The 2016 Paris Motor Show, the most highly attended event of its kind, is now open to the public. The world’s car manufacturers spent the last two days revealing more than 100 cars, from the outrageously long Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 to the astonishing Renault Trezor concept car, which can only be described as eye candy.
So whether or not you’re headed to the City of Lights to take it all in, do yourself a favour and lose yourself in our pick of the coolest rides from this year’s show.
Nissan Micra
Needless to say the new B-segment supermini has nothing to do with the previous model, at least from an aesthetic point of view. Even Nissan says it represents a ‘complete redefinition of what Micra means’.
The visual impression isn’t the only thing that has changed, however – this is a very differently proportioned car as well. Instead of being short, narrow and high, the new one is almost 4 metres long, the widest supermini available by a huge margin, and among the lowest, too.
Things get even more interesting when you take a look into the cabin: it features a 7-inch display with Apple CarPlay, an impressive Bose stereo with speakers in the driver’s headrest and much-improved interior materials. We can’t wait to see it.
KIA Rio
Now on its fourth generation, the new Kia Rio not only looks different but is differently proportioned as well. Longer, wider and lower than its predecessor, it will only be available in a five-door variant, which according to Kia’s official claims, has been requested by popular demand. .
Making use of the extra chassis length, the mechanics have redesigned both the rear and front suspension, giving the car greater driving appeal with more agile handling, while improving ride comfort.
Inside, it’s even better: a 7-inch touchscreen offers great connectivity while the upgraded soft-touch materials and interior surfaces give a high-end feeling, especially given the model’s affordable price tag.
Citroën C3
As promised, Citroën has added a little of its Cactus design into their all-new C3. And the similarities aren’t just about the ‘airbump’ side protection or the split-level headlamps. There are echoes of its emphasis on comfort and the uniqueness of the driving experience as well. Following the same standards as the new B-segment superminis, the new C3 comes only as a five-door version, but you get plenty of decoration options beyond that. The configuration options are endless: you can even customise the bezels on the airbump and foglamps.
Jumping into the interior, you get the same Cactus-style logic, which is not a bad thing at all. The flat seats and the wide dash are all comfort-oriented, while the world’s first built-in HD dashcam makes the driver’s life easier, since it automatically records and shares in real time if a crash takes place.
Honda Civic
This is a completely new car from the ground up. And as you may have correctly guessed, its styling remains as interesting as the prototype version, originally revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in spring.
Yes, it sounds interesting, and the reality doesn’t disappoint.. Amongst its new features, its rigid bodyshell stands out, as well as the lower centre of gravity and the new multi-link independent suspension, all of which offer better handling and increased comfort.
Finally, when it launches in the UK, there will be two petrol VTEC Turbo units: a 1.0-litre three-cylinder putting out 128bhp and a 1.5-litre four-pot, capable of 181bhp. Although it will be still available as a Type-R variant, nothing has been confirmed yet regarding the power figures. However, don’t expect anything less than 340bhp from a 2.0-litre 4cl turbo engine.
Renault Electric Trezor concept car
We can’t thank Laurens van den Acker, the head designer of Renault, enough for bringing this amazing piece of art to life. As the name suggests, the Electric Trezor concept is an electric coupe, which features autonomous functionality, and some extreme technological features that are starting to be implemented on real-world Renault cars.
Proportionally ambitious, its C-shaped headlights probably offer the strongest hints about the next part of the company’s design journey. Although the honeycomb-hexagonal pattern, which can be found on the bodywork, may never find its way to production.
Renault Zoe 2017
One of the best small city cars now gets even better. Don’t be fooled by the Zoe’s unchanged bodywork. The biggest change here is under the vehicle’s skin, with Renault fitting the new ZE 40 battery.
Zoe offers a 250-mile claimed range, although it might be more reasonable to expect around 186 miles of emission-free driving in real life. However, it’s still a huge leap forward, especially compared to the 106 mile range in today’s electric cars. The longer-range car goes on sale in the UK during November, so watch this space!
Hyundai i30
The latest generation of the i30 Hatchback is not just a new model, but a breakthrough in its segment, according to Hyundai.
Here’s a list of what it has to offer: multi-link rear suspension, quicker steering rack, performance-oriented shock absorbers, autonomous emergency braking, driver attention alert, adaptive cruise control, blindspot detector, lane-keep assist, rear-cross traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, high-beam assist… and that’s only the beginning.
You even get LED lights and a flap in the front grille, which automatically reduces drag at high speeds by closing off some of the cooling intakes.
Under the bonnet you can get plenty of choices, but the one that stands out is the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder: it’s 14kg lighter than the old 1.4, capable of 138bhp and 178lb ft of torque. Sounds pretty good to us…