This year’s Paris motor show will be among the biggest in years as the European car industry rallies against the wave of Chinese newcomers.
The show floor will naturally be dominated by electric cars. But it will also signal a shift towards the bottom end of the market, as the likes of Citroën, Dacia and Peugeot all aim to address how they can convince the majority of buyers to make the switch away from petrol.
The revival of the Citroën 2CV will snatch a great many headlines, but there will also be fresh details on the next-generation Alpine A110 sports car, a replacement for the Smart Fortwo city car, and much more besides.
Here’s what to look out for at the Paris motor show…
Alpine A110
Much ink has already been spilled about the next-generation A110, but more is to come from Paris, where the brand says it will reveal “new elements” of the electric sports car.
Everything we know about the next-gen Alpine A110
Audi A2
Audi has yet to officially confirm the A2 will appear at Paris, but it has pointed to a debut for it this autumn and is confirmed as an exhibitor. That suggests the new EV – an upmarket sibling to the Volkswagen ID 3 styled to look like the original A2 – will be present.
Read our review of the reborn Audi A2
Citroën 2CV
Football didn’t come home, but Citroën is: the revival of the legendary Tin Snail will be shown to the world for the first time at Paris.
Citroën CEO Xavier Chardon has said the new car will have “exactly the same purpose as the 2CV did in the late 1940s” in offering affordable transport for the masses, but for the electric era.
The show car will be a concept, but it is expected to closely preview the finished model that is due on sale in 2028.
Everything we know about the new Citroën 2CV
Dacia Spring Mk2
The Dacia Spring has established a niche for itself in Europe as an affordable second car for the school run, trips to the shops and other mundanities. But this second-generation car, which we expect to be revealed at the Paris show, will prove a big step up from the current model.
It will make the switch from its Indian city car platform to the one that underpins the Renault Twingo, while also gaining styling much more in keeping with Dacia’s current look. Both will be sold in parallel for a short period, hence its ‘New Spring’ name.
Everything we know about the new Dacia Spring
Fiat concept car
The Paris motor show’s organiser said earlier this year that Fiat will showcase “an exclusive concept car” – though little is yet known about what shape it will take.
It is possible that Fiat will unwrap its equivalent to the 2CV, given that both it and Citroën are owned by corporate giant Stellantis, and that it has a similar remit to the French brand in targeting the affordable end of the European market.
