At the World Motor Show, SUVs are no longer the stars

The 2026 edition of the World Motor Show offers plenty of new models, and this time the stars aren’t SUVs! There are city cars, coupes, and even minivans! Is this finally a return to more diversity in manufacturers’ lineups?

With the return of many brands such as Fiat, Hyundai, Mercedes, and Opel, the World Motor Show has almost regained its former glory. This results in an impressive lineup of new models and concept cars. What stands out to me is that the SUV isn’t the star of the show. I’m not here to oppose SUVs, but rather to demand more choices and the option to buy something other than a 4×4!

Of course, SUVs are everywhere, at every corner of the exhibition, especially from Chinese manufacturers. There are indeed many new models that are SUVs. Hyundai is updating its Bayon and Tucson at the same time, Fiat is introducing its new Grizzly, and Volkswagen has brought the ID.Tiguan, the successor to the ID.4, which now has a more conventional look... and thus a stronger SUV identity. There is still strong demand for this type of vehicle, and the trend has not yet faded, so manufacturers must continue to meet it.

The station wagon is making a comeback

But at the World Motor Show, there isn’t the SUV boom we saw in previous years. For family vehicles, manufacturers have remembered they once offered other body styles, notably the station wagon, which is making a comeback at this exhibition. Dacia presents the Striker, which, despite having an off-road-inspired design, features a dynamic station wagon silhouette. It will thus offer an alternative to the Bigster in the C-segment. On its part, with the STX concept, Opel envisions the station wagon of the future—and therefore the future Astra station wagon.

It’s worth noting that among Stellantis’ wave of new concepts, there are hardly any SUVs, with the Fiat Multiplay being a peculiar blend of several categories. Elsewhere, Alfa Romeo has envisioned a 2+2 coupe, while DS has designed a compact sedan. Peugeot captured our hearts by imagining a new RCZ coupe, one we hope to see go into production. The brand needs such a flagship model for its lineup, as Alpine considers reviving the GT A310, as suggested by the concept car A310 Vision at the auto show.

Renault dares to go with a minivan!

But the real surprise of the show was still the E-Space. While we expected to see a glimpse of Renault’s upcoming SUVs, the company came up with a new version of its large minivan, staying true to the spirit of previous models. Renault even states clearly that it is a “true alternative to SUVs.” This vehicle highlights many features that family SUVs have overlooked, such as generous glass areas and high levels of modularity.

If Kia dares to add another SUV to its lineup with the Seltos, which fits between the Niro and Sportage, the manufacturer has officially announced the introduction of a new “traditional” compact vehicle in its portfolio: the K4, which will be available as a hybrid. On a slightly different note, Audi has opted not to go with a small SUV for its entry-level electric model but instead decided to revive the A2, bringing its distinctive design into the compact category.

Naturally, in France, the core market segment remains the city car. Automakers continue to rely on this traditional format, as seen with the Volkswagen ID.Polo. The Chinese company Leapmotor complements its lineup with a rival to the German model, the B03. After focusing on SUVs for some time, Smart is finally returning to its roots with the #2, a worthy successor to the Fortwo.

The star of the show is, of course, the 2 CV, making a long-awaited and notable return. With this model, Citroën avoided the trap of giving it SUV-inspired features. It remains a pure urban car, returning to simplicity.

RCZ, Espace, 2 CV, A2… As we can see, this time in Paris, the stars are no longer SUVs! We applaud this return to diversity. This also helps dispel the cliché that “all cars look alike.” The challenge now is to keep some of these promises in production, which isn’t always easy given economic considerations...

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