Paris Show Roundup: The 2CV Leads a Crowded Field of New Cars

The Citroën 2CV is back, and it dominates the opening days of the Paris motor show. Citroën's heritage-styled electric concept is meant to do what the original did in postwar France: give ordinary buyers cheap, practical transport. CEO Xavier Chardon says the car has "exactly the same purpose" as its forebear. It will be built in Italy, with prices promised below £15,000. The production version isn't due until the 2028 Paris show, which lines up with the 80th anniversary of the original's debut. Citroën has also previewed a boxy van variant.

Small cars are getting plenty of attention too. Audi has brought back the A2 name as an electric family hatchback, claiming a range of up to 401 miles, and Paris is its public debut. Smart is returning to basics with the #2, an EV built purely for city streets, with bench-style seating for two and a turning circle of just 6.95m. Dacia's second-generation Spring moves production to Europe and rides on the new Renault Twingo platform, with a 155-mile range and pricing that starts under £18,000. Peugeot's e-T16 concept, a tri-motor hyper-hatch with 805bhp, previews the next e-208 and could reach showrooms as a limited-run performance model.

On the family front, BYD's Atto 8 is a seven-seat electric flagship with up to 764bhp and a range of more than 400 miles. It supports BYD's new Flash Chargers, which can take it from 10 to 70 percent in about five minutes, and it arrives in the UK next year to challenge the Skoda Peaq and Kia EV9. Fiat's Grizzly is a larger version of the Grande Panda, offered with electric, hybrid and petrol engines, and aimed squarely at the Dacia Bigster. Hyundai's new Tucson reaches UK showrooms next March with petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.

Several shows are really about the future. Renault's E-Space concept hints at a possible return to MPVs. Peugeot's Vision RCZ revives the old Audi TT rival as a four-seat electric GT with solid-state batteries, and the brand says it wants to build it. Alfa Romeo's Cuorerosso previews the look of its next models and could point toward a successor to the ageing Giulia. Vauxhall's STX estate concept offers a first look at the design language of a future Astra. And DS's F3VER concept gives an early idea of the next No3 supermini, which will sit lower and look sportier than the DS 3 it replaces.

Leapmotor, the Stellantis-backed Chinese brand, is also making a push. Europe's industry body says it sold 56,005 cars in the region in the first half of the year, up 558 percent, and its small B03 electric hatchback will go up against the Renault 5.