For a long time the European motor show seemed on the cusp of extinction, but a revival has been bubbling away for the past few years and the 2026 Paris motor show is the booming climax.
A jam-packed Porte de Versailles exhibition centre hosted dozens of memorable, headline-baiting new model unveilings.
Far from playing it safe in an era dominated by generic electric crossovers, European car makers are turning to their rich histories to chart a confident path forward - but there were plenty of disruptive upstarts on hand to show alternative, tech-focused plans for market dominance.
In this round up, Autocar's writers deliver their verdicts on the standout stars of the show - from radical retro revivals like the Fiat Multiplay and Citroën 2CV to thrilling performance concepts like Peugeot’s 805bhp e-T16 and Alpine’s muscular A310 Vision.
Let us know your picks in the comments below.
Renault E-Space
I'm not sure what’s going on in the Renault Group design team lately, but they’re on form: the Renault 8 Gordini and the Alpine A310 are both absolute show-stoppers and I would very much like them both to reach production.
But they’re also quite niche sporty cars, and it’s quite easy to make those look cool. What’s harder? Making an MPV look cool. But with the new E-Space concept, Renault’s new design chief Alexander Malval has done just that. It has all the optimistic, upbeat feel of the 5 and Twingo yet in a much bigger package that also looks ready for practical family life.
It’s even crazier when you realise the concept was done so fast that it was designed entirely digitally: Malval only saw the physical concept the day before the show. Thankfully he liked it. I do too. James Attwood
Fiat Multiplay
I’m not sure I had a revival of the 1990s Multipla – regarded by many as quite remarkably ugly, despite its intelligent packaging – on my bingo card.
The Fiat Multiplay feels like the company at its utterly mad best, designing a car from the inside-out to maximise its practicality. And it’s a fun new vision of practicality, with a chair that serves triple duty as a dog bed, baby seat or a sort of chaise longue. That’s not to mention its party trick, the folding pick-up bed.
Best of all, designer François Leboine told me there’s no reason that it couldn’t make it to production. Sure, it would need to be dialled down a bit and the costs reined in, but it’s a much-needed fresh take on the tired SUV formula.
Only Fiat could have done something this silly, and motoring is better for it. Charlie Martin
Peugeot RCZ
It’s only 11 years since the original Peugeot RCZ departed, then a victim of Peugeot’s decision to cut its model range in half to focus on more volume models in core segments. Given how tough the industry is now, you’d think a return for what will remain a niche model would remain an unnecessary distraction. But then Peugeot still makes the weirdo 408…
The RCZ’s return isn’t one fuelled by nostalgia. The RCZ R in particular was an excellent car but was never built on in period or since; only now with the returning 208 GTi has that dynamic flicker being picked up again. Peugeot is onto something with everyday performance cars again and is right to capitalise. Mark Tisshaw
Citroën 2CV
Seems like an obvious choice of star car, but isn’t it great that we’re in an era in which a car like the reborn Citroën 2CV can exist? Having taken a page out of rival Renault’s rule book, Citroën will be betting on this model having success akin to the 5. When there are near-endless generic cars to buy, that these historic brands have nostalgia to draw on certainly gives them an edge. It helps that it looks cute and will cost under £13k. Still, its range of 130 miles will limit buyers. Rachel Burgess
Fiat Multiplina
I'm doing my best to forget how little I enjoyed driving the Citroën Ami, because the closely related new Fiat Multiplina has soared right to the top of my wish list. It's nostalgic without being twee, basic without being uncompromisingly utilitarian and – crucially – fashionable without being expensive. It will be slow, firm-riding and short-legged, but I can think of nothing better suited to shuttling a couple or a young family around the suburbs - particularly now that the speed limit in most urban areas is 20mph anyway.
Along with the umpteen other retro revivals being revealed in Paris, it rather makes me wonder if we got cars absolutely bang on several decades ago, then went a long way down the wrong path. In any case, I'm glad we're heading back the right way. Felix Page
Volkswagen ID Tiguan
Manufacturers use motor shows to generate buzz for their brands with concepts but also as a place for buyers to prod new metal before it heads off to the showroom. Production-ready new cars were pretty thin on the ground at Paris, but one solid addition was the Volkswagen ID Tiguan.
This recast of the ID 4 was genuinely impressive, going beyond the usual facelift. The electric SUV looked like a new car both inside and out and the new dashboard buttons marked a welcome return to VW tactility of old. The restyle wasn’t a fuddy-ish throwback, despite the digital nod to old VW dashboard graphics, but instead redolent of a brand with deep knowledge of the China tech aesthetic. Nick Gibbs
Peugeot e-T16
For me, Peugeot’s concept previewing the new 208 – which just so happens to also be a mad, 805bhp tribute to the legendary 205 T16 homologation special – is the star of this year’s Paris show. I love my hot hatches and I love the world of rallying, so the e-T16 is right up my street. Peugeot has got the balance right between futuristic, aspirational concept and retro homage, especially given that the original 205 T16 was such a distinctive car in the first place. It isn’t confirmed for production, although a driving prototype is being worked on. Peugeot, please build it. Danny Davies
Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso
The Giulia saloon was the prettiest mainstream car of the 2010s, modernising traditional Alfa Romeo styling cues to bewitching effect. I was therefore delighted to see the brand promise more of the same for its next generation of cars, rather than go in a totally new direction – especially after Mercedes, Audi and BMW have gone so aesthetically astray in adapting to electrified powertrains. Better still, the Cuorerosso is a gorgeous coupé, not yet another blobby crossover or SUV. I would beg for Alfa to make it, but I know better than that by now… Kris Culmer
Alpine A310 Vision
Having scooped the possible comeback of the A310 and being genuinely pleased with my own rendering of what it could look like back in 2023, I was eagerly anticipating what Alpine would reveal, and the new A310 concept has completely blown mine off the tracks. It feels thoroughly modern and muscular yet, finished in that satin silver, it makes me think of a neo-retro world I instantly want to be in. The exterior surfacing is beautifully taut and emphasising purpose. I can almost imagine the tactile pleasure of carving those lines into the studio clay model. Please, Alpine, you simply must build this. Ben Summerell-Youde
Audi A2 E-tron
À mon avis, the original A2 was one of the greatest pieces of design and engineering in Audi’s history. Innovative, forward-thinking and ruthlessly efficient - but it sold poorly. Its hefty price tag put off most younger buyers while the idea of a radically designed small eco car alienated Audi’s usual target market.
The new A2 E-tron suffers no such identity crisis. In the form of a larger EV family hatchback, the A2 looks set to face up against the Volvo EX30 and Kia EV3. With a class-leading 401 miles of range, Audi might be on to a winner second time around. Matt Hallam