Paris Motor Show 2026: the first new models and what they say about tomorrow's powertrains

By Vincent Clarenc, Founder of Compar'Car

The first two days of the Paris Motor Show (the press day on Monday 12 October, then the Paris Automotive Summit on Tuesday 13) have already delivered some sixty world premieres announced by the organisers. Here is a first read, written on 14 October 2026: these are manufacturer announcements and press reports, not road tests. Ranges are the claimed ones, prices may still change, and the show runs until 18 October.

The first new models worth knowing

Among small cars, the Smart #2, successor to the Fortwo, is a 2.75 m electric city car built in China, announced with up to 290 km of WLTP range and a starting price of around 20,000 euros (19,990 euros according to Automobile Propre). The second-generation Dacia Spring moves to a new platform with more range and a more powerful motor: Automobile Propre puts it under 15,000 euros after the CEE bonus. Geely shows its E2 electric city car from 20,990 euros and XPeng its L03 from 34,990 euros. At Opel, the electric Corsa GSE produces 280 hp and does 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds.

For families, Dacia unveils the Striker, a 4.62 m crossover in hybrid and LPG, with a four-wheel-drive version (from 28,100 euros in hybrid form according to Automobile Propre). Hyundai presents the new-generation Bayon, which finally gets a hybrid powertrain (on sale in spring 2027), and the 2027 Tucson in hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Kia shows the hybrid Seltos, Lancia the Gamma (4.67 m, 145 hp hybrid or electric up to 375 hp, over 740 km on one version) and DS the N°7 (electric up to 740 km). Volvo refreshes the EX40 (up to 575 km) and offers an XC60 plug-in hybrid with a 41.2 kWh battery, announced for about 200 km in electric mode. Mercedes shows the electric C-Class (up to 760 km WLTP, 800 V architecture) and the electric GLA (up to 657 km). At Audi, the A2 e-tron is presented as an entry-level electric car under 40,000 euros.

Chinese brands are highly visible: BYD, Geely, GAC, Zeekr, XPeng, Leapmotor, Li Auto, Aito, Forthing and Chery (launching in France with the Tiggo 4, 7 and 8 in hybrid or plug-in hybrid). The XPeng G9L is announced for early 2027 at 74,990 euros (560 to 640 km WLTP), the Li 6 for the first quarter of 2027 (640 km WLTP, 10-minute charging claimed). Renault's chief executive, François Provost, puts the competitiveness gap with the Chinese ecosystem at 30-40% and says he wants to halve it with suppliers.

There are also many concepts, which are not cars you can buy: Citroën's 2 CV (production version announced for 2028), the electric Renault 8 Gordini, Renault's E-Space, the Alpine SP1 and a sculpture previewing a future electric A110, or the Peugeot RCZ Vision. None has a confirmed price or order date.

Tomorrow's powertrains: what the first reactions say

Electric is settling in, but the debate is moving to regulation. On stage at the Paris Automotive Summit, Renault asked for 20% flexibility on the 2035 CO2 target and smoothing over 2028-2032, without which it could cut European production by 300,000 vehicles a year; Stellantis wants five years of flexibility and Volkswagen super-credits for electric city cars under 4.20 m. Luc Chatel (PFA) says the rules have "killed the A segment". Meanwhile, Volkswagen says its electric sales in Europe jumped 60% in the third quarter of 2026, and Chinese brands held 10.7% of the European market in the second quarter, against 5.7% a year earlier (Schmidt Automotive Research, quoted by Reuters).

Hybrids are becoming a commercial and political issue. On 12 October the European Union and China announced a cap of 350,000 Chinese hybrids imported per year (mild hybrids, hybrids and plug-in hybrids), rising 6% a year for four years, according to the press (Boursorama, Journal de l'Automobile, L'argus); we have not seen an official text. At the same time, hybrid launches are multiplying: Dacia Striker, Bayon, Tucson, Seltos, Chery, the plug-in XC60.

Battery and charging technology is progressing on paper. 800 V architectures are spreading (Mercedes C-Class, Renault Trafic E-Tech, which recovers 280 km in 20 minutes). The Peugeot RCZ Vision, a 500 hp electric concept, announces a solid-state battery developed with Factorial Energy, up to 600 km and a 10 to 80% charge in 10 minutes: this is a concept target, not a homologated figure, and it is more ambitious than what validated cells allowed so far (15 to 90% in 18 minutes for the cells Stellantis validated in 2025, according to the specialist press).

As for combustion engines, hydrogen and synthetic fuels, the show brings no major announcement, and Toyota, which defends this variety of routes, is absent. EY's analysis published on 6 October says there is no credible prospect of a structural return to the traditional combustion engine in Europe. Toyota's CO2-capture tests on a hydrogen engine (about 20 g captured over 91 km) remain far from the emissions of a petrol engine (about 14 kg per 100 km at 6 L/100 km).

What this changes when you buy a car

A concept cannot be ordered. The 2 CV, the RCZ Vision or the 8 Gordini have neither a price nor a date: waiting for one of them to decide today makes no sense. Better to start from your needs: annual mileage, trips, whether you can charge at home, and an all-inclusive monthly budget.

Electric city cars at 15,000-21,000 euros are arriving. That is good news for tight budgets, but it could also weigh on the used value of today's small electric cars: that is a hypothesis to watch, not an established fact. Conversely, the cap on Chinese hybrids could influence the supply and prices of those models, again to be confirmed in the coming months.

The choice of powertrain remains a matter of profile. Without a home charger and with a lot of motorway driving, a hybrid or a well-charged plug-in hybrid is often more coherent; with home charging and mixed trips, electric has strong arguments. In every case, real-world range is lower than the announced WLTP range: Compar'Car uses 75% of that value in its calculation. And a model seen at the show often has a recent used equivalent at a gentler price, which Compar'Car compares with the new one according to your profile.

Key points

More than 60 world premieres announced, many affordable electric cars and hybrids, a strong Chinese presence, an intense regulatory debate over 2035 and few announcements on combustion engines, hydrogen and synthetic fuels. The figures quoted are announcements, to be confirmed by road tests and final price lists. We will update this article after the show closes on 18 October.

Sources consulted on 14 October 2026: the show's official website (mondial.paris), Journal de l'Automobile (live coverage and the import-cap report), Automobile Propre, L'argus, Boursorama, France Transactions, Le Blog Auto and PassionAndCar (Peugeot RCZ Vision). Some sources differ on details (prices, opening dates); where they differ, we use the official site or flag the difference.