The Paris Motor Show is regaining color despite a sluggish market

After a dismal 2022 edition deserted by most of the major manufacturers, the Paris Motor Show is regaining part of its power of attraction. This time, the list of absentees (Mercedes, Nissan, Hyundai, Toyota, MG, DS Automobiles, Suzuki, Volvo) appears shorter than that of participants in the event which will be held from October 14 to 20 at the Porte exhibition center. of Versailles.

The need to reconnect with often disoriented buyers, the space freed up by the disappearance of the Geneva show, but also the need not to leave all the light to Chinese competitors in search of notoriety explain this renewed interest, which comes in a context marked by market deterioration. Poorly trending since the start of the year, registrations fell further in August, falling by 16.5% in Europe and 24% in France. And the macroeconomic context does not suggest much hope of a rebound.

This halt, particularly marked for electric cars, confirms that automobile sales will not return to their pre-2019 level and that the post-Covid rebound has fizzled. For manufacturers, the biggest challenge is to operate factories plagued by obvious overcapacity. The new products that will be unveiled at the World Cup are all the more obliged to find their audience.

Electric neo-retro

For the Renault group, this show comes at the right time to stage the commercial launch of the R5. A nice reinterpretation of its predecessor from the 1970s, this small model should allow sales of electric cars in Losange to move up a gear and convince buyers who did not spontaneously consider converting to electric.

The new R4, also openly neo-retro inspired, is a small SUV (sport utility vehicle) with a more family vocation than the R5. Very versed in vintage, Renault will present a utility vehicle concept called Estafette Concept, a tribute to the van of the 1960s.

For its part, Alpine will unveil the A290, a very sharp variant of the R5, and a preview of the A390, a raised coupe. Mobilize, a subsidiary of the Renault group specializing in urban mobility, will show the Duo, a mini two-seater which will take over from the Twizy.

At Stellantis, we are also pushing the electric route, but the new Citroën C3 Aircross will be available in both gasoline and electric versions. Peugeot introduces the e-508, which completes the range of the sedan of the same name and Alfa Romeo the Junior, its first 100% electric model. For its part, Mini presents the Aceman urban SUV, Kia the EV3, a model with strong commercial ambitions, Ford a (fairly distant) reinterpretation of the Capri coupe from the 1970s, Skoda the very consensual Elroq and Cadillac a very baroque model called Lyriq . Audi is accelerating its electrification with the A6 and Q8, the alter ego of the thermal A5 and Q7.

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