The narrative around executive motoring in London and the Home Counties has decisively shifted, writes motoring journalist Tim Barnes-Clay.
The modern-day company director’s primary vehicle now needs to transition seamlessly from weekday commutes in The City to weekend continental family road trips.
Indeed, just over 180 miles south of Calais, this year’s Paris Motor Show at the Expo Porte de Versailles presents a compelling case for technologically advanced, long-range luxury vehicles to meet this dual role.
Here, we’ll preview three cars aiming to redefine executive family travel.
XPeng G9L: The AI Executive
Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, the XPeng G9L offers a refreshing change of pace.
Positioned squarely against established European premium marques, the G9L is a large sports utility vehicle measuring 5,120mm in length.
The XPeng is longer than a standard wheelbase Range Rover and rivals the rear legroom of traditional long-wheelbase executive saloons.
Crucially, for company car buyers and fleet managers, XPeng has confirmed it will assemble G9L models in Graz, Austria, aligning the car with stringent European manufacturing standards.
It also features XPeng’s in-house artificial intelligence microchips and Turing AI architecture, which manage features such as cabin noise cancellation, multi-zone climate control, and state-of-the-art autonomous driver assistance systems.
The G9L will be offered as an electric vehicle, making it an agreeable choice for those wanting to minimise Benefit-In-Kind tax bills – and as a range-extender hybrid.
Called REEV, the hybrid features a small petrol engine which generates electricity rather than driving the wheels, feeding power into the batteries when they are depleted.
As such, it may be worth considering for those who want to travel further afield.
Lucid Gravity: Luxury EV Refinement
The name Lucid Gravity sounds better suited to a marketing campaign for a new premium mattress.
It’s very much an automotive name, though, albeit one you are likely to be unfamiliar with.
Lucid Motors is an American manufacturer, and it’s travelled from California to Paris to unveil the Gravity SUV.
With a commanding presence and a sophisticated, opulent cabin, this debutant aspires to throw down the gauntlet to established German luxury flagships.
It also has stunningly attractive looks, with a modest roofline slope and a large overhanging roof spoiler; its overall shape hints more at an MPV than an SUV.
Despite its name and evident heft, its performance is truly gravity-defying.
It hits 62 mph in a remarkable 3.5 seconds, and charging is equally brisk, thanks to a 900V architecture that adds around 200 miles in just a quarter of an hour.
It maintains a low stance for a sizeable car, though it’s wider than a Volvo EX90 SUV, and it offers a spacious cabin where all occupants can stretch out and relax.
The Gravity offers a 34-inch glass OLED cockpit display and a premium sustainable wood finish.
Practicality is an even bigger winner, though, as it still offers around 600 litres of boot space with all seven seats in place, plus 175 litres of underfloor storage.
It’s already won 2026 World Luxury Car of the Year, so it’s a new name worth considering.
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Audi A2 e-tron: German Precision in the Capital
Audi, of course, is always a safe bet whether your priority is practicality or high-speed performance.
The new family car is widely viewed as a reimagining of the A2 ‘mini MPV’ that quietly departed over 20 years ago, with its modern, stocky successor bearing more than a striking resemblance to its antiquated predecessor.
Built on the MEB+ platform, this new EV will be available with 52, 61, or 84kWh batteries. It will also deliver a reported range of up to 397 miles (WLTP), depending on configuration, and support fast charging of up to 183kW on higher models.
Balancing compact dimensions, Audi has tried to be smart with its cabin design, maximising space and practicality while offering pleasingly plentiful rear headroom.
The cabin also debuts its new digital cockpit architecture, featuring a feature-rich head-up display that intriguingly offers augmented reality (AR) satellite navigation projection.
Measuring just over 4,320mm in length, it’s aerodynamically efficient, with active grille shutters, optimised wheel covers, flush door handles, and a subtly sculpted rear roof spoiler to direct airflow.
Audi has kept the footprint compact, making the A2 e-tron just as capable of handling tight city streets and underground car parks as it is of embarking on a long family weekend away.
The A2 will launch in four trim levels: Technik, Sport, S Line, and Edition 1, and features a 12.8-inch curved infotainment display paired with a customisable virtual cockpit display behind the wheel.