Europe is back: How VW, Stellantis and Co. shine in Paris

A few years ago, the automotive industry had a quasi-sacred triangle: Geneva, Paris and Frankfurt were the stops where the automotive circus regularly convened. After the pandemic, the Geneva Motor Show disappeared entirely, and the IAA in Frankfurt has been in a kind of identity crisis ever since its move to Munich.

Most recently, the Paris Motor Show also seemed to be on a slow decline. The 2024 edition was largely driven by Chinese manufacturers, with Europe offering little in the way of excitement. Two years later, the French capital presents a different picture: European automakers have significantly refreshed their model lineups, and there is a sense of renewed momentum. We take a look at the most important new releases.

The retro wave now reaches 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 is bringing back the iconic 2CV. For now, it is only a concept, so the French carmaker has revealed few details. What we know so far is that the car will weigh under one tonne, production will start in 2028, and it will cost around €15,000. Citroën has not only revived the 2CV visually but also aims to appeal to price-sensitive customers, just like the original.

Foto: Gesine Schurig

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Fiat is taking a different kind of retro approach by breathing new life into the Multipla, a model that was never particularly iconic. The Italian carmaker says little about the technology, but everything about the exhibition stand — which mimics an Italian piazza — cries out “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 leveraging what may be its most valuable asset: vehicles with character. Another example is the new Opel Corsa GSE. Admittedly, the Rüsselsheim model is no longer brand new, and with its familiar 54 kWh battery, it is not built for long-distance endurance.

But in a world full of generic, bulky SUVs, a nimble compact car with 281 PS almost automatically earns sympathy points.

To ensure Stellantis keeps pace technically despite its retro enthusiasm and character-focused 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 only recently led the retro wave and launched a series of corresponding models. Instead, it presented concepts such as an electric Espace, the R8, and an R4 beach buggy.

‘True Volkswagen’ takes shape

For a little over a year, the core VW brand has been communicating a new strategy aimed at making its electric models ‘true’ Volkswagens again. At the Paris Motor Show, this slogan is now being brought 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 — even though the underlying technology has not changed all that much.

Foto: Gesine Schurig

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Electric mobility is also moving into smaller segments across the rest of the Group’s brands. In line with Paris, VW Group’s presence is defined by the ‘Urban Electric Car Family’, comprising the Škoda Epiq, Cupra Raval and ID.Cross/Polo. A touch of retro is also present here, as a wider audience gets its first look at the new Audi A2 e-tron. 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 arguably the most anticipated car was the new Smart #2. The stand of the German-Chinese brand was almost constantly surrounded by a crowd, making it hard to get through. We already took a closer look at it beforehand, so we will leave it out of this report.

At Smart’s half-owner Mercedes-Benz (the other half belongs to China’s Geely Group), the focus is back on compact and mid-size vehicles following the luxury detours of Ola Källenius. But the current lineup is thin in these segments, so the now eight-year-old A-Class has been pushed to the forefront to prove that the luxury strategy has been abandoned. That said, it is worth noting that the German carmakers from Schwabia do have an 800-volt benchmark model in the form of the electric C-Class.

The quiet achievers

The Korean carmakers are once again quietly impressive. Both brands now showcase 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 automakers. Some Chinese brands are also pulling back again. Hongqi is no longer present, GWM was already absent last time, and even MG, which has been quite successful in Europe, has chosen to stay home.

Reports of their death were greatly exaggerated

This saying may apply not only to the European automotive industry but also to the concept of the motor show itself. After this Paris Motor Show, no one believes that the era of motor shows is over and that automakers will only present new models at electronics trade fairs.

Europe’s automotive industry has made it clear: it will not cede the field to China without a fight. This impression is reinforced by the French president, who positions himself as the ultimate brand ambassador for ‘made in France’ cars. With charisma, he speaks of battery factories, ‘reindustrialisation’ and how electrification makes this possible. In moments like these, one might look enviously from Germany towards Paris.