Chinese brands in force at the Paris Motor Show, which opens its doors this Monday

DongFeng, BYD, Xpeng, Leapmotor, Hongqi. The list could go on. Chinese automakers are in full force at the 90th edition of the Paris Motor Show, which opens its doors this Monday, at the Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition center, to run until October 20th.

Not even the war of customs tariffs on the import of Chinese electric cars maintained by the European Union has stopped the commercial momentum of car manufacturers from that Asian country, in this foray into one of the most emblematic events in the sector on a global scale.

Leapmotor joins Stellantis with news in Paris

Proof of this is that, for example, the Chinese car manufacturer Leapmotor chose Paris to present its new products for electric mobility. The Chinese brand’s participation in this event comes just a few weeks after the European debut of the joint-venture Leapmotor International, in Milan, 51% owned by Stellantis and 49% by Leapmotor.

This presentation in Paris also coincides with the opening, in some markets, of orders for the first models available in Europe, the T03 city car and the C10 SUV.

The new B10, a C-segment SUV designed to compete in the global market, will make its world debut at the stand of Paris, together with the C16, a proposal that makes its first appearance at a European event.

“With the possibility of relying on Stellantis distribution channels, Leapmotor International intends to increase the number of Leapmotor vehicle sales points to 350 by the end of 2024. Over the next three years, Leapmotor expects to launch at least one model per year,” the company said in a statement.

The commercialization of the small Leapmotor T03 city car in Portugal is scheduled for the beginning of next year. The price has not yet been released but some market sources point to a value below 20 thousand euros.

Citroën with several world premieres

The historic brand of the Stellantis group will unveil the new C3 in Paris, a proposal that is currently being launched in Europe and which already has more than 50 thousand orders. It is available in gasoline, hybrid and electric versions, with a range of more than 320 kilometers.

With families in mind, Citroën is presenting the new C3 Aircross in public for the first time, a compact SUV for up to 7 people, and petrol, 136 hp hybrid and electric versions (in a 5-seater version) will be launched on the market.

Citroën will also show its renewed C4 and make the world premiere of the C4 X in Paris. Looking to the future, the French brand promises to reveal the C5 Aircross Concept to the automotive world.

Citroën also shows, for the first time, the new Ami & Ami Buggy Vision. The Ami, the brand’s cheapest electric vehicle, changes in 2025.

Presented alongside the new Ami, from which it draws its style inspirations, the Ami Buggy Vision “results from a carte blanche given to designers from Citroën to imagine the ideal companion for recreational, beach and water sports activities. Here presented in a configuration adapted to the kitesurfingthis friendly adventurer plays with color contrast and is ready to take on the trails”, summarizes the brand.

Alfa Romeo evokes the ‘Made in Italy’

The highlight of Italian Alfa Romeo is the international debut of the new 136 horsepower Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida Speciale. In a prominent place in the Italian brand’s display will be the iconic 33 Stradale, a custom-built car produced in just 33 units, which takes on the role of manifesto of the Italian brand and its values ​​of sportiness, passion and Made in Italy.

Just two years ago, the project was nothing more than a dream. The first delivery is scheduled for December 2024. The custom-built car, which also has customers in France, will therefore have a starring role in the Alfa Romeo display.

There will also be space for a preview of the new Tonale MY25, Alfa Romeo’s award-winning C-SUV with a renewed interior. The model on display is the Veloce version in hybrid configuration, with a 160 horsepower engine.

To complete the exhibition in Paris, the Giulia Quadrifoglio Super Sport, a powerful 520 horsepower car comes in a special limited edition, also available as the Stelvio, which pays homage to the brand’s sporting history.

Carlos Tavares on the verge of retirement

One of the managers in the automotive world who has been talked about most in recent weeks is the Portuguese Carlos Tavares, executive president of the Stellantis group, which brings together 14 brands.

The manager will be present at the Paris Motor Show and will participate in a round table to talk, above all, about the strategy of the group he leads.

A few days ago, as soon as his retirement was announced, at the beginning of 2026, the group’s shares skidded on the Paris and Milan stock exchanges, as the market did not like knowing that he would retire.

It is worth remembering that the Stellantis group, which is the fourth largest in the sector in the world, has already been showing financial wear and tear for a few months, with operating earnings in the first half reflecting an annual drop of 40%.

Stellantis management refreshed

For this reason, Carlos Tavares made a series of changes to the group’s management a few days ago, with the full agreement of the chairman of the board of directors, John Elkann.

Thus, Antonio Filosa was appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO, or director with the operational portfolio) for North America, in addition to CEO (executive president) of the Jeep brand, succeeding Carlos Zarlenga, whose future position will be the subject of new communication.

Jean-Philippe Imparato was appointed COO of the Extended Europe division, a role he will combine with his position as CEO of Pro One, succeeding Uwe Hochgeschurtz, who will leave the company.

Doug Ostermann has been named Chief Financial Officer (CFO), succeeding Natalie Knight, who will leave the company.

Gregoire Olivier has been appointed COO for China and continues to be the head of liaison with Leapmotor, leveraging his specialist knowledge and experience in the Chinese market.

Santo Ficili was appointed CEO of Maserati and Alfa Romeo and member of the senior executive team.

On the other hand, and to boost commercial performance, the supply chain organization will be transferred from the purchasing division to the production division, led by Arnaud Deboeuf.

At the Paris Motor Show, which starts this Monday, it is hoped that Carlos Tavares will be able to open the door a little more, not only regarding the current situation of the group he manages, but also regarding his future as a manager, as there are several sources of sector that do not believe that it will completely move away from the automobile world.