Filmed at the Paris Motor Show 2026 · Photos & video: Aristotel Cristina
Chinese brands roughly doubled their presence at the Paris Motor Show this year. Nine came in 2024; this time it was about 20, depending on how you count Chinese-owned names like smart, Lotus and Volvo, and some counts go as high as 25. They ranged from household names like BYD to European debutants such as Li Auto. One stand even had an aircraft on it.
The Stands We Filmed
XPENG ARIDGE: A Flying Car On A Motor-Show Stand
The most photographed thing on XPENG’s 1,008 m² stand in Hall 6 couldn’t drive on its own. ARIDGE, XPENG’s flying-car spin-off, showed its “Land Aircraft Carrier”. It’s a six-wheeled, range-extended ground vehicle (the “Mothership”) that carries an electric vertical-take-off aircraft with six propellers in the back, and it can recharge the aircraft for up to six flights.
ARIDGE says it has more than 7,000 pre-orders, including a 600-unit order from partners in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait. It quotes a price of under 2 million yuan (about $290,000) and has a factory in Guangzhou. It had planned deliveries for 2026, but it doesn’t yet hold a Chinese type certificate, and no European plans have been announced.
XPENG’s road-car news was the G9L, a seven-seat version of its G9 SUV, which went on sale in Europe on 12 October.
Zeekr 9X: 897 PS Of Plug-In Luxury
It is also on show at Auto Zürich 2026, 5–8 November; our Auto Zürich 2026 guide has the details.
Zeekr’s first Mondial was built around the 9X, a 5.24-metre, three-row luxury SUV. It’s a plug-in hybrid with a range extender: a 2.0-litre turbo charges a 55 kWh battery, and two electric motors deliver 660 kW (897 PS) and 0–100 km/h in 4.1 seconds. The WLTP figures are 179 km electric and 737 km in total. DC charging runs at 330 kW, for 10–80% in 9.5 minutes.
In France, the 9X already has a price: €119,500 for its single version, the six-seat Ultra AWD. Reservations opened in August and orders on 8 September, with first European deliveries targeted between December and February. Swiss buyers have already seen it at its Swiss premiere in Thalwil in September, and Zeekr is on the Auto Zürich Media Day stage next month.
BYD Shark: A Plug-In Hybrid Pickup For Europe
BYD called Paris the European premiere of the Shark, which had already appeared at Goodwood in the UK in July. It’s a five-seat double-cab pickup on a ladder frame. The plug-in hybrid system pairs a 1.5-litre turbo, working mainly as a generator, with two motors for 436 PS combined.
The 32.2 kWh battery gives 90 km electric and 675 km combined (WLTP). For work, the numbers that count are a 2,500 kg towing capacity and a 790 kg payload. Wider European sales start in the first half of 2027, and there’s no euro price yet.
BYD Atto 8: Seven Seats And Five-Minute Charging
The Atto 8, sold as the Tang L in China, is BYD’s new seven-seat flagship SUV. It’s 5.04 m long and electric-only in Europe. It’s also the first European car with BYD’s second-generation 115 kWh Blade battery, good for up to 653 km WLTP with rear-wheel drive and 462 PS, or 602 km for the 775-PS all-wheel-drive version.
BYD’s FLASH charging claims 10–70% in five minutes. European sales start in Q1 2027, and BYD hasn’t published a euro price yet.
Geely E5 And Starray EM-i: The Newest Arrival In Switzerland
The Geely E5 and Starray EM-i are also on show at Auto Zürich 2026, 5–8 November; our Auto Zürich 2026 guide has the details.
Geely’s own brand only launched in Switzerland on 16 September, through Emil Frey. In Paris it showed the E5 electric SUV and the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid, and both will be at Auto Zürich, where Geely also presents on Media Day. Geely’s Paris debut was the Monjaro EM-i, a plug-in version of its large SUV. Behind the E5, the Changan stand ran under the slogan “More for Europe”.
Every Other Chinese Brand In Paris
| Brand | Group | What it showed | Paris status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leapmotor | Leapmotor International (Stellantis JV) | B03 hatchback · D19 flagship SUV | B03: European premiere · D19: first showing outside China |
| smart | Mercedes-Benz / Geely JV | #2 two-seater | World premiere → First Look |
| Lynk & Co | Geely | 07 GT, the brand’s first estate | Show debut |
| Li Auto | Li Auto | i6 electric SUV | Brand’s European debut |
| DENZA | BYD | Z coupé, Spider and Racing · BAO 5 · Z9 GT · D9 | First Mondial for DENZA |
| Avatr | Changan (with Huawei, CATL) | T09 concept · 06T · 07L | Unveiled at the show (not in the official directory) |
| Changan | Changan | Deepal S07 and S05 | — |
| Chery · Omoda & Jaecoo | Chery | French hybrid range · Omoda 4, Omoda 5, Jaecoo 5 and 7 | First Mondial for Chery; Omoda 4 debut |
| GAC (Aion) | GAC | Aion UT / UT Cross, GS7 | — |
| Aito | Seres (with Huawei) | Aito 6, 7, 8, 9 | Newcomer |
| Maxus · Forthing · Foton · 212 | SAIC · Dongfeng · BAIC · BAIC | Vans, pickups, SUVs | — |
| Lotus · Volvo | Geely | Lotus range · Volvo EX60 and EX60 Cross Country | Volvo’s first Paris show in 12 years → EX60 Up Close |
Not in Paris: MG passenger cars, Hongqi, Voyah, NIO and Polestar.
Which Ones Come To Switzerland
The Leapmotor B03 and Lynk & Co 07 GT are also on show at Auto Zürich 2026, 5–8 November; our Auto Zürich 2026 guide has the details.
Swiss buyers can already order several of these brands, and most of them will be at Auto Zürich (5–8 November):
- On the Auto Zürich Media Day stage: DENZA, Geely, Leapmotor (Swiss premiere of the B03), Lynk & Co, smart, XPENG and Zeekr, plus Geely-owned Polestar
- Exhibiting, but not on Media Day: BYD, Chery, MG, Maxus, Forthing, Lotus, Volvo
- In Paris but not coming to Zürich: Li Auto, Avatr, Aito, GAC, Changan, Omoda/Jaecoo
For the bigger picture, read Chinese Brands Arriving In Switzerland and our Zürich preview, Auto Zürich 2026 Media Day.
Our Take: The Brands Already Selling Here Looked Readiest
The stands that looked most ready for Swiss buyers belonged to brands already selling here. Zeekr’s 9X, with its giant vertical grille, and BYD’s Shark and Atto 8 looked finished and confident. The ARIDGE drew the crowds, but with no certification and no European plans, it’s a glimpse rather than a product.
The real story is scale: about 20 Chinese brands at one show, double 2024. Auto Zürich in November is the next place to see how many of them Swiss buyers can actually take home.
Source: Zeekr France press release, 13 Aug 2026, and MotorsActu, 9 Sep 2026 (Zeekr 9X price and dates); Automobile Propre, 12 Oct 2026 (BYD Atto 8); mondial.paris, 5 Oct 2026 (BYD Shark).
Independent editorial. No manufacturer paid for or reviewed this article.
