Paris Motor Show: Over 20 Chinese Auto Brands Make a Powerful Collective Presence

Local time on October 12, the 2026 Paris Motor Show kicked off at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. As one of Europe’s most important international auto shows, the biggest highlight of this edition is no longer the home show of established German and French automakers, but the collective appearance of the Chinese automotive contingent.

According to statistics, more than 60 automobile manufacturers from Europe, America and Asia took part in the exhibition. Among them, 16 Chinese automakers brought over 20 brands to the show. Established carmakers including BYD, Geely, Chery, Changan and Dongfeng all made appearances, alongside new-energy startups such as Li Auto, AITO, Zeekr and Xpeng. Chinese automakers have brought nearly all their most popular domestic products and technologies to the heart of Europe’s automotive industry.

hinese automakers are not merely showcasing vehicles at this edition of the Paris Motor Show. Each brand brings production models tailored specifically for the European market, with multiple new

 vehicles making their global or European debuts at the show.

BYD operates two separate booths for its core marque, Denza and Fangd Leopard, covering a total area of 1,600 square meters. Besides the world premiere of its Shark plug-in hybrid pickup, BYD also presents the Dolphin G DM-i plug-in hybrid model, the Atto 2 DM-i compact plug-in hybrid SUV, the Denza Z9 GT shooting brake, the Denza D9 DM-i and the Fangd Leopard 5.

The Shark PHEV pickup marks BYD’s first pickup model launched in Europe. The Dolphin G DM-i is BYD’s first vehicle exclusively engineered for the European market. The Atto 2 DM-i starts at 26,990 euros in France, competing directly with the Renault Clio. The Denza Z9 GT shooting brake is available for pre-order at 115,000 euros, positioned as a direct rival to the Porsche Taycan. Notably, in the first half of 2026, BYD sold 174,144 vehicles in Europe, surpassing Tesla’s 170,351 units for the first time.

Changan brings an extensive product lineup. The Avatr T09 concept vehicle makes its global debut in Paris. As the pioneering model of Avatr’s flagship series, the T09 is positioned as a large six-seat SUV and scheduled for official launch within 2026. Also on display are the Avatr 06T and Avatr 07L, the brand’s first models to enter Europe, which will hit markets including Norway and Spain starting in 2027.

Meanwhile, Changan Qiyuan Q05, Q06 and A06 make their first appearance at the Paris Motor Show. Deepal exhibits two new energy models, the S05 and S07, alongside the CS55 Blue Whale i-MMD hybrid. The lineup covers battery electric, plug-in hybrid and full hybrid powertrains, fully demonstrating Changan’s product portfolio for mainstream family car buyers across Europe.

Geely also boasts a substantial exhibition presence. The Geely Monjaro EM-i, the overseas variant of the Xingyue L PHEV, has its European premiere. Other displayed models include the Geely Xingyuan, Geely Galaxy E5 and Geely Galaxy Starship 7 (marketed overseas as Geely Starray EM-i).

Lynk & Co and Zeekr host independent booths. Zeekr showcases the 9X for Europe’s premium SUV segment, while Lynk & Co presents multiple plug-in hybrid models already on sale in Europe such as the 01 and 08 EM-P, to further consolidate its premium customer base in Western Europe.

Chery participates with three brands: Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo. The Chery Q battery-electric city car debuts in Europe, and the Tiggo 4 hybrid makes its first appearance in France. The booth also features the Tiggo 7 hybrid, Tiggo 7 PHEV and Tiggo 8 PHEV, all of which are already available in France. In addition, the Omoda 5, Omoda 5 NEXT, Omoda 7, Omoda 4, Jaecoo 7 and Jaecoo 9 are showcased together, enriching the brand’s product lineup for France and broader European markets.

In terms of new-energy startups, Leapmotor unveiled two Europe-debut models, the D19 and A05. Li Auto i6, Li Auto’s first global battery-electric vehicle, made its European premiere at the Paris Motor Show. AITO brought four models including AITO 6, AITO 7, AITO 8 and AITO 9, forming its core lineup scheduled to enter the European market in 2027. Xpeng staged the global launch of the G9L, alongside exhibited existing models such as the G6 and P7+, which are already on sale in multiple European countries.

In addition, GAC, Maxus, Dongfeng Forthing, 212, Leading Ideal and Foton also took part in the exhibition, covering Europe’s passenger vehicle and light commercial vehicle segments.

Responsible Editor: Huang Xia