The Paris Auto Show is full of interesting cars Americans can’t have

The Peugeot 205 GTi was a Gallic alternative to the late ’80s-era Golf GTIs that Americans will be familiar with, and it’s into this well that Peugeot dipped for Paris. Or rather, the wild 205 T16 Group B rally homologation special that the 205 GTi gave birth to, a car that won the world Rally Championships in 1985–86. Like the Renault 5 Turbo 3e from last year, the E-T16 Concept shows us that hatchbacks needn’t just be humble devices for running errands; they can excite, too. I’m not entirely sure about that multifunction steering wheel, though.

What if I need something bigger?

“But Jonathan, I don’t live a block from a metro station, and I need something a bit bigger to cope with my family,” you say. It is true that cars like the 2 CV or ID. Polo will be too small for some. This is true for Europeans as well, and both Renault and Fiat had something for these segments.

The original Fiat Multipla is another underappreciated car from the late ’90s. The styling was challenging for some, but it was a masterclass in space efficiency, seating six in two rows of three abreast. Rather than simply copying that, but with a slab of batteries under the cabin, the Fiat Multiplay explores the idea of a vehicle that’s adaptable, transforming from a three-row people carrier to a pickup. The front passenger seat can be reconfigured as a lounger, and there’s a “Petsenger” seat—a modular mounting point that allows you to swap in a pet bed, child’s car seat, storage compartment, or small table.

The original Renault Espace was very much loved and created the people-carrier segment out of thin air, at least in Europe. The familiar one-box shape remains for the new E-Space Concept, though 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 drawn to oversized wheels.)

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