Paris Motor Show Long live France! Long live the car!

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Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH

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From October 14 to 20, 2024, the Paris Motor Show opened at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center. After a rather weak event in 2022 and the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show this year, there was some fear for the world's oldest automobile exhibition. But as is well known, those pronounced dead live longer.

It is almost hard to believe, but this year the Mondial de l'Auto celebrated its 126th anniversary: the first exhibition took place in 1898. To participate in the event at that time, vehicles had to complete a 23-kilometer round trip (approx. 14,29 miles) from Paris to Versailles to prove their reliability. In addition to combustion engines, electric cars were also on display even then. A mix that proved its worth again this October. Only Chinese exhibitors were unlikely to be present in 1898.

That the Mondial de l’Auto is one of the most important trade shows in France was demonstrated not only by the 508,000 visitors showing keen interest in the presentations of the 158 exhibitors. And not just trade visitors—sometimes it felt like being on a family Sunday outing, navigating around small children with parents and grandparents without touching other visitors. Even President Emmanuel Macron honored the event with his presence and took a detailed look at the exhibits. Although the Federal Chancellor or the Chancellor in Germany are not only welcomed guests at German trade fairs like the IAA Mobility, but they also officially open them, I have never seen German exhibitors performing the national anthem. So not only I looked somewhat astonished during Macron’s visit when suddenly the Marseillaise was sung by many voices.

France's automotive industry

At the Mondial, it's all about the love of the car—the exhibition does not aim to focus on mobility. Thus, new launches and European premieres were the focus for visitors, who mostly own four wheels.

French automobile manufacturers like Stellantis were widely represented. Peugeot showcased its all-electric models. The Peugeot E-4081 was presented as a world premiere and now completes a range of twelve electric vehicles—nine passenger cars and three commercial vehicles. Also displayed are the long-range versions of the E-3008 and E-5008, offering up to 700 and 668 kilometers of range (approx. 434,96 and 415,08 miles), respectively. On the exhibition stand, the brand presents two important technological innovations: The Inception concept and the Hypersquare steering wheel, accompanied by a simulator.

Citroën presents a completely renewed model portfolio with three world premieres in Europe's key market segments. With the aim of offering affordable electromobility in Europe, the ë-C3 and ë-C3 Aircross were exhibited for the first time. As a specialist in micromobility with the Ami, Citroën's showcase featured an Ami Tower to celebrate four years in France and many European markets.

Alfa Romeo, the Italian Stellantis subsidiary, presented its entire model range at the Paris Motor Show and took visitors through its century-long history. In the spotlight were the all-electric Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica and the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida with hybrid technology.

The appearance of Leapmotor was eagerly anticipated. The new B10 celebrated its world premiere, a C-SUV with which the company aims to compete in the global market. Additionally, the C16 will be seen for the first time at a European event. Also presented at the stand were the C10, a fully-equipped D-segment electric SUV for families, and the T03, a compact and spacious A-segment electric vehicle suitable for city traffic.

The expansion strategy of Leapmotor International, the 51:49 joint venture led by Stellantis with Leapmotor, is progressing according to their statements. The main goal is to increase sales outside of China. These important steps on the joint path were achieved less than a year after the establishment of the joint venture. Stellantis has also invested 1.5 billion euros (approx. 1.598 billion $) in the global Leapmotor Group and acquired approximately 21 percent of the company.

With seven world premieres and two concept vehicles, the Renault Group celebrated the world of automobiles at the Mondial de l’Auto in Paris. At the five exhibition stands in Hall 6, all the group's brands—Renault, Dacia, Alpine, and Mobilize—presented their products and services. Renault, for example, showcased the 4 E-Tech Electric as a world premiere. The 4.14-meter-long model presented itself as versatile and advanced as the original: the first Renault 4 revolutionized the automobile market in 1961. The new edition, like the 3.92-meter-long Renault 5, is based on the "AmpR Small" architecture: the Ampere platform for electric vehicles in the B-segment scores with an optimized interior space, high agility, and comfort. The vehicle will be built in Maubeuge, France, with market launch planned for 2025.

Très chic: the Alpine Alpenglow. This was introduced as a concept vehicle in 2022 and is intended to serve as a blueprint for the brand's future direction in terms of design and sustainable innovation. In Paris, the high-performance potential of the hydrogen combustion engine was showcased, a realistic solution for offering sports models with high carbon reduction goals. In this way, Alpine is confident in being prepared for potential changes in future regulations. Following the first road prototype powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 340 hp, the Alpenglow Hy6 is equipped with an entirely new engine offering more than twice the power. It is a 3.5-liter V6 engine developed entirely by the manufacturer for optimal hydrogen combustion.

From Asia, Xpeng and GAC were present. Xpeng showcased the P7X, while GAC is exploring market entry with the Aion V. BYD, Hongqi, and Aito were also on site. Kia flew the Korean flag and exhibited the EV3 and PV5.

After Tesla last exhibited in Paris in 2018, the Californians made their comeback and mingled in Hall 5 alongside much of the Chinese competition. The Cybertruck was among the vehicles on display.

German manufacturers in Paris

BMW showcased two vision vehicles of the Neue Klasse in Paris, which were intended to provide a preview of the future model portfolio spectrum, bringing the Vision Neue Klasse electric sedan and the SAV Vision Neue Klasse X to the French capital. Both vehicles feature not only the desired reduced design language but also the new generation of iDrive. This is intended to ensure intuitive interaction between driver and vehicle in the interior. The combination of Panoramic Vision, 3D Head-Up Display, Central Display, and the new multifunction steering wheel enhances driver orientation.

Audi had a world premiere in store: At the Mondial, the Ingolstadt (Germany) company presented the Q6 Sportback e-tron to the world public for the first time. Two battery sizes and two drive variants are available for the vehicle. According to the manufacturer, even the entry-level version of the electric Sportback with an 83 kWh high-voltage battery delivers "sovereign driving performance." The rear-wheel-drive Q6 Sportback e-tron produces 185 kW and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds in Launch Control mode. The electric motor of the also rear-wheel-drive Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron performance requires 6.6 seconds for the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in Launch Control mode. The Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro offers a system output of 285 kW and needs 5.9 seconds for the sprint. The most powerful version, the SQ6 Sportback e-tron, achieves a system output of 360 kW with the two electric motors on the front and rear axles and accelerates to 100 km/h (approx. 62,14 m/h) in 4.3 seconds in Launch Control mode.

The rear-wheel-drive Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron performance achieves up to 656 kilometers of range with the large battery. With the 83 kWh battery, up to 545 kilometers  (approx. 338,65 miles) are possible. The all-wheel-drive model can travel up to 636 kilometers (approx. 395,19 miles), and with the also all-wheel-drive SQ6 Sportback e-tron, up to 607 kilometers (approx. 377,17 miles) are possible. For all variants of the Q6 Sportback, the top speed is limited to 210 km/h (approx. 130,49 m/h), except for the SQ6 Sportback e-tron, which reaches up to 230 km/h (approx. 142,92 m/h).

A new thermal management system for the high-voltage battery and the 800-volt electrical system enhance the charging performance. The Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron performance can recharge up to 265 kilometers of range (approx. 164,66 miles) in ten minutes at a fast-charging station with a maximum charging power of up to 270 kW. It takes just 22 minutes to charge the high-voltage battery from 10 to 80 percent. The S model can also charge at up to 270 kW, while the rear-wheel-drive variants can charge at fast-charging stations up to 260 kW (with the 100-kWh battery) or up to 225 kW (with the 83-kWh battery).

Volkswagen introduced the Tayron, a new SUV for the European market. It excels particularly in the area of assistance systems. The standard ADAS of the Tayron Life includes ACC, turn-off braking function, lane change assist, lane keeping assist, emergency braking system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, parking assistant, rearview camera, traffic sign recognition, and the new exit warning. The latter, as an extension of the lane change assist within system limits, can prevent opening one of the doors if a road user is approaching from behind.

The new Škoda Elroq celebrated its France premiere, the first purely electric model from the Volkswagen subsidiary in the compact SUV segment. As the first series model, it also implements the manufacturer's new design language, Modern Solid, which proudly combines robustness, functionality, and authenticity. The Elroq scores with various drive and battery options, enabling more than 560 kilometers of range (approx. 347,97 miles) in the WLTP cycle. Standard equipment includes a rearview camera, proactive occupant protection, lane change and park assist, as well as exit warning (Side Assist), a 13-inch infotainment screen, and SmartLink.

Supplier

As a French supplier, Valeo upheld the tricolor and showcased highlights from its product portfolio, such as Valeo Racer. This is an extended reality gaming experience for passengers who can play on their phone or tablet connected to the vehicle's Wi-Fi. Thanks to augmented reality, this game combines the real environment of the vehicle with 3D elements. Using self-developed software, the game uses the vehicle's cameras and radars, as well as the onboard perception and artificial intelligence algorithms, to integrate the car's real environment into the game. (se)