Nine concept cars. That is Stellantis’ opening bid for the Paris Motor Show, and I approve of the ambition. Give designers a stage and let them get a bit carried away. A motor show ought to offer something more interesting than a dealership with expensive lighting. The trick is making sure the excitement survives the journey from exhibition carpet to a car you might actually want.
The 2026 Mondial de l’Auto takes place at Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, with 12 October reserved for the press and public opening from 13 to 18 October. Confirmed plans from Stellantis and Renault Group already give it two substantial attractions: a fresh collection of concepts and a broad spread of electrified production vehicles. This preview sticks to announced plans; the cars still under wraps can earn their verdicts later.
A big stage needs distinct voices
Stellantis’ announcement on 16 September promises nine concepts from eight brands and more than 60 vehicles in Hall 4. Among its advertised international premieres are the Fiat Grizzly, Lancia Gamma and Leapmotor B03. The B03 is a compact B-segment electric car, a welcome counterweight to the larger vehicles also on the programme.
For me, the interesting test will be whether those brands feel like different answers to different questions. A Fiat should have a reason to exist beyond wearing a more cheerful badge. A Lancia ought to make you curious about design. An Alfa should provoke an emotional response. Those are editorial expectations, not conclusions about the hidden concepts, but they are fair things to ask of a group with such a crowded family album.
The same Stellantis programme includes Peugeot’s E-208 GTi and 9X8 endurance racer. That pairing is encouraging: a road car and a competition car can put some substance behind the theatre. I want the conversations around them to involve engineering decisions, rather than a contest to see who can say “excitement” most often without explaining anything.
Surprise is valuable. So is an answer when somebody asks what, precisely, the clever bit does.
There is room for the unglamorous clever stuff
Renault Group’s show plans, announced back in April, put Renault, Dacia, Alpine and Renault Pro+ in Hall 6. Renault’s passenger-car display is planned to include 22 electrified vehicles, split equally between electric and hybrid models. Dacia intends to show ten electrified vehicles, including the C-segment Striker.
That breadth should give the exhibition something useful to argue about. Electrification isn’t one product, one shape or one set of priorities. I’d like these stands to explain their choices clearly: which needs does each approach serve, and what compromise has been accepted? A good explanation beats a touchscreen animation that takes three minutes to tell you the battery is underneath.
Renault Pro+ also plans six electric commercial vehicles, including the Trafic E-Tech electric and versions intended for conversion. Vans may struggle to win the glamour contest, but a chassis-cab display can reveal more about practical design than a concept with doors nobody could open in a supermarket car park. Making a vehicle adaptable is an achievement worth putting under the lights.
Alpine, meanwhile, has promised further information about the next-generation A110. That deserves attention without guessing what the announcement will contain. My wish is straightforward: explain how the next car will earn its identity through engineering. A famous name is an invitation to look closer, not a substitute for a convincing idea.
Let visitors ask awkward questions
The organiser’s exhibitor directory confirms that the wider show extends beyond those two groups, with Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lotus and Mercedes-Benz among the listed manufacturers. Their presence gives visitors scope to compare competing approaches in one place. A listing establishes attendance; it doesn’t establish a surprise unveiling, so an empty space on a brand’s announcement sheet should stay empty for now.
For UK enthusiasts following the news, the useful questions will be about substance: what reaches production, which versions come here, and whether an ingenious feature makes life better. Let Paris have its dramatic reveals. Then lift the bonnet, fold the seats and ask somebody to explain the controls. The best idea at the show should survive all three.
Sources
- Auto Express: Paris Motor Show 2026 preview
- Stellantis: confirmed Paris programme, 16 September 2026
- Renault Group: Paris show plans, 21 April 2026
- Mondial de l’Auto: official public-opening dates
- Mondial de l’Auto: official exhibitor directory
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