984-1991). And if the current Espace, which has been produced since 2023, is a typical crossover, then the next-generation model will apparently become a minivan again.

Renault E-Space Concept

Renault E-Space Concept

Renault E-Space Concept

China

Chinese manufacturers have traditionally honored the Paris exhibition with their massive presence. In the fall of 2024, the European Union introduced additional duties on the import of cars from China, but the share of Chinese brands in the European market has only grown since then: companies from the PRC have rapidly increased supplies of hybrids and electric vehicles. It's no wonder that this year the Chinese came out in Paris with an even more powerful front.

The Chinese brand was allowed to test an autopilot in Paris. What came out of it?

For example, the company Xpeng is introducing its new crossover G9L to the European market, which we have already told you about separately. Note that this car will not only appear but also be produced in Europe: the production of G9L for the local market has been established at the Magna Steyr plant in Austria.

Xpeng G9L

Xpeng has a new flagship - the European premiere took place in Paris. The model will also appear in Belarus

The Avatr brand has arrived in Paris with the full-size crossover Concept T09. While Europeans have been shown a show car, in China the Avatr T09 has already been certified - the flagship crossover, which is 5.28 meters long, is expected to go on sale before the end of this year with two hybrid powertrain options.

The base version is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbo engine and two electric motors, the top modification has a 2.0 turbo engine and a three-motor all-wheel drive system (one motor on the front axle and two on the rear). The total power output is over 1000 horsepower. The start of exports of the "nine" is planned for next year.

In Paris, the European debut of the BYD Atto 8 crossover took place, which is sold in its home market under the name Tang L.

The five-meter car has a seven-seat interior with three rows of seats, the base Atto 8 has rear-wheel drive with one electric motor (462 horsepower), the all-wheel drive modification is additionally equipped with a front engine - the total power output reaches 775 horsepower. The battery in both versions has a capacity of 115 kW⋅h and features Flash Charging: from 10% to 70% it can be charged in just 5 minutes. The certified range is 602-652 km (according to the WLTP cycle). Sales of the Atto 8 in Europe will start in the first quarter of 2027.

Geely also has big plans for conquering the European market. At the end of next year, the debut of a brutal crossover is expected, which was shown in Paris under the designation Project KO11. In China, it is called Galaxy Zhanjian 700 and is already available for order at a price of $28,370, based on the current exchange rate. The car stretches 5.08 meters in length with a wheelbase of 2.9 meters, and three hybrid versions are offered - the top all-wheel drive version has a 2.0 gasoline turbo engine and three electric motors, which together produce 1129 horsepower and 1330 Nm.

Geely Project KO11

The familiar Monjaro crossover will also be exported to Europe - it will receive a different interior design and a rechargeable hybrid setup EM-i (334 horsepower and 667 Nm). Its basis is a 1.5 turbo engine, and the electrically driven minivan, which will be offered with front or all-wheel drive, can travel up to 116 kilometers on electric power alone.

Geely Monjaro EM-i

The company Leapmotor, which is represented in Europe by the Stellantis concern, is preparing to release an electric hatchback BO3. The length of the model is 4.18 meters, and the front-mounted electric motor produces 197 horsepower. The battery capacity has not been disclosed yet, but the range on a single charge is up to 390 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle. Refilling the energy from 10% to 80% will take 21 minutes. The exact dates of the European debut of the B03 and its price have not been announced yet.

Leapmotor B03