Paris 2026 Motor Show Stars: From New Matiz to BYD SUV (Part 4)

Matiz and BYD were among the highlights of the Paris Motor Show.

Become a special member of Arjan Ambassador in order to benefit from and access special facilities and different departments in Arjan Ambassador.

The successor of Daewoo Matiz and MVM 110 in Iran was officially unveiled at the 2026 Paris Motor Show. Chery Q EV is designed for drivers who are looking for a small electric car for daily urban use.

Its round and curved exterior is designed in such a way that 38 storage compartments are built into the room. While the total cargo space is 445 liters, which includes a 375-liter trunk and a 70-liter front trunk.

The car also supports V2L (power to external equipment) capability, so its battery can power external electrical equipment. It is a useful feature for camping and other outdoor activities.

With a length of 4190 mm, width of 1810 mm and a wheelbase of 2700 mm, the Q EV is larger than the Renault 5 E-Tech electric. Its dimensions put it close to the C-segment, although its role is intended as a city car.

Power is provided by a 121 horsepower electric motor and a 41 kWh battery. Chery announced a range of up to 400 km and charging from 30% to 80% takes less than 17 minutes.

This mileage figure is based on the NEDC test cycle, an older standard that is not directly comparable to the WLTP figures used in Europe today.

Not confirmed for release in France. Chery says it will use feedback from visitors to the Paris Motor Show to gauge local demand to decide whether to bring the Q EV to market.

Citroën is considering the possibility of reviving the 2CV Fuguenet. A box-shaped van based on the old people's car of this company.

The next-generation regular 2CV is due to arrive in two years, based on a new concept car unveiled last night. But Citroën has now unveiled the cargo version of this car during its press conference at the Paris Motor Show.

The most significant difference is at the rear of the Fuguenet's B-pillar, where the rear seats and sloping roofline of the 2CV have been replaced by a large box. Access to the cargo compartment is provided through the sliding side windows or the two-piece rear doors.

Citroen CEO Xavier Chardon said the original Fuguenet, produced from 1951 to 1977, showed that vans could have "soul".

Indeed, the emotional appeal of the 2CV was a major reason for its revival as an affordable electric car.

Citroen believes nostalgia can give it an edge over a wave of new Chinese rivals in Europe, which threaten its position as a value brand.

However, Citroën has not yet given the green light for production of the Fogonet. But it added that it opens up "new avenues for investigation" in the coming years.

Citroën also described the show car as a "romantic project" formed as a "spontaneous desire" during the creation of a derivative of the new regular model.

It's likely to arrive a few years after the regular 2CV, potentially replacing the current ë-Berlingo or slotting into the portfolio below that model.

Citroen is targeting a starting price of €15,000 (equivalent to £12,700) and a net weight of one ton for the regular model. which indicates a small battery. Its ambition is to make electric driving accessible to a much wider range of buyers, in the same way that the 2CV's main mission in the years before and after World War II was to move rural France.

The new Alpine A310 Vision concept is a preview of a two-seater sports car with a retro-futuristic design; A car that can be released in the future as a limited edition inspired by the sports car of this company in the 1970s.

This coupe was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and is officially considered a one-off car. However, the concept is based on the new Alpine Performance Platform (APP); The platform that is supposed to be the basis of the next generation electric sports car A110. The new Alpine A310 Vision concept is a preview of a two-seater sports car with a retro-futuristic design; A car that can be released in the future as a limited edition inspired by the sports car of this company in the 1970s.

This coupe was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and is officially considered a one-off car. However, the concept is based on the new Alpine Performance Platform (APP); The platform that is supposed to be the basis of the next generation electric sports car A110. "Anthony Whelan", Alpine's design manager, has also mentioned that this car may become the next product of this company in the form of a special project and limited production.

A310 Vision is inspired by the 1971 Alpine A310 four-seater car; A car that had a bold and angular body design and was very different from other Alpine products at that time. The new concept is also introduced 50 years after the A310 was equipped with a high-efficiency V6 engine.

“We were inspired by both versions of the A310. The original model had a very clean and recognizable design, while the V6 version created more visual impact and had a larger body and wheelbase. "We combined elements of both versions for this car."

The geometric design of the fuselage and the general form of the original A310 are clearly seen in the new concept. Whelan added that the original car "had a very angular design, but we wanted to tone it down a bit and give it a little more grace."

However, unlike the original model that accommodated four passengers, the new A310 Vision is a two-seater sports car. Its dimensions are: length: 4550 mm, height: 1180 mm, width: 2030 mm, wheelbase: 2450 mm.

Part of the purpose of designing such dimensions is to demonstrate the flexibility of the APP platform. This platform has been developed for the new generation A110 and will also be used in the Renault 5 Turbo 3E electric car.

This architecture is designed to be highly flexible. Among its capabilities, we can mention the possibility of dividing the battery into two parts and using different arrangements of driving forces; Features that allow the use of this platform in a wide range of cars.

Alpine has previously confirmed that it will develop a 2+2-seater model to sit alongside the A110 in the company's sports car portfolio. The company had previously even considered reviving the A310 name for such a vehicle.

However, Whelan ruled out the possibility of using the A310 design in that four-seater model and said:

"The APP platform is flexible enough to allow changing the width of the vehicle, the wheelbase and the position of the engine and battery. This platform paves the way for special projects at the highest end of the market.

We will start with the A110, but there is also the capacity to build more extreme cars, with more personalisation. This concept shows the path that a special project can follow in the future.

It is noteworthy that the development code of this project is PS1, which stands for Project Special; An issue that clearly shows where this car will be placed in the Alpine product portfolio if it enters the production line.

He also added that to achieve the car's low ground clearance, similar to the A110, it would be necessary to split the battery pack into two sections. However, the company has yet to specify the details of the concept's powertrain.

Another important point is that the APP platform can also support the internal combustion engine. Although Alpine has no plans to install such a powertrain on the A110, this feature could open the door to the production of special cars with a gasoline engine; Especially since the limited circulation of these cars will have less impact on the goals of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and achieving zero emission standards.

The new generation Alpine A110 electric car, whose design was shown at the Paris show with a life-size sculpture, is set to be introduced next year. Given this timing, it is likely that special and limited editions such as the A310 Vision will hit the market a few years after the new A110, if production is approved.

BYD Atto 8 is a large electric SUV with a capacity of seven passengers, which will compete with Kia EV9 and Skoda Peaq as the flagship product of this Chinese automaker.

The new Atto 8 model was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and will be at the top of the BYD SUV family. This family includes the Atto 2 and Atto 3 models, as well as the Sealion 5 and Seal U.

The Atto 8 will be BYD's largest electric vehicle in the UK market and the company's first product in the market with more than five seats.

Atto 8 is the first BWD model in Europe that uses the second generation Blade battery with a capacity of 115 kWh. This battery provides the possibility of using the ultra-fast Flash charging technology of BYD.