The Renault 4ever Trophy full-electric SUV concept was the automaker’s big debut in Paris.
Go to our Paris auto show page for the show debuts.
PARIS — This year’s Paris auto show looks very different than the one that was last held in 2018. For one, it has been combined with the Equip’Auto exhibition of aftermarket supplies, in an effort to offer a broader experience for industry attendees. And there are very few automakers showing their latest and greatest production and concept vehicles.
Despite that, Paris remains an important venue for a number of brands, some established and some hopeful of breaking into the European market. Alpine, Dacia, DS, Jeep, Peugeot and Renault are here, as is Renault Group’s mobility brand Mobilize.
Several ambitious Asian companies, China’s BYD and Great Wall, and Vietnam’s Vinfast, are also here. EV startup Fisker is showing the Ocean SUV. And Mercedes-Benz revealed a new model in Paris — the EQE SUV — but not as an official exhibitor.
The show at the Paris Expo center starts Monday with a media day and opens to the public Tuesday, running until Oct. 23.
Here is a look at the brands at the show:
The Alpine A110 R will have 300 hp and weigh just 1,082 kg, 34 kg lighter than a standard model.
Renault’s sports-car and racing brand — including Formula One — is set to assume a larger role in the group, with an electric SUV and small hot hatch, and a replacement for the A110 sports coupe expected by 2025. At the Paris show, Alpine is showing the lightweight A110 R and a concept vehicle called the Alpenglow. The A110 R, with 300 hp from a turbocharged 1.8-liter engine, will have a 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) time of 3.9 seconds and weigh just 1082 kg, 34 kg lighter than a standard A110. Meanwhile, Alpenglow is a Le Mans-style sports-racing concept meant to make a statement about Alpine’s racing and road aspirations.
The BYD Atto compact full-electric crossover.
Chinese companies have started a major push to break into the European market, with EVs that are expected to undercut the competition on price but still deliver leading range and technology. By the end of this year, BYD, the second-largest global EV maker after Tesla, will start selling the Atto 3, a compact crossover, the Tang midsize crossover and the Han midsize sedan, and all three arer at the Paris show.
The Dacia Manifesto concept.
A makeover of Renault’s successful low-cost brand includes a new “Dacia Link” logo and outdoorsy colors, as well as a rugged concept called the Manifesto. The Manifesto, a full-electric off-roader, is meant to be a “living lab” to showcase ideas for future production models as well as reinforce Dacia’s core messages of affordability and sustainability.
The DS 7 compact crossover gets a new, sharper front end and a 360-hp plug-in hybrid performance package.
The Stellantis premium brand has face-lifted its SUV lineup, with the DS 7 and DS 3 receiving exterior and mechanical updates — and dropping the “Crossback” designation. The DS 7 was the first model designed from the ground up for the brand, which was spun off from Citroen in 2016. The DS 7 will have a 360 hp plug-in hybrid performance package with larger brakes.
Henrik Fisker, who previously designed cars for BMW and Aston Martin, has touted the Ocean’s looks as being one of its stand-out features.
Henrik Fisker’s California-based EV startup will show the Ocean, a midsize SUV that is slated to start production with Austrian contract manufacturer Magna Steyr on Nov. 17. The Ocean Extreme shown in Paris will be the most expensive of the three mainstream production trim levels offered by Fisker, with a starting price of 69,950 euros in France.
The Ora Funky Cat has rounded retro styling in a bid to appeal to a younger, urban buyer.
Another major Chinese automaker, Great Wall Motors, is aiming at the smaller end of the EV market with the Funky Cat from its Ora subbrand. The Funky Cat (as it is expected to be called in Europe) is a compact hatchback with distinctive oval headlights and a range of about 320 km (about 200 miles). Sales of the Funky Cat compact are scheduled to start in Germany in the fourth quarter. The Funky Cat will be shown in Paris — but perhaps even more important, Great Wall executives say they will detail plans for European expansion for Ora and another brand, Wey.
The Jeep Avenger 4×4 Concept, shown, previews an all-wheel-drive version of the brand’s new full-electric Avenger small SUV.
The smallest member of the Jeep family, the Avenger, will also be the first full-electric Jeep when it is launched next year. The Avenger will be Jeep’s second entrant in the small SUV/crossover segment, joining the slightly larger Renegade.
Jeep also unveiled the Avenger 4×4 Concept, which previews an all-wheel-drive version.The concept differs from the standard Avenger by toughening up its appearance to indicate off-road capability. If built, it will be the first time engineers have applied an electric motor to the rear axle as well the front to create all-wheel-drive capability. Jeep has not given an official launch date for the awd version.
The Avenger will be built in Tychy, Poland, on parent Stellantis’ eCMP platform. Two sibling full-electric models for Fiat and Alfa Romeo will follow in Europe by 2025.
Mercedes EQE SUV
Mercedes doesn’t have a stand at the show. Instead it revealed the EQE SUV at the Rodin Museum in Paris on Sunday. The large SUV is based on the same EVA2 platform as the brand’s larger full-electric offerings, the EQS sedan and SUV, and the EQE sedan, which was launched this year. Like the larger seven-seat EQS SUV, the five-seat EQE SUV will be built at Mercedes’ U.S. factory in Vance, Alabama, and exported to Europe.
The Mobilize Duo is a small EV that will be used in short-term rental and subscription programs.
Renault Group’s mobility and finance division, Mobilize, is showing the Duo, an electric quadricycle that is aimed at urban users and short-term rentals. The Duo is one of four dedicated EVs designed for Mobilize, joining the Limo (for ride-hailing), Bento (the cargo version of the Duo) and Hippo (a small van for “last mile” deliveries).
The Solo concept is a three-wheel, covered electric scooter that a single passenger pilots from a “semi-seated” position. Top speed is 25 kph.
Mobilize is also showing the Solo concept, a three-wheel alternative to shared scooter services, and will detail plans for a network of fast-charging stations planned for Europe by 2024. The stations will have six charge points, with 400 kilowatt maximum charging capacity, and a space for users to work, eat or relax.
The 408 is based on the Peugeot 308’s underpinnings, but its styling is sharper-edged, and it has a longer wheelbase and overall length.
Peugeot, Stellantis’ flagship mainstream brand, is broadening its compact offerings with the fastback 408, made its public debut in Paris, although it was revealed this summer. The 408 follows the Renault Arkana, Volkswagen Taigo and Citroen C4 X in a growing category of swoopy versions of popular hatchbacks and crossovers. Peugeot says the 408 has a flowing and aerodynamic line that gives it a distinctive silhouette that sets it apart from mainstream models, and which the brand hopes will attract buyers who are tired of traditional SUVs.
The production version of the Renault 4ever Trophy full-electric SUV will be launched in 2025.
The Renault stand was centered on the Renault 4ever Trophy, a show car version of a small full-electric crossover that will go into production by 2025. The Renault 4 is a companion model to the forthcoming Renault 5 small electric hatchback, and like the “cinq,” it will be built on the Renault-Nissan CMF-BEV architecture.
The original Renault 5 Turbo had a mid-rear-mounted engine; the Renault 5 Turbo 3E concept (shown) has two electric motors in its place.
For fans of rallying, collectible cars and video games, Renault has created the R5 Turbo 3E concept, a full-electric homage to the Renault 5 Turbo. The fully functional tube-framed Turbo 3E has the equivalent of 380 hp, and can go from 0 to 100 kph in 3.9 seconds.
The Renault Kangoo E-Tech is the second generation of the full-electric compact van. Prices will start at 33,600 euros in France for a professional version and 37,000 for a passenger version.
On a more practical note, Renault showed the second-generation full-electric Kangoo small van. The first-generation van was launched a decade ago when electric cars (and especially vans) were still a novelty. The Kangoo E-Tech, as it will be known, has seven searts and will be aimed at families who might have bought a minivan in the past, as well as commercial users. It has a range of 285 km (177 miles).
Vietnam’s only automaker has big ambitions for Europe, with a network of retail sites planned that will sell several full-electric models. VinFast plans to start delivering EVs to customers in Europe and the U.S. before the end of 2022 — and aims to be profitable within the next three years. The models due to arrive in the U.S. and Europe before year-end are the midsize VF 8 and large VF 9 SUVs, which are at the show. As are the VF 6 small crossover and VF 7 compact crossover.
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