Brussels Motor Show 2026: Taking up the mantle from Geneva

Now one of Europe’s premiere auto events after the effective demise of the Geneva International Motor Show, the 102nd edition of the Brussels Motor Show—packed with dazzling concept cars, world debuts and a record-breaking attendance—certainly lived up to the billing, firmly establishing itself as the start-of-year anchor for Europe’s automotive calendar. On the surface, it was a spectacle for brands to show off the best of their lineups, drive fleet and retail sales, and present the winners of the European Car of the Year. Here’s a closer look at what caught our attention.

OEMs adapt to increasing market competition Jeremy Worlock, Analyst, Production Forecasts

The show hosted 67 brands in total, with models spread widely across segments and powertrains, reinforcing its role as a snapshot of the European market as well as a ‘neutral’ meeting ground between traditional carmakers and new Chinese entrants at the very heart of the EU. Stellantis alone displayed 62 models spanning 11 brands.

This year though, the usual buzz around new vehicles was amplified by a marked increase in live entertainment and interactive play: Cupra ran a contest in a mini padel court, Škoda set up a bottle-drop catching game, Volkswagen featured a football goal challenge, Ford had a model racetrack, and Opel brought a racing simulator. MINI also deployed two dancing Bearskin Guards, while BYD leaned into a club-style energy with live dancers and a DJ, periodically turning part of the stage-floor into a dancefloor.

In one sense, the activities and spectacles were emblematic of the way these OEMs are attempting to improve the in-car experience—emphasizing infotainment, interactivity and immersion as key value drivers in future software-defined vehicles. From another perspective, the implication is that legacy European carmakers no longer view Brussels as just a product showcase anymore, but an experiential arena to compete against Chinese brands for attention and engagement in the Electric Vehicle (EV) space.

With the European car market proving very challenging for traditional brands amid the EV transition, the concept cars displayed at the show illustrated how tighter OEM margins are reshaping priorities, with an increasing focus on designs and technologies that can be industrialized quickly rather than speculative exercises in engineering with distant payback.

Aside from the blue-sky design of the Citroën ELO, many concepts appeared to function as near-term technology and User Experience (UX) testbeds, reflecting tighter capital discipline and shorter concept-to-production cycles. The shift toward ‘production leakage’ was visible in cases such as Opel’s Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept, whose design cues and interface elements have already filtered into the new Opel Astra facelift unveiled at the event.

Meanwhile, Hyundai announced at the show that its Concept Three Hatchback—which was revealed at the IAA Mobility Show in 2025—would form the basis of the Ioniq 3 scheduled to launch later this year. Thus, concept cars are generally becoming controlled experiments to validate design language, interiors and software that can be deployed within months or a few years, rather than in the far-future.

Brussels also underlined the deeper structural change that has occurred in the auto industry over the last few years as a result of partnerships and model consolidation, with profound implications for suppliers. Stellantis’s dominant presence showcased a multi-energy portfolio built on shared platforms, which implicitly signals scale leverage and sustained cost-down pressure across its supply base.

This is also true of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi (RNM), with Mitsubishi’s lineup at the show consisting entirely of rebadged Renault models. Meanwhile, both Nissan and Dacia are set to launch their own versions of the Renault Twingo E-Tech on display later in 2026.

At the same time, the Xpeng P7+, the brand’s third model with Magna Steyr after pilot production began this month, highlighted how Chinese partnerships with European contract manufacturers are being used to manage risk, conserve capital and reconfigure supplier ecosystems, all with a view to scaling up assembly in an increasingly competitive European market.

Chinese EVs win on value while autonomy waits its turn
Louie Hayes, Analyst, Topline Forecasts

Chinese brands were a hit among the crowds as their generally affordable and high-tech offerings drew attention. Now, these automakers are aiming to replicate their domestic success in Europe. EVs dominated the show floor, with China’s leading brands in this segment seeking to gain a strong foothold by presenting a compelling value proposition to customers.

The first Chinese brand we encountered was Leapmotor, which benefited from its partnership with European stakeholder, Stellantis, that occupied its usual prime location at the show, taking the most prominent spot in the entrance hall. Leapmotor’s origins were thus well disguised, with some attendees surprised to learn of its Chinese heritage. By leveraging Stellantis’s expansive European operations network, Leapmotor hopes to gain an edge on its fellow Chinese automakers.

After exploring the first hall, we headed to Hall 9, where the main cluster of Chinese cars was concentrated, with brands including BYD, Xpeng, Zeekr, Polestar, Jaecoo, and NIO standing side-by-side. BYD’s sales area was particularly crowded, helped by the brand’s lively dance show and robotic assistants that were certainly catching attention. Consumers were mainly heard asking for information on discounts, battery range and charging times—areas where BYD performs well in comparison to its rivals. The brand shared a similar package structure with Xpeng, with both offering Level 2 autonomous capabilities on their base models, while neighboring Polestar took a different approach, offering an upgradable pilot package for consumers to access comparable features.

However, every representative we spoke with told a similar story: customers weren’t especially interested in their autonomous features. Instead, questions regarding EVs and battery-related information were a more immediate priority. Our sense is that many consumers are still absorbing a lot of new information about the EV space, and that adding autonomous driving options on top may have been an overload for some.

Therefore, until both social acceptance and regulation catch up, much of this hardware remains underused within the models offered by some Chinese brands. Several representatives stressed that the moment regulation was permitted in Europe, Level 3 self-driving capabilities would be just ‘a software update away’.

Is this something the most customers are desperate for? Not yet. But as the industry develops and the value case becomes clearer, societal appetite is likely to follow. For now, brands may see more benefits by emphasizing their battery capabilities as EV adoption continues to become the norm for new car sales in Europe.

The quiet return of the Small Car
Josef Mcdonald, Research Assistant

In a European market now dominated by Medium-Large vehicles, which in 2025 accounted for 65% of new Passenger Car sales in Europe, it is easy to see why most of the spotlight is dedicated to models in these segments.

But look a little closer and there is potential for a quiet, modest revival of Europe’s Basic/A-segment. Pressure on the segment has seen many brands transition to larger vehicles, as already-thin margins were further hit by the costs of electrification and safety regulations. Now though, the worst of this pressure may have peaked, and with Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) component costs falling, demand being driven by urbanization, and price pressure in a market where an ‘affordable’ new car is becoming a rarity, smaller cars could be set for a quiet comeback.

This was apparent in Brussels, with the unveiling of the Kia EV2, and the popularity around the first public viewing of the Renault Twingo E-Tech—which is set to be priced below €20,000—pointing to a growing appetite for Compact City Cars. Chinese newcomers on display, such as Leapmotor’s B05, were a hit and added to the sense that many brands see Europe’s smaller end of the market as an opportunity, especially as EV platforms scale up and costs gradually trend down. Speaking to brand representatives at the event, it was clear that the progress in the BEV transition and the need for mobility in dense cities was the driving force behind consumer demand.

Along with current models, concept cars hinted that designers and product planners are once again exploring Small Car concepts. Dacia’s Hipster concept and Citroën’s ELO—the latter of which was the first car to greet us upon entry—suggest a future where compact doesn’t mean compromised; it means more character, cleverer packaging, and more tech, without a ballooning size or price.

Conclusion

The Brussels Motor Show 2026 illustrated a European auto industry in transition, not just technologically but strategically. From show-floor theatrics and increasingly pragmatic concept cars to the rise of Chinese EV challengers and the tentative revival of Compact vehicles, the event highlighted how OEMs are recalibrating priorities amid tighter margins and intensifying competition. As Brussels continues to replace Geneva as the industry’s early-year bellwether, it is becoming less about distant visions and more about near-term reality, characterized by affordability, scale, partnerships and relevance in a market where both consumers and policymakers are watching closely.

"Brussels Motor Show 2026: Taking up the mantle from Geneva" was originally created and published by Just Auto , a GlobalData owned brand.

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