Paris Motor Show round-up: Stellantis, Renault Group bank on nostalgia to counter Chinese newcomers

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European automakers Stellantis and Renault Group tapped into their deep heritage at last week’s Paris Motor Show as they sought to draw attention from the numerous Chinese newcomers to Europe’s automotive market.

A flood of concepts from Stellantis draw on its past to shape its future

Stellantis was the most active of the automakers attending the event, showing off nine concepts as it moves forward with its FaSTLAne 2030 strategy. Arguably the most significant was Citroën’s ‘2 CV Concept’, an homage to the brand’s iconic 2 CV and drawing heavily on its distinctive design cues, including the ridged bonnet and canvas roof. The vehicle’s character is reinforced by an interior that is both functional and fun.

The concept is indicative of what Citroën plans to introduce under the EU’s new E-Car low-cost battery electric vehicle (BEV) regulations. Citroën has said that the production 2 CV will be unveiled within the next two years, with a planned price of around €15,000. Mobility Global forecasts that the 2 CV, like Fiat’s planned model developed under the same regulations, will be based on Chinese partner Leapmotor’s T03 battery electric city car.

Peugeot delved into its own history for the event with two concepts. One, the E-T16, celebrated the 40^th anniversary of the brand becoming a double world rally champion. Featuring an aggressive body design, an aerodynamic package and a battery electric powertrain with a trimotor setup developing 816 bhp, the concept also provided insight into what’s in store from the upcoming E-208. This includes the “Feline Future” exterior design language and next-generation i-Cockpit Hypersquare steering control with steer-by-wire technology.

The production E-208, underpinned by the STLA One platform, is likely to be launched during the first half of 2027, with production at the Zaragoza facility in Spain expected to begin at the end of the third quarter of 2027, according to Mobility Global’s outlook.

Fiat showed off one of the more creative concepts at the event. Called Multiplay, the brand said it explores “a new approach to family mobility, combining the space of an MPV, the character of an SUV and the functionality of a pick-up” in a compact 4.45-meter-long package. Drawing inspiration from Fiat’s past Multipla MPVs, it seats six occupants and introduces what the brand calls the Petsenger seat, a modular unit that can be used as a mounting point for a child’s car seat, a dedicated space for a pet, a small table or a storage compartment.

Another key feature is the longitudinally sliding rear C-Pillar module called Metamorfosi, which transforms the vehicle into a pickup “in just a few movements,” according to Fiat. The brand describes the Multiplay as “a laboratory of ideas for future innovations,” suggesting its influence could be felt across a range of upcoming Fiat or possibly other Stellantis products.

Renault Group also reinterprets some of its heritage

Renault Group continued its trend of reinterpreting historic products which started with the previously introduced Alpine A110 and Renault 5. Several of the Renault Group’s 2026 Paris battery electric concepts followed this approach. Among them is the Renault E-Space concept—a reinterpretation of one of the original midsize MPVs, the Renault Espace—which incorporates design cues and flexible seating reminiscent of the original. Renault also showed two new sporting concepts. Despite the technology under the surface, the Alpine Vision A310 looks back to 1970s, and the Renault 8 Gordini concept harks back even further, to the 1960s.

Important new production vehicles were also on display elsewhere. Hyundai showed its latest generation subcompact Bayon and compact Tucson crossovers, while VW Group showcased the new battery electric VW ID. Tiguan and Audi A2 e-tron. The latter represents another attempt by the German automaker to revive an innovative product from the past.

Chinese automakers intensify competition with expanded presence

The established automakers had to vie for attention from an array of new Chinese competitors at the Paris Motor Show.

Around 20 Chinese-originating brands displayed vehicles at the event, although relatively few were new introductions. The brands fell into two categories: those that already have a presence in Europe and are expanding their lineups to broaden appeal and those using the event to grow their visibility after only recently arriving.

Among the more established brands was BYD, which has seen its sales in Western and Central Europe surge in the past couple of years. The centerpiece of its display was its flagship battery electric SUV, the Atto 8, which is already on sale in China as the Tang L. Similarly, the fast-growing Chery Automobile brands Chery and Omoda showed the Q city car and Omoda 4 subcompact crossover to a European audience for the first time. Stellantis partnerLeapmotor also introduced its B03 hatchback to the region.

Chinese automakers also unveiled several new models globally. Xpeng used the event to unveil the G9L, a larger and more luxurious version of its existing G9 crossover. Avatr—a brand backed by Changan Automobile, Huawei and CATL—revealed the T09, its own take on the flagship six-seat SUV, a vehicle type that has become popular in China. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group-backed brands also showcased two upcoming products. The Geely brand presented Project K011, a large SUV with a boxy design like BYD’s Ti 7, Denza’s Bao 5 and products from Chery’s incoming iCaur brand. Smart, which Geely owns with Mercedes-Benz Group, drew on its own heritage with the #2, a two-seat city car that treads a similar path to the first Fortwo.

The growing wave of Chinese brands in Europe

Nostalgia alone is unlikely to help established European automakers compete with the tide of competitively priced and technologically advanced Chinese challengers. Mobility Global forecasts that passenger car imports into Western and Central Europe will reach 1.696 million units in 2026, up from just 770,000 units in 2024. These imports will account for 12.1% of all passenger cars registered in the region in 2026, when the overall market is expected to reach 14.01 million units, up from 13.07 million units in 2024.

With Mobility Global projecting passenger car registrations in Western and Central Europe to remain near 2026 volumes until the end of the decade, the squeeze looks set to continue. Indeed, our forecasts show that BYD passenger car sales in the region will reach 372,600 units during 2026, up 98.9% year over year, and exceed 500,000 units by the end of the decade.

Sales of Chery Automobile and SAIC Group brands are expected to follow a similar trajectory. By then, however, a growing share of vehicles from these three automakers will be manufactured in Europe. The regional sourcing is encouraged by regulatory obstacles imposed by the European Commission. Mobility Global still anticipates that Chinese passenger car imports into Western and Central Europe will top 1.5 million units by the end of the decade.