Messe Congress Graz published its own premiere lists before MotionExpo 2026 opened, which few regional organisers do. Three of the listed cars are in our photographs from the Saturday and Sunday: the BMW iX3, the Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ technology and the electric Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. Most of the labels are Styrian or Austrian, and the lists say so.
The show ran from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 March 2026 at Messe Graz. The organiser, MCG, reported “mehr als 100 Aussteller:innen sowie rund 450 Fahrzeuge” and “über 180 Modelle des Fahrzeugjahres 2026”. Its pre-show page also promised “rund 45 Herstellermarken, so viele wie noch nie zuvor”, which is its own claim.
New cars filled the Stadthalle and Halle C. Halle A held camping vehicles, motorbikes, classic cars and the Steirische E-Bike Messe, and a special exhibition marked 100 years of Daimler-Benz. The 25 photographs behind this report are of cars on the new-car stands, so the special exhibitions are not covered here.
We filmed the GLC with EQ technology at MotionExpo Graz 2026. Our Mercedes GLC With EQ Technology First Look has the full story.
Two Lists, Two Kinds Of Premiere
MCG published two lists, headed “Österreich Premieren” and “Steiermark Premieren”, with the legend “Österreich Premiere, *Steiermark Premiere”. The first has about a dozen entries, among them the Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Grandis, Toyota C-HR+ and XPENG P7+.
The second has eleven, including the BMW iX3, Jeep Compass, Kia K4, Mercedes-Benz GLC 400 4MATIC with EQ technology, Nissan Micra EV, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Volvo ES90. The difference matters. A Steiermark premiere is a first for Styria and says nothing about Austria, so we quote each label as the organiser used it, as we do at every regional show.
MCG also named newcomers. XPENG, GAC, Jaecoo and Omoda were on its list, along with Chery’s Tiggo, which it says is first in Austria, and Land Rover was returning. MCG adds that XPENG and GAC cars are built by Magna in Graz.
The Listed Cars We Photographed
The BMW iX3, the Neue Klasse electric SUV, stood on Gady Automobile’s stand. MCG’s page lists it as a “Steiermark-Premiere” at “ab 69.950”, with up to 805 km of range claimed for the 50 xDrive.
The Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ technology carried a “NEUHEIT” floor sign and the windscreen line “Der neue GLC mit EQ Technologie”. MCG lists the GLC 400 4MATIC as a Steiermark premiere at Pappas Steiermark, from €72,450.
The electric Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross appears in MCG’s brand list with the Österreich-premiere mark. Its plate reads “8 Jahre Garantie”, and Mitsubishi’s wording makes that a package. It is five years of factory warranty, then up to three one-year extensions, and eight years on the high-voltage battery.
Renault’s Clio At Vogl+Co
Vogl+Co’s managing director René Pardon, quoted in the results release, named the XPENG P7+ as the dealer’s premiere. He described its range as running “vom neuen Twingo im Retrodesign über den Alpine A390 bis hin zum Nissan Micra”. The Renault stand held the new sixth-generation Clio, in red with Vogl+Co livery.
In a later release, Renault Austria called the new Clio its best-selling model in Austria, with more than 75 per cent of orders for the Techno and Esprit Alpine trims. Its July 2026 price list runs from €19,990 for the Evolution TCe 115 to €28,490 for the Esprit Alpine Full Hybrid.
What The Price Boards Said
Dealer price boards are the most direct evidence we have. A black Kia EV5 wore “Kia EV5 ab EUR 42.590,-“. MCG’s own page lists that figure for Autohaus Robinson, “inkl. MwSt. alle Aktionen berücksichtigt”, while Autozentrum Harb lists the EV5 from €45,590. Kia Austria’s list of January 2026 runs from €45,590 to €57,590.
So the card is a dealer’s all-promotions price, and the list price sits higher. A white Mercedes GLB at Autozentrum Harb carried a card reading “Der neue GLB 250+ ab”, with the last digits hidden. MCG’s page lists the GLB 250+ at €57,890 at Pappas, and the card does not match it.
Elsewhere in the hall a black Ford F-150 Lightning wore “Exklusiv by American Motors”. No organiser text names it, and we cover the stand in a separate piece. Kia’s cards at Graz and elsewhere are in our Kia round-up.
We filmed the EV5 at MotionExpo Graz 2026. Our Kia EV5 GT-Line First Look has the full story.
The Number MCG Did Not Publish
The organiser does not say how many people came. Its results release gives no visitor number, only “tausende Besucher:innen”. The “rund 21.000” figure that circulated is MCG’s pre-show expectation, not a result.
MotionExpo Graz 2026 at a glance
| Dates | 13 to 15 March 2026 |
| Venue | Messe Graz |
| Visitors | “tausende”, according to the organiser; no figure published |
| Brands | about 45, the organiser’s pre-show claim |
| Exhibitors | more than 100, about 450 vehicles |
| Organiser | Messe Congress Graz (MCG) |
Source: MCG pre-show page, premiere list and results release, 15 and 16 March 2026.
Our Take
MotionExpo is the rare regional show whose organiser publishes its own premiere lists, and the lists are honest about their scope. They fit what we saw: new cars on dealer stands, with the dealer’s price beside them. Those prices are dealer offers, so read them against the Austrian lists before taking one to a showroom.
The gap is the attendance figure. Until MCG publishes one, there is no way to compare this year’s crowd with last year’s show.
Independent editorial. No brand or organiser paid for or reviewed this article.
