The 2026 Paris Motor Show will include a broad group of Chinese automotive brands, not just one or two electric-car newcomers. The official exhibitor list includes BYD, Changan, Chery, GAC, Geely, Leapmotor, XPENG, AITO, Denza, Li Auto, Zeekr, Forthing, OMODA & JAECOO and other brands connected with China’s automotive industry. The show runs from October 12 to 18 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, with October 12 reserved for the press.
The organiser lists more than 100 exhibitors, including more than 60 car manufacturers, across five halls. The venue includes 70,000 square metres of indoor exhibition space and 15,000 square metres outdoors. The press-conference schedule shows how visible the Chinese presence will be: AITO, GAC, Leapmotor, BYD, Changan, XPENG, Forthing, Zeekr France, Li Auto, Chery, Denza and Geely all have dedicated time slots on October 12.
Official Mondial de l’Auto Paris image: the visual for the 2026 edition. Source and editorial usage basis: the show organiser.
Leapmotor brings two first appearances outside China
Leapmotor will show the B03 and D19 in Paris for the first time outside China, according to a Stellantis Media release. The B03 is described as an intelligent compact hatchback, while the D19 is the brand’s large flagship SUV. The stand in Hall 4 will also include the B03X, B05, B10, C10 and T03.
The European context is important. Leapmotor International distributes the brand outside China through the joint venture created by Stellantis and Leapmotor. The Paris appearance is therefore a presentation of a wider range and a European commercial relationship, rather than a single isolated product reveal. A show appearance still does not automatically confirm local pricing, type approval, equipment or delivery timing in every European market.
XPENG will launch the G9L in Europe
XPENG says it will have one of the largest Chinese stands at the show, covering more than 1,000 square metres in Hall 6. Its headline vehicle will be the G9L, described as a next-generation AI flagship SUV. XPENG plans to open European order books and announce European pricing in Paris, giving the event a direct commercial role in the company’s regional expansion.
The stand will also feature the L03, P7+, G6, G9 and X9. XPENG is organising the exhibition as a “Physical AI Museum” with areas for its technology stack, AI-defined vehicles, humanoid robots and future mobility. The company says it and Tesla will be the only automakers taking part in the show’s official Autonomous Lab. That demonstration should be understood as a controlled showcase of driver-assistance technology; it is not evidence that a vehicle can drive autonomously in every road or weather condition.
Chery links the show to its French market launch
Chery has confirmed its first participation in the Paris show and will exhibit in Hall 4. The company plans to present its Tiggo range with CSH hybrid technology, including the Tiggo 4 Hybrid, Tiggo 7 Hybrid and plug-in hybrid, and the seven-seat Tiggo 8 Plug-in Hybrid. Chery describes the French line-up as fully electrified, but that wording includes hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles rather than only battery-electric models.
The show follows Chery’s French market launch, announced for September 1, 2026. Chery says it began with more than 50 sales and repair points and planned to reach more than 90 sites by the end of the year. Those figures concern France and cannot be treated as evidence of a Romanian retail network.
BYD, Denza and Geely cover several market positions
BYD has a press conference at 10:55 in Hall 6, stand A41. The organiser lists the company as a car manufacturer and BYD is already present in several European markets. Denza, the higher-positioned brand within the BYD group, has its own 14:25 slot in Hall 5.3.
Geely Automobile Holdings is scheduled for 17:00 in Hall 7.1. Zeekr France has a 12:25 slot, while Li Auto is scheduled for 13:30. The official exhibitor list can confirm a brand’s presence at the show, but it does not confirm that every displayed model will be sold in Romania. Import strategy, service coverage, certification and warranty terms remain separate questions.
Changan, GAC, AITO and related brands
Changan will present its main brand together with Deepal, Nevo and Avatr. Its press event is scheduled for 11:10 in Hall 7.1. GAC is scheduled for 10:25 in Hall 5.1 and is listed with the Aion and Hyptec brands. AITO, described by the organiser as a Chinese luxury intelligent-EV brand, has a stand in Hall 5.3 and a 9:45 presentation slot.
Forthing is scheduled for 12:00 in Hall 7.1. OMODA & JAECOO appears at 13:30 in Hall 4. The official list also includes 212, Foton, Maxus and Linktour. Some exhibitors represent passenger-car brands, while others are linked with commercial vehicles, distribution or technology. Their appearance should not be read as an immediate Romanian launch.
What European buyers should watch
Paris will show whether Chinese expansion in Europe is limited to battery-electric cars or also includes hybrids, large SUVs, premium vehicles and commercial products. Chery is bringing a hybrid-heavy range, Leapmotor is showing models outside China for the first time, and XPENG is combining cars with artificial-intelligence and robotics demonstrations.
For a Romanian buyer, the useful follow-up questions are more practical: prices in euros, warranty length, parts availability, service locations, delivery times and compatibility with local charging networks. The exhibition can show the direction of each brand, but only a local offer and its contractual terms can establish whether a model is actually accessible to customers in Romania.
