Highlights from the Paris Motor Show 2024

This year’s Paris Motor Show had an an array of exciting vehicles on display, from futuristic concepts to all-new models we’ll be seeing on our roads shortly. French brands were out in force with Citroën, Renault, Peugeot and Alpine all revealing the latest models in their line-ups. Citroen’s Ami quadricycle got a lot of attention thanks to a new look for 2025 and micro mobility was a key theme of the show with several brands such as Mobilize and Micro showcasing their vehicles. Additionally, many new Chinese brands were on display alongside familiar manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Audi and Alfa Romeo.
As the show closes for 2024, here's a rundown of some of the highlights.

The all-electric Renault 4 was officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and arguably became the most talked about car on display. This reinvention of a much-loved classic uses the same foundations as the Renault 5 to create a slightly larger crossover. Again, Renault has managed to achieve a design which balances nostalgic nods to the original 4 but with futuristic flourishes on top. We were happy to see the large canvas roof available on the original car has been included on the new model adding personality and providing a halfway house between a glass sunroof and a fully convertible SUV like the Volkswagen T-Roc.

Along with launching the 4, Renault was keen to set out its commitment to sustainability by revealing the Emblème demo car. This futuristic family-size concept combines electric and hydrogen power to create a dual-energy vehicle with the aim of reducing the total ‘cradle to grave’ lifecycle emissions by 90 per cent. It has bold styling not dissimilar to the Lotus Eletre and gives a flavour of what we can expect from Renault going forward. Renault claims the Emblème’s 40kWh battery could be used for most day-to-day needs, while the addition of a hydrogen fuel tank could extend the range to up to 1,000km for longer journeys. With Renault’s commitment to make production cars like the Emblème, in a few years you might be able to buy a flexible hybrid where the only tailpipe emission is water.

Citroën debuted its new Ami which has gained a new look with face-like features. From 2025 the Ami will come with bigger round headlights which have been moved higher up at the front and back of the vehicle to look like eyes. It sports the new Citroën badge on an angled panel which makes it look like a nose with the number plate below like a mouth. Down the sides there are a couple of nods to the 2CV with the shape of the window and the rippled indents on the body panels and like before it’s almost symmetrical at the back to reduce manufacturing costs. There was also a special Buggy Vision Concept version of the Ami on Citroën’s stand inspired by kite surfing. It would be the perfect addition to any beach party, and we hope Citroën puts it into production.

The beach buggy Ami wasn’t the only concept car from Citroën as it also used the show to unveil the C5 Aircross Concept – a 95 per cent near production ready version of its next flagship model. The C5 Aircross is a family-size SUV closely related to Vauxhall’s new Grandland. C5 Aircross Concept is a world away from the rounded curvy shape of the previous C5 Aircross. The new concept car has bold styling and striking lines and one of its most notably features is the way the rear taillights protrude from the sides of the car like floating wings. Citroën hasn’t yet revealed the inside of the C5 Aircross Concept but says it will be family focused and “a cocoon on wheels”.

We’ve been waiting for the Dacia Bigster since a concept car was revealed back in 2021 and now we’ve seen the final product in the metal. We love the rugged looks and the extra space it offers compared to the Duster. Dacia had a strong presence at the Paris Motor Show with several Bigsters on display alongside the rest of its line-up including the all-electric Spring. Dacia also showcased the Sandrider, its 2025 Dakar Rally entry. This is an off-road vehicle with a buggy-like design capable of taking on sand dunes while running exclusively on synthetic fuel.

If you’ve been missing the Renault Twizy you’re in luck as Mobilize, a sub-brand of the wider Renault Group, has built a successor. The Duo is an electric micro-vehicle with a range of up to 87 miles which aims to make city travel more sustainable. Like the Twizy, it has two seats with the passenger sitting directly behind the driver and scissor doors which open upwards allowing you to squeeze into the tiniest parking spaces. In addition to the Duo, Mobilize has also built a micro van version called the Bento. This swaps the passenger seat for a 649-litre cargo box which can be customised to transport everything from pizza deliveries to toolboxes, perfect for city-based businesses. The Duo and Bento will be available via Renault’s dealer network, and they are expected to arrive in the UK next year.

It was hard to miss the Alpine stand as you walked through the show. It had a range of vehicles on display including the electric A290 based on the Renault 5, the ultra-exclusive performance focused A110 R Ultime and the hydrogen powered Alpenglow Hy6 as showcased at Le Mans. However, the A390_ß took centre stage. This concept ‘beta’ car gives a glimpse at what a future electric cross-over from Alpine might look like, taking cues from the roofline of the A110 and turning it into a sporty five-door coupe SUV. Alpine says the outside of the A390_ß closely resembles the production version of the A390, while the futuristic, mountain inspired interior is likely to morph into something much more conventional when the car eventually goes on sale. Still, the A390 will be a focus on luxury and performance in a bid to remain true to the brand as it expands its range.

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

We couldn’t help but be drawn to the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale with its impressive butterfly doors and alluring Italian design. One of just 33 custom-made examples, this is a supercar is available with either a 620 horsepower V6 twin-turbo engine or an electric 750 horsepower alternative. As a reincarnation of the 1960s 33 Stradale, this new model was designed in collaboration with the 33 enthusiast owners. Alongside the 33 Stradale, Alfa Romeo was also displaying the new top-of-the-range Junior Speciale Ibrida available with electric or hybrid powertrains and the 280 horsepower Junior 280 Veloce. It also showcased the updated Tonale for 2025 and the limited-edition Giulia Quadrifoglio Super Sport to celebrate Alfa’s first win at the 1928 Mille Miglia – a 1,000-mile Italian endurance race.

We couldn’t have a summary of the show without including a couple of Chinese newcomers and XPeng had a large display showcasing its latest models. XPeng is keen to highlight its use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its cars to enhance safety systems and enable more personalisation. XPeng claims its new P7+ – an electric saloon like the Tesla Model 3 or Hyundai Ioniq 6 – is the world’s first AI-defined vehicle using a ‘Hawkeye Visual Solution’ combining camera and radars to map out its surroundings. It says the car will also learn individual preferences and user behaviour, adapting everything from the infotainment to the driving set up. While this all sounds very impressive, we can’t help thinking this sounds a lot like the technology BMW and Mercedes announced at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. XPeng has already launch three other vehicles in Europe and we believe it intends to come to the UK soon, so we will have to wait to see how intelligent the P7+ is in practice.

Skywell Q

Skywell was another new Chinese brand at the show. It revealed the Skywell Q, an all-electric hatchback and the first car from Skywell to be launched in Europe. Set to arrive in the UK in the Autumn of next year, the Q follows the same formular we’ve seen from Omoda by promising lots of tech as standard for a compelling price. Exact specifications have yet to be confirmed but it will likely feature a long list of driver assistance fuctions, ambient lighting, a large 15.6-inch infotainment screen, a 360-degree camera, an opening ‘Skyroof’ and a range of up to 300 miles.