The Paris Auto Show is Full of Interesting Cars Americans Can’t Have

The Peugeot 205 GTi was a Gallic alternative to the Golf GTIs of the late 80s that Americans know well, and it is into this well that Peugeot plunged for Paris. Or rather, the wild 205 T16 Group B with special rally approval which gave birth to the 205 GTi, the car which won the World Rally Championships in 1985-86. Like last year’s Renault 5 Turbo 3e, the E-T16 Concept shows us that hatchbacks don’t just have to be modest errand-running devices; they can also excite. However, I’m not entirely sure about this multifunction steering wheel.

What if I need something bigger?

“But Jonathan, I don’t live a block from a subway station and I need something a little bigger to support my family,” you say. It’s true that cars like the 2 CV or the ID. The polo shirt will be too small for some. This is also true for the Europeans, and both Renault and Fiat had something for these segments.

The original Fiat Multipla is another underrated car from the late 90s. The styling was a challenge for some, but it was a masterclass in space efficiency, with six seats in two rows of three abreast. Rather than simply copying this, but with a bank of batteries under the cabin, the Fiat Multiplay explores the idea of ​​an adaptable vehicle, transforming from a three-row MPV to a pick-up. The front passenger seat can be reconfigured as a lounge chair, and there’s a “Petsenger” seat, a modular mounting point that lets you swap out a pet bed, child car seat, storage compartment, or small table.

The original Renault Espace was very popular and created the MPV segment from scratch, at least in Europe. The familiar single-box shape remains for the new E-Space concept, although with massive 23-inch wheels at the corners, the proportions are a little more Hot Wheels or Matchbox than the 1984 version. (Even in Europe, car designers are attracted to oversized wheels.)

There is a distinct lack of electric minivans on the market today, and the only one available here in the United States is the VW ID. Buzz. And it sold so poorly that VW suspended imports for a model year. Which probably tells you the likelihood of a US launch of a production E-Space.