Brussels Motor Show – all the best new EVs

This past weekend saw the Brussels Expo space in Belgium’s capital open its doors to tens of thousands of car fans for the 2026 Brussels Motor Show.

Ahead of the public event, which runs until Sunday, January 18, EV Powered attended the media day to see all the big new model reveals and explore the displays from more than 50 manufacturers.

Across the show halls there was a bewildering selection of cars – some existing models, many all-new – but here we’ve rounded up all the biggest announcements and our personal favourites from the show.

Kia

Kia’s stand was perhaps more modest than some brands but it had some of the biggest announcements of the show.

Key among them was the EV2 – Kia’s smallest EV to date. This Renault 4-rivalling compact SUV is due to go on sale this spring and is expected to be priced from under £25,000.

It’s designed to look like a mini-EV9 and looks even better in the metal than in pictures. The boxy design and body cladding give it presence, despite measuring just 4m long. Inside, it looks and feels as robust as you’d expect from Kia. There are proper buttons as well as Kia’s now-standard triple-screen display. Buyers will be able to choose from four- or five-seat configurations, both with sliding rear seats and up to 403 litres of boot space.

Powering the EV2 is a 144bhp front-mounted motor and there are two battery options. A 42.2kWh unit offers up to 197 miles of range, while a 61kWh battery delivers 278 miles.

Alongside the sensible EV2, Kia revealed three new performance-focused GT models. The EV3 GT and EV4 GT will arrive later this year sharing the same powertrain. In both cars a two-motor all-wheel-drive arrangement will deliver 288bhp and 0-62mph times of under 6 seconds. Both will also feature bespoke chassis tunes, electronically controlled suspension and virtual gearshift technology.

The EV5 GT will get the same gearshift technology as well as a road-scanning system for its adaptive suspension. It will also feature an all-wheel-drive powertrain, this time producing 305bhp as Kia looks to challenge the Skoda Enyaq vRS and Ford Capri.

Mercedes

Mercedes’ big Brussels reveal was the new GLB. This is an all-new replacement for its previous electric seven-seater, sharing the same dedicated platform as the new GLC. That means 800V architecture that supports charging of up to 320kW for its 85kWh battery. In its most efficient rear-wheel-drive guise, the new GLB will cover a whopping 392 miles on a charge, while an all-wheel-drive version sacrifices a little range for more grip and 349bhp.

Like the GLC, Mercedes has gone big on tech with the GLB – offering the ridiculous 38-inch “Superscreen” that takes up the entire dashboard, and fitting a huge illuminated grille. More usefully, the new GLB is much longer than before, with an extra 10cm legroom for the third row as well as more space in rows one and two.

On sale in the next few months, expect prices to start around £50,000.

Mazda

Brussels saw the world premiere of Mazda’s third EV – the CX-6e. An SUV sister car to the Mazda 6e, it’s built on the same platform as the sleek saloon by China’s Changan and, like the 6e, will reach the UK in the second half of 2026. Set to take on the likes of the Tesla Model Y and Skoda Enyaq, the 4.8m-long CX-6e uses a rear-mounted 255bhp motor and a 75KWh battery to deliver around 300 miles of range. It also features a “smart cockpit” with a huge 26-inch infotainment screen, digital wing mirrors and a head-up display instead of traditional instruments.

Zeekr

Zeekr is poised to enter the UK later this year and take on the likes of the Tesla Model 3, BMW i4 and Volkswagen ID.7. And it will do it with the 7GT, which made its debut in Brussels. It’s a sharply-styled five-seat shooting brake that proves electric estates are cool. It will cost from around €45,000 (£40,000) for the entry level Core RWD model, which packs 421bhp and 322 miles of range from a 75kWh battery. A long-range model promises 406 miles from a 100kWh battery, while a 637bhp version delivers 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds for under €58,000. Touches like the powered doors are largely gimmicks, but the astonishing performance and insanely quick charging – we’re talking 480kW – plus that attractive price tag will make it appealing to many business buyers.

Subaru

We’ve seen the American Trailseeker version already but Brussels gave us the first look at the European-spec Subaru E-Outback and it got us quite excited. Like the rest of Subaru’s EV line-up, the E-Outback is a joint project with Toyota, but here, it’s Subaru that has taken the lead and will build the E-Outback and its bZ4X Touring cousin. It looks and feels like a proper Subaru thanks to its high-riding, spacious estate bodystyle, chunky plastic cladding and roof rails. It will drive like a real Subaru too, thanks to a permanent all-wheel-drive system putting out 375bhp. That makes it quicker than an Impreza WRX. The only shortcomings we can see are an expected sub-300-mile range and an interior that could kindly be described as “lacking style”.

Leapmotor

Leapmotor continued its rapid expansion with two new cars at Brussels. The B03X is a neat compact SUV rival to the Renault 4 and Kia EV2 that is due on European roads this summer. While we got to see – and were impressed by – the cutesy crossover in the metal, technical details are still TBC. Leapmotor says it will be spacious, high-tech and good value. We’d expect a range of around 250 miles and perhaps 150bhp to keep things competitive.

We also got a closer look at the B05 and our first sight of the interior. Leapmotor’s answer to the Kia EV4, VW ID.3 and Renault Megane, shares most of its characteristics with the B10 SUv, including its button-free interior and 67kWh battery. Externally, it’s handsome in a plain sort of way and while its 285-mile range might not match its European and Korean rivals, you can bet that it’ll outperform them when it comes to equipment and pricing.

Hyundai

When Hyundai announced pre-Brussels that it was going to unveil its biggest ever EV, the odds were always that it would be an electrified Staria. When you’ve already got the Ioniq 9, which is the size of a small bungalow, there’s only so many places to go. So, to no-one’s surprise, the massive cloth was pulled back to reveal a massive people carrier. Based on an 800V version of the E-GMP platform, Hyundai says the Staria will charge its 84kWh battery from 10-80% in 20 minutes and cover up to 249 miles. It’ll put out 215bhp, tow two tonnes and offered a variety of seating configurations, including seven and nine-seat versions and an option with a pair of individual reclining captain’s chairs in the middle row.

Citroen

Citroen was out in force with existing models at Brussels, but also showcased its wild ELO concept. The French brand is unlikely to ever build anything close to this radical six-seat people carrier, but it’s a wonderfully, deliberately quirky show car that demonstrates the creativity at the heart of the brand. WIth an in-your-face orange colour scheme, wild quad sliding doors, a split tailgate, blow up mattresses that folds out from the boot, and a central driving position flanked by fold-away passenger seats, it’s true concept car, but one that showcases the flexibility an EV platform allows.

Honourable mentions

Renault Twingo

The Twingo has already been revealed to the world but its appearance at Brussels still drew a crowd. The reinvented city car’s bubbly design has instant appeal but there’s more than just looks in its favour. Smart packaging and Renault’s EV expertise mean that this little city car offers space for four, up to 163 miles of range and the same smart infotainment system as its bigger siblings. What’s more, it’s slated to cost less than £20,000 when it arrives towards the end of 2026.

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

Right next to the Twingo on the Renault stand was this piece of automotive lunacy. Its massive, wide-bodied, low-slung stance makes the regular R5 look fat and frumpy while its two in-wheel motors deliver a supercar-shaming 536bhp, 3,540lb ft of torque, and a 168mph top speed. The maddest thing about it, though, is that it’s not a concept car but a production ready model priced from £150,000.