That was more like it. The 2024 edition of the Paris motor show felt comfortable in its own skin, not trying to be too big or apologising for who wasn't there, rather embracing the brands that were there and fitting them into the right space accordingly.

Any talk of the demise of the motor show is counterintuitive: the more they get talked down, the less likely the are to survive and the less opportunity the industry gets to come together with the latest cars and people who've made them.

Still, the 2022 Paris show felt so small and apologetic that it could have brought the whole concept of a motor show down with it – something that was also true of the returning (but now axed) Geneva show earlier this year. The fact that French president Emmanuel Macron turned up in 2022 felt the biggest news draw of the day.

Thankfully, the 2024 edition was far more uplifting, building on the busy feel of the 2023 Munich show with which Paris now alternates. Even Tesla turned up. Macron did again, too, but this time just seemed to get in everyone's way by constantly closing stands he wanted to visit. 

After carrying the candle for both Paris 2022 and Geneva 2024 almost single handedly, the Renault Group went big again in its own backyard with significant unveilings from Renault, Dacia and Alpine.

The Renault 4 will look to follow the 5 as a successful retro reinvention; Alpine will at last go from being a model to a brand with the A390; and Dacia will look to conquer the C-segment in the way it has the B-segment with the Bigster. 

Yet for once Renault wasn't alone. Stellantis brands Peugeot, Citroën and Alfa Romeo all had a significant presence at the show, too, yet it was their new sibling brand Leapmotor that got most of the attention. If you can't beat Chinese companies at making low-cost electric cars, then why not buy one?

It's a clever play from Stellantis, and outgoing CEO Carlos Tavares seemed like a man with a bit less on his shoulders than normal in his address at the show, the China 'threat' to Stellantis that two years ago felt like an existential crisis having been solved in an innovative way.

Volkswagen Group brands Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen all had stands, albeit run by French local representatives rather than head office. Such a technicality wouldn't bother paying punters: the latest models were all there.

BMW Group brand Mini displayed its new John Cooper Works models, too.

Several Chinese car makers were in attendance. BYD remains the best known and most credible for export and unveiled its Sealion 7 SUV. Tavares was the first person of the day to visit the BYD stand, doing so before the show had opened to the public; it remains the brand the established car makers want to know the most about.

Aito, GAC and Skywell were among the other Chinese brands at the show, but their cars and offerings didn't stand out as much, due to the lack of branding and recognisable features.

Still, at least their stands were stands; Tesla's 'stand' was so bad it was good, perhaps done ironically, with cars plonked randomly in close proximity to one another with not even a carpet underneath to group them together.

At least Tesla turned up – something I’d expect to see more car makers do again in future with this more buoyant feel to the show. One a year in Europe feels right. 

Mark Tisshaw

The best new cars and concepts at the 2024 Paris motor show

Alfa Romeo Junior hybrid

The hybrid version of Alfa Romeo’s new compact crossover has made its public debut at the Paris show. Named the Junior Ibrida, it’s fitted with the same 134bhp mild-hybrid powertrain as the related Fiat 600 and Jeep Avenger.

Read our Alfa Romeo Junior review

Alfa Romeo Tonale

Alfa Romeo has unveiled the 2025-model-year update of the Tonale, bringing a refreshed interior. The family crossover gets a sleeker centre console with a new rotary gear selector and the intstrument display's layout has been revised to more clearly show information such as the plug-in hybrid system's remaining electric range.

Alfa Romeo Tonale update brings refreshed interior

Alpine A110 R Ultime

All good things must come to an end, and so it proves for the Alpine A110. The French brand’s celebrated sports car is due to bow out due to new EU safety regulations, but not before getting one final and extreme outing.

The A110 R Ultime is boosted by 49bhp to 345bhp, while an aggressive aero kit increases its downforce by up to 160kg compared with the A110 R. Just 110 will be built, priced from a whopping £209,000 – with the possibility to add another £70,000 in personalisation.

New Alpine A110 R Ultime is a £276k swansong with 345bhp

Alpine A390 Beta

The linchpin in Alpine’s ambitious growth strategy will be an electric crossover conceived as an “A110 for five”. The A390 Beta concept is a first look at that car, with a radical new look that has been described as being 80% ready for production. 

Alpine A390 Beta previews rakish 2025 EV with A110 handling

Alpine Alpenglow Hy6

Alpine’s testbed for hydrogen combustion engines has gone from a modified Oreca four-pot to an all-new 3.5-litre V6 designed by Alpine itself. The company has prioritised efficiency and upped power from 335bhp to a huge 730bhp. And it can rev to 9000rpm to boot.

Alpine's hydrogen V6 hypercar could make production

Audi Q6 E-tron Sportback

A more rakish version of Audi’s new electric flagship, the Q6 E-tron Sportback packs an extra 15 miles of range compared with its more conventional SUV counterpart. That gives the longest-legged model, the rear-wheel-drive Performance, a total range of 408 miles. UK deliveries will kick off in April, with prices starting at £62,475.

Audi Q6 gains Sportback version with 408 miles of range

BYD Sealion 07

The new BYD Sealion 7 is one of six models the Chinese brand is bringing to Europe over the next 14 months, as it ramps up its attempt to steal market share from the likes of Tesla and Volkswagen.

It's based on an updated version of the platform used by the Seal saloon and will initially be offered in dual-motor, four-wheel-drive form, with a 0-62mph time of 4.5sec. It will land on UK shores (ahem) later this month, with pricing set to start at around £45,000.

BYD Sealion 7 revealed as new Tesla Model Y rival

Citroën Ami facelift

Citroën’s diddy EV is celebrating its fourth birthday with a new look inspired by the legendary 2CV. Its new “sympathetic and more mature” look brings vent-like grooves on the front wings, black ‘eyelids’ on the headlights housings and a smile-shape indentation in the housing of Citroën’s new logo. Nothing has changed under the skin, however.

Citroën Ami microcar gets new look inspired by 2CV ancestor

Citroën C4 facelift

The Citroën C4 hatchback and its C4 X saloon sibling have been refreshed with a new look and revised line-up of powertrains. It has gained a new 99bhp mild-hybrid engine but dropped the 99bhp atmo petrol unit, meaning you can no longer have a C4 with a manual gearbox. Deliveries begin early next year, with prices set to broadly align with the outgoing car.

Citroën C4 drops manual gearbox in design refresh

Citroën C5 Aircross Concept

The Citroën C5 Aircross SUV is one of the brand’s final cars not to be offered with electric power, but that’s soon set to change. The current model will soon bow out for an all-new one, twinned with the new Peugeot 3008, prioritising aerodynamics and ushering in a radical new look.

2026 Citroën C5 Aircross EV previewed by rakish concept

Dacia Bigster

The aptly named Bigster is Dacia's biggest model to date. Arriving next year, the SUV will target the Skoda Kodiaq and the Ford Kuga, with greater ambitions to even steal a few sales from the more premium Land Rover Defender. It looks like it will have all the tools to do so, including four-wheel drive, rugged styling, LED headlights, 19in alloy wheels and a more powerful hybrid powertrain. 

Dacia Bigster is brand's largest, most expensive model to date

Leapmotor B10

Stellantis-backed Chinese brand Leapmotor has revealed its first global model, the B10 electric crossover. A rival for the Jeep Avenger, Mini Aceman and Renault 4, it's set to arrive in the UK next year, priced below £30,000.

Leapmotor B10 is UK-bound crossover to rival Renault 4

Mini John Cooper Works EVs

Mini is the latest brand to shift its performance arm into the electric era, with John Cooper Works variants of the Cooper and Aceman EVs. The amped-up duo both offer more power - enough to rival the Volkswagen Golf GTI - with 254bhp and 251lb ft produced from a front-mounted electric motor. That's enough to fling the Cooper from 0-62mph in just 5.9sec and the Aceman the same in 6.4sec. 

Mini reveals 255bhp hot versions of Cooper and Aceman hatches

Mobilize Duo

Miss the Renault Twizy? Well, pine no more: the Mobilize Duo is the electric quadricycle's spiritual successor, bringing modern technology, a larger battery and a more powerful motor. Its battery has a capacity of 10.3kWh – enough to deliver around 100 miles of range on a single charge, a big upgrade on the old Twizy's 62 miles.

Mobilize Duo is reborn Renault Twizy with 100-mile range

Peugeot e-3008 Long Range and Peugeot e-5008 Long Range

Peugeot is showing Long Range variants of its new e-3008 and new e-5008 electric SUVs at the Paris motor show, offering ranges of 435 miles and 415 miles respectively. 

That's thanks to a new 96.9kWh battery pack – 23.9kWh bigger than the existing 73kWh one, which yields 327 miles of range in the e-3008 and 315 miles in the e-5008.

Read our Peugeot e-3008 and e-5008 reviews

Peugeot e-408

Peugeot has completed its EV line-up with the battery-powered version of its 408 crossover. It packs a 58.2kWh battery pack and a front-mounted 207bhp motor, yielding a range of 281 miles. It's making its first public appearance at the Paris show.

Peugeot e-408 arrives as Polestar 2 rival with 281-mile range

Renault 4 E-Tech

The Renault 4 is back, this time as an electric crossover to rival the Mini Aceman. The second model in Renault’s ‘Iconic Family’, the 4 follows the recently launched Renault 5 supermini, bringing a similarly retro-futuristic design.

It comes with a front-mounted, 118bhp electric motor and a 40kWh battery as standard, producing up to 190 miles of range, while higher-spec models ramp up performance to 148bhp, gaining a larger 52kWh battery for 250 miles of range. 

Renault 4 reborn as bold electric crossover for under £30,000

Renault 17 Electric Restomod x Ora Ito

Bemused by the Ford Capri’s metamorphosis from bold coupé to conformist SUV? This new Renault 17 might just be the answer, bringing the Capri’s contemporary rival up to date with a 270bhp electric motor and a carbonfibre chassis.

Penned in collaboration with French designer Ora Ito, it’s slightly wider and lower than the original 17 but retains its cabin, door, windows, glass and underbody.

Renault 17 reborn with 270bhp, RWD and carbonfibre chassis

Renault Emblème

This coupé-SUV is Renault’s idea of how hydrogen-fuel-cell power could offer long-range transport while slicing carbon emissions by 90% compared with today’s petrol Captur. Its exterior is being shown at Paris, but we will have to wait until later this month to see the interior too.

Renault Emblème revealed as hydrogen coupé-SUV for 2030

Renault Twingo

Renault’s next retro revival after the 4 is the cute new Twingo, which is scheduled to go on sale in 2026. The Paris show marks the city car's public debut.

Renault Twingo to return in 2026 as sub-£17,000 EV

Skoda Elroq

The new Skoda Elroq is the brand’s third electric car (don’t forget the Citigo-e iV!), and the Czech brand hopes it will poach sales from some of the car industry’s biggest players.

Available to order from 18 October, the Elroq will be capable of up to 360 miles of range in its highest specification. It’s biggest trump card, however, is its price of £31,500, which undercuts most of its rivals, including the Kia Niro EV. 

Skoda Elroq revealed as 230-mile electric SUV for £31,500

THK LSR-05

We will forgive you if you've never heard of Japanese parts supplier THK, but its latest concept is well worth paying attention to. Penned by Nissan GT-R designer Shiro Nakamura, it's a showcase of the company's latest technological developments, including in-wheel motors and wireless car charging. It's making its European debut at Paris.

Japanese firm shows high-tech SUV penned by Nissan GT-R designer