This year’s Paris motor show was one big Stellantis showcase.
The European-American automotive giant brought distinctive concept cars for six of its 14 brands, putting paid to rumours it’s planning to offload any of them.
But outside of this bevy of Stellantis concepts, other brands had exciting reveals of their own, from France’s Renault and its Alpine performance brand to insurgent Chinese brands like luxury Avatr.
Below, the members of the CarExpert editorial team have shared their favourite reveals from this year’s Paris show.
Alborz Fallah, Founder
Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso concept
For me it’s definitely the Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso because in typical Alfa fashion, it looks amazing, makes you want to buy an Alfa (even if the brand is virtually dead in Australia) and then you read that it won’t be made into a production car.
Oh okay, Alfa. Carry on then.
MORE: Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso concept previews brand’s future
Marton Pettendy, Managing Editor
Alpine A310 Vision concept
Alpine has been controlled by Renault since 1971 – the same year I was born – and when the modern Alpine A110 was launched almost a decade ago I spent a day driving it and an example of the original (1963-1977) model in their natural habitat: winding mountain roads in France.
At the time, two things became immediately obvious. One, that Alpine had remained even more faithful to the compact, lightweight, affordable rear-wheel drive sports car formula than Porsche.
And two, that Renault has never realised the full potential of a brand created to take on performance cars like the now-iconic 911 and the Cayman/Boxster, the next generation of which will unfortunately be electric-only.
Okay, so the later A110 was mid-engined with a 1.8-litre turbo-four placed right behind the two front seats, as in the Porsche 718s, and the classic A110 had a rear-engine layout with its motor slung behind the rear axle, as in a 911.
But the point is all A110s have been small, lithe, rear-drive sports cars at a relatively affordable price, and all of them were special to drive thanks to perfect weight balance and an unfiltered, analogue experience behind the wheel.
The outgoing A110 coupe’s life was cut short in Australia by fast-tracked local side-impact regulations and, sadly, its upcoming successor will be launched in all-electric form.
However, Renault has said the next-generation A110’s new APP platform, which also underpins the stunning A310 Vision show car revealed in Paris this week, can also accommodate a combustion engine, and the A310 concept is expected to spawn at least a limited-edition production model.
If Alpine does produce combustion-powered A110 and A310 coupes, the underrated French brand will finally offer both an attainable rear-drive sports coupe and a more serious, 911-rivalling flagship supercar.
Bring ’em on I say.
MORE: Alpine A310 Vision pays homage to 1970s coupe
James Wong, Senior Editor – Reviews
Peugeot E-T16 concept
As a fan of hot hatches and a child of the Need For Speed era, this WRC-inspired hyper hatch really gets me going.
Just the design alone is brilliant, with its wide-body take on the (next-gen) E-208 paying a wonderful tribute to the original 205 Turbo 16, and also heralding a nice transition into the brand’s future design strategy.
Then there are the specs – over 600kW of power, 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds, and only 16 seconds needed to reach its claimed 300km/h top speed. Absolutely mental.
As someone fortunate enough to see this thing in person at the Paris show, it was undoubtedly my favourite car from the event. It’s also meant to spawn a production model, which gets a big tick from me because we need more exciting cars both in the EV space as well as from the industry in general, no matter how silly.
VIVE LA FRANCE!
MORE: Peugeot E-T16 concept is a rally legend reborn, previews next E-208
William Stopford, Senior Editor – News
Renault E-Space concept
European brands have a key advantage as they try to fend off incoming Chinese brands, and that’s their heritage.
Oh sure, any challenger brand is going to be hard to ignore if they’re thousands of dollars (or euros) cheaper. But when you see a Citroen or Peugeot or Renault that gives you such an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia for a car you owned years ago, that can be hard to ignore.
When the question came up of which Paris show car was my favourite, my first thought was the Citroen 2CV.
Its exterior captures the simple, sunny essence of the original, but the interior was where I was really bowled over. String lights? Plaid bench seats? A centre console that doubles as a (removable) basket? Everywhere you look, there’s something clever and memorable and adorable in this cabin.
My only concern is how Citroen will handle the planned production version. Retro revivals tend to be a dead-end for any brand that’s not Mini (and its cars aren’t my cup of tea). Volkswagen’s New Beetle petered out after a couple of generations. The Chrysler PT Cruiser only lasted one. The 2CV concept is perhaps too close to its inspiration that it leaves no obvious room for design evolution, unless Citroen wants to build this one virtually unchanged for 42 years too.
On balance, I think I may have to pick the Renault E-Space concept. No brand is doing a better job of rifling through its back catalogue for inspiration than Renault, with models like the 4 and 5, and the cuddly Twingo. And yes, my concerns about the longevity of the revived 2CV’s design apply to these, too.
The E-Space represents a reset of the Espace, the model Renault claims pioneered the modern people mover (Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Nissan may disagree).
The Espace swelled in size with each generation, before adopting a sleeker, more crossover-style look with its fifth generation as people mover popularity faded. This model was still handsome, but then it was replaced with what was little more than a stretched version of the Austral SUV. It’d be like if Toyota introduced a seven-seat RAV4 and called it a Tarago.
The new concept has styling that’s somehow both rakish and boxy, like the original Espace, but while it’s recognisable as a successor it’s more of an homage than a retro pastiche.
The interior isn’t as exciting. There’s a pair of big screens and a weirdly shaped steering wheel, making this look more like a premium Chinese vehicle than a Renault, but it’s versatile in true Espace fashion.
There are precious few people movers I’d consider to be ‘cool’. The first Oldsmobile Silhouette, second Toyota Tarago, third Honda Odyssey, and Honda Jade definitely qualify. And I’d add the E-Space concept to that list.
MORE: Renault E-Space: Retro people mover concept unveiled in Paris
Damion Smy, Deputy News Editor
Peugeot E-T16 concept
Full disclosure: I own several (more than two) Peugeots and regularly associate with 205 owners on weekends, evenings and otherwise.
The E-T16 could be dismissed for not sounding, smelling or sauntering along in the same way the 1984 205 T16 road car did. Yet the fact the French automaker is tapping into one of the richest veins of hot hatch history – and seems to realise what it means to enthusiasts – makes it a worthy nod rather than a superficial imitation.
The 205 was the ultimate shopping trolley – wheels pushed to all four corners, fantastic cuboid styling by Gérard Welter, and a cabin by the legendary Paul Bracq (whose work includes the W113 Mercedes-Benz SL roadster, E12 BMW 5 Series and TGV train).
The 205 GTi, then, was a gift – adding more power but not much weight for giant-killing backroad ability, with engagement that brought unbridled joy even when you were just popping down to the shops for milk. Everyday, accessible brilliance.
There’s not much of that these days, in a world of bloated, generic and phoned-in cars that answer back, don’t help you, and suggest you take a nap when you’re distracted by another cumbersome touchscreen with poorly organised menus, buried in fingerprints.
How these two worlds meet – electric propulsion, typically heavy yet rapid, and the now olde-worlde brilliance of the small, cleverly packaged 205 – remains to be seen. The E-T16 certainly hits the spot in spirit, so it’s a good start.
MORE: Peugeot E-T16 concept is a rally legend reborn, previews next E-208
Max Davies, Journalist
Citroën 2CV concept
If we’re talking silly, I don’t think anything from this year’s show was sillier than the genuinely bizarre 2CV revival. I’ll accept arguments for the Fiat Multiplay, though.
To me, calling the 2CV a ‘concept car’ really undersells its vibe; I think it’s labelled more aptly as an abstract art piece, or maybe even something that could have featured in a satirical car modification segment on classic Top Gear.
The callback to the dorky-looking 2CV of old even feels like a stretch, even if there are clear influences in its shape and exterior styling. The new car’s cabin is just so chaotic it’s borderline overstimulating, yet I can’t help but be drawn to it in some kind of sick way. Good job, Citroën.
The bench seats, the dashboard cylinder, the cute radio on the passenger side, the circular pedals, and even the oversimplified cabin controls make the 2CV feel fresh and fun, and I like that it doesn’t seem to be taking itself too seriously.
How about the centre console basket with its croissant holder and bottomless cupholder, and why on Earth does it have lanterns?
Above all, it’s a welcome palate cleanser among all the angular, aggressive performance concepts we’ve seen, even if those are also cool. It’s just a shame we won’t get to enjoy a production 2CV – R.I.P. Citroën Australia.
MORE: Citroen 2CV revived as budget EV steeped in nostalgia
Ben Zachariah, Road Test Editor
Peugeot E-T16 concept
The number of cool concepts out of this week’s Paris show has been unexpected. After playing defensive for years, it feels like the legacy automakers are finally starting to get on the offensive, banking on one of the few advantages they have over Chinese manufacturers: legacy. The answer was in the name the whole time.
While I dig the RCZ, it’s the Peugeot E-T16 that caught my attention. It’s quite obviously a response to the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, which has been a runaway success for Renault and sparked this newfound competition between the two French brands. We love to see it.
Being a lifelong rally fan, I can’t get enough of hatchbacks with blistered guards and huge wings. The E-T16 has been particularly well executed, from a design perspective. It’s a modern yet respectful nod to Peugeot’s past, with a suitable amount of restraint baked in. The alloys are possibly the best-looking wheels I’ve seen in recent memory. They can keep the weirdo steering… rectangle, though.
Having 600-odd kiloWatts and probably more torque than the P&O cruise ship in a three-door hatch is also pretty absurd. Here’s hoping it makes it to production, and inspires some spicy E-208s in the coming years.
MORE: Peugeot E-T16 concept is a rally legend reborn, previews next E-208MORE: Peugeot RCZ Vision coupe revealed with 500hp and solid-state batteryMORE: Jeep parent’s European brands flood Paris show with concepts amid Chinese onslaughtMORE: Avatr Concept T09 previews production-ready Chinese SUV flagship for the worldMORE: BYD Sealion 8 goes EV in Paris with 650km of range
