Paris Motor Show 2026 live: Citroen 2CV reborn, next-gen Vauxhall Astra and so much more
Europe’s car brands have taken over Paris and let their imaginations run wild
The 2026 Paris Motor is underway and proving why it is one of the most important events in the world of cars. After months of build-up, we’ve got our first looks at the reborn Citroen 2CV, next-generation Vauxhall Astra and Smart’s return to the city car sector, with plenty more still to come.
French firms Citroen, Peugeot, Renault, Alpine and DS are putting on quite a show for their hometown fans, unveiling a wild variety of fresh and exciting concepts that preview everything from affordable hatchbacks and family-friendly people carriers to a rally-inspired hyper-hatch and a spectacular sports car Porsche would be jealous of.
Alongside the imaginative show car designs from them, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and others, are some cars you’ll actually be able to buy soon. The new Volkswagen ID. Tiguan – the car formerly known as the ID.4 – made its public debut in Paris, as did the eagerly anticipated successor to the iconic Smart ForTwo, the very petite new Smart #2. China is making its presence known as well, with brands like Geely and Omoda showing off some fresh metal.
Auto Express is on the ground in Paris to see all the exciting new models Europe’s car brands and others have brought along to the show, and speak to some of the most influential figureheads in the automotive industry. Let's get stuck in…
Paris 2026 top car reveals
- Citroen 2CV - French icon is finally reborn, and as charming as ever.
- Volkswagen ID. Tiguan - VW’s electric family SUV has a new look, new interior and a new yet familiar name.
- Vauxhall STX - our first look at the next-generation Vauxhall Astra, and the future of the estate car.
- Smart #2 - pint-sized electric city-slicker will the smallest car in Europe.
- Alpine A310 Vision - Villainous-looking sports car designed to encroach on Porsche and Ferrari’s territory.
- Renault E-Space - Could this be the family bus that makes MPV cool again?
- Peugeot E-T16 - Rally legend reimagined as electric hyper-hatch to take on Renault’s Turbo 3E.
- Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso - drop-dead gorgeous coupe previews the next generation of Alfas.
- DS F3VER - First look at the next-generation DS No3 hatchback focused on Parsian luxury.
- Renault 8 Gordini - jaw-dropping two-door coupe is a rear-wheel drive piece of modern art.
Paris Motor Show 2026: all the big car reveals from A to Z
Here you'll find all of the major new car reveals at Paris 2026, along with information on what the top brands are up to at the show.
Aion
Chinese brand Aion is making its debut at Paris this year, and is showing off two new additions to its line-up. The first being the Aion GS7: a huge SUV with plug-in hybrid power looking to take on the Land Rover Discovery. The other model remains a mystery for now, though the UK managing director, Jon Wakefield, previously hinted to us a “fettled” version of something in the current line-up is on the way. Stay tuned for that.
Alfa Romeo
Despite what it might look like, the jaw-dropping Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso is not supposed to be a sneak peek of the long-awaited, next-generation Guilia saloon. However, the hot red four-seat coupe does show us where the Italian brand is heading, with its design set to inform the entire raft of new models Alfa Romeo is working on, and a hybrid-assisted V6 engine under its long, sculpted bonnet.
Alpine
The next-generation Alpine A110 isn’t launching until late next year, sadly. We do now, however, have a good idea of what it will look like and how the iconic sports car’s design is evolving thanks to a dramatic, if slightly abstract, sculpture. If you can’t see the vision don’t worry, because Alpine’s design boss gave Auto Express a sneak peek recently.
The wild, rather villainous-looking Alpine A310 Vision is not just a pie-in-the-sky concept; it’s a statement of intent for the brand’s low-volume, big-money and extreme ‘special projects’. The two-seater, seventies-inspired speculator also demonstrates just how flexible Alpine’s new electric sports car architecture is, in allowing for this car’s outrageous proportions. Sadly, there are no plans to put it into production, but hopefully that will change.
Audi
The innovative if unconventional Audi A2 hatchback from the noughties is back, reborn as Audi’s entry-level EV to take on the likes of the Cupra Born and Volvo EX30. We’ve seen the car already and even had a chance to drive a prototype, but this will be the first chance for the public to have a poke around. It’s perfect time too, as the radical hatchback has just gone on sale, with prices starting from only £30,700.
Citroen
The iconic Citroen 2CV is coming out of retirement after a nearly 40-year hiatus. France’s post-war hero is returning as a £13k EV - so it’s one for the masses, like the original ‘Deux Chevaux’ - and is leading the charge for a new simpler and cheaper breed of small electric cars coming out of Europe. It’s due to hit the streets in 2028, but this concept model unveiled in Paris will give us plenty to talk about until then.
Dacia
Revealed back in September but making its public debut in the French capital, the second-generation Dacia Spring is set to cost quite a bit more than the outgoing EV. However, this new one has more style, more range, a nicer interior and should drive better too, so you should be getting your money’s worth with this one.
At the other end of Dacia’s line-up is the new Striker: a jacked-up family estate car that’s part of the value-focused brand’s assault on the critical C-segment market, meaning it’s a rival to top-sellers like the Skoda Octavia, Citroen C5 Aircross and Nissan Qashqai. It’s also the biggest Dacia launched to date, has bold looks, lots of space inside and should start from less than £25,000. Definitely one to check out, we think.
DS
Earlier this year, we learned that the DS3 hatchback was getting a reboot, with the faltering French premium marque going back to where it all began in 2010. The all-new DS No3 will be part of a big renaissance plan for the company, and before it arrives, the DS F3VER shows us what to expect, including surprisingly sporty looks and the latest tech from Stellantis underneath.
Fiat
The new Fiat Grizzly is the next addition to the Italian outfit’s Panda-inspired line-up, following from the wonderfully charming Grande Panda supermini. Both the SUV and more rakish Fastback versions of the mid-size crossover are on display, giving people their first opportunity to poke around the fresh Skoda Karoq and Nissan Qashqai competitors. Both will be available with hybrid and electric power when they launch soon.
The Fiat Multiplay concept is what happens when the Italians push the idea of a multi-purpose vehicle further than your typical SUV. It’s designed to be highly modular, giving customers the ability to transform their car from a seven-seater people carrier to a double-cab pick-up truck with just the push of a button. We love the idea, even if we don’t know if, how or when we could see anything close to a production version.
Lancia
Lancia says its new Gamma “embodies the brand’s distinctive interpretation of Italian elegance, combining a refined fastback silhouette with aerodynamic efficiency, generous interior space and everyday versatility.” Fans of the original executive coupe might be a tad disappointed in the new car’s metamorphosis into a somewhat bulbous coupe-SUV, which appears to be a rebadged version of the Peugeot 3008. It’ll be interesting to see the reception it gets in Paris.
Leapmotor
Leapmotor is the newest member of the massive Stellantis family, and its affordable range of cars is growing rapidly. The B03 supermini – the brand’s answer to the Renault 5 and Volkswagen ID. Polo, among others – is set to be the next addition to its line-up, and Paris is the first chance for us to take a look. It’s joined by Leapmotor’s D19 flagship SUV, which hasn’t been confirmed for UK shores just yet.
Li Auto
- Li Auto i6
Chinese firm Li Auto is a luxury brand that has been a big success in its home market thanks to solid build quality and high-performance powertrains. We saw the i6 – a five-seat electric MPV – at the Beijing Motor Show earlier this year and with Li Auto now looking to make inroads in the European market, we expect the car to be on display in Paris.
Maserati
A new concept car from Maserati will launch the Italian car maker into a new era of design. Earlier this year, Gilles Vidal, head of design for Stellantis’ European brands, told Auto Express: “Every two decades or so there’s a massive shift in the design expression. So what we are looking at is what’s the next thing for Maserati.” The mysterious future-gazing concept car will influence whatever comes next from the 111-year-old Italian outfit. No pressure, then...
Moke
The utterly adorable Electric Moke is all about fun, providing a wind in the hair, and up your shorts, driving experience because it doesn’t have any doors. The overall design will stand out no matter where you take it. One major downside has been its range of just 54 miles, but Moke is set to bring a new one to Paris that can go twice as far, we’ve been promised.
Omoda
The sharply-styled new Omoda 4 is set to launch in the UK early next year, with Paris providing us with our first opportunity to get a proper look at Jaecoo’s sister brand’s smallest SUV to date. It’s going to be facing off against the likes of the Volkswagen T-Roc and Ford Puma, hoping its baby Lamborghini looks and frugal hybrid powertrain will be enough to tempt buyers.
Peugeot
After seeing Renault set the internet ablaze and rake in quite a bit of cash with its £135k 533bhp 5 Turbo 3E super hatch, Peugeot is hoping to do the same with its own tribute to a rally legend. The new E-T16 concept is a tri-motor all-electric hyper-hatch, inspired by the distinctive Peugeot 205 T16 that won the World Rally Championship twice in the eighties. It’s also a teaser for what would be the ““ultimate vision of the next Peugeot E-208”.
Remember the Peugeot RCZ? The 2+2 sports car was the brand’s distinctive, if not quite handsome or beautiful, alternative to the Audi TT, VW Scirocco and other compact coupes. Now it’s back! The signature Zagato-inspired double-bubble roof is present and correct, and it’s electric, with a hearty 493bhp on tap.
Renault
The Renault Espace could be about to receive the same retro-inspired-rebirth as the R5, R4 and Twingo. At least, that’s what the futuristic yet familiar- and friendly-looking E-Space concept revealed in Paris suggests to us. We’re totally down for it as well! If somehow the looks weren’t enough to interest you, the cutting-edge technology inside this MPV will feature on future Renault models.
Renault has also added a new panoramic glass roof to the already super-stylish and super-fun Twingo city car. The rounded, almost egg-shaped ‘Twingobay’ panel is unusual but enhances rather than detracts from the Twingo’s nineties-inspired styling, we reckon. It’ll be available from 2027.
The new Renault 8 Gordini concept is a must-see at Paris. This fabulous two-door reimagines one of the original sports saloons, while celebrating the history of what was the French marque’s go-faster arm before Renaultsport or Alpine. Like the Alpine A310 Vision, there are no plans for a production version, but maybe that will change if enough people express their interest. We certainly hope so!
Smart
Smart looks set to drum up plenty of excitement because it’s bringing back the ForTwo city car, which launched the brand into the public eye with its clever use of space and slick design. The new car will be electric and it won’t be called ForTwo, instead being badged #2 in line with the firm’s current naming strategy. It’ll still be incredibly cute to look at and occupy a tiny footprint, but it’ll go big on character, just like the original.
Tesla
The Tesla Cybercab is another one of the cars featured at the Paris Motor Show you can’t drive, but not because it’s a concept. The fully autonomous robotaxi has no steering wheel or pedals, you simply get in and it goes. Thanks to new legislation, self-driving cars like this are starting to pop up on UK roads, however we don’t know quite yet when we might see this golden two-seater zipping around Birmingham.
Vauxhall
This, believe it or not, is what the next-generation Vauxhall Astra will look like. The brand’s very striking STX concept - which stands for ‘Sports Tourer eXperimental’ - previews the next evolution of Britain’s long-serving family car. It takes estate car form with a fresh new styling language, plus it’s the first car we’ve seen sporting the redesigned Vauxhall emblem. Exactly when the new Astra will arrive hasn’t been confirmed yet, but thanks to this Paris show-stopper, we’re certainly excited for when the moment finally arrives.
Volkswagen
This is the car the ID.4 should have always been! The new Volkswagen ID. Tiguan is the same car underneath, however the SUV’s bland name, blobby design and unremarkable interior have all been binned off, to create something more attractive and more competitive against rivals like the excellent Renault Scenic and Skoda Enyaq.
We might have seen the new super-streamlined Volkswagen Mission Efficiency earlier in the year at a private event, but the clever, ultra-efficient electric car concept is coming to Paris for all to see. And that won’t be to simply build excitement for the brand; we’ve been told there’s a possibility it might be put into production – depending on the reaction of the Paris show visitors, of course.
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