The Brussels Motor Show opened its gates to the public, awaiting visitors until 19 February. Belgium’s international show returned after a year of hiatus, taking its place back from the Brussels Auto Show. It also takes over roles from the defunct Geneva Car Show, boasting everything we love about international car shows.
The 101st Brussels Car Show takes place at the usual location in Brussel’s Heysel expo area and lasts over a week. After the press day, it awaits visitors from Saturday, 11 January to Sunday, 19 January, with generous opening hours from 10:00 to 19:00 (with two nocturnals finishing at 22.00 on 13 and 17 January). The premises are accessible via metro line 6, and ample parking places are available with a direct connection to the ring.
This year, the show occupies four major halls and a few auxiliary rooms. This is one hall less than in 2023 and did not feature such a prominent spectacle as the Bond in Brussels exhibition in the neighbouring grand hall of the Expo.
This year’s edition has fewer “add-ons” but is just as much focused on business. There was an incredible offering from car brands, even compared to the pre-COVID IAA levels. Several dozen stages await visitors, as the organisers promised 63 brands, covering both passenger and commercial sectors. We did not count them, but indeed, the Brussels Car Show indeed featured more car brands than Paris (which was already a significant improvement to its 2022 form).
We will list them all here, but a later article will give more details. Factory exhibitors range from mainstream conglomerates to high-end manufacturers. This comes from the fact that the Brussels Car Show plays an integral part in the domestic car market, where customers expect significant Autosalon discounts.
For an overview, here are the brands located in the halls:
Palais 5
Abarth – Alfa Romeo – Alpine – Citroën – Dacia – DS – Fiat – Jeep – KIA – Lancia – Leapmotor – Mobilise – Opel – Peugeot – Renault.
Palais 6
Ford – Hyundai – Isuzu – Maxus – Mazda – MG – KGM – Suzuki – Van Solutions Area.
Palais 7
BAIC – BMW – BYD – Corvette – DFSK – DR Automobiles (DR, EVO, ICH-X, Sporter, Tiger) – Forthing – Honda — Hong-Ineos – Jaecoo – Lexus – Livan – Lucid – Mini – Omoda – RTBF – smart – Subaru – Toyota – Xpeng.
Palais 9
Lotus – Tesla
Palais 11
Audi – Bentley – Bugatti – Cupra – EDI – Lucien – Microlino – Porsche – Rimac – Seat – Skoda – Volkswagen — Volkswagen CVI.
Patio
Mercedes-Benz (including Maybach).
The show also hosts the renowned Car of the Year award, which was proclaimed in Brussels for the second tim. Thus, the takeover from Geneva seems permanent.
Even if you are not looking for a new car, the show still offers plenty of wow factor. Some of the major spectacles of the past are gone, but we are now measuring this event to one of the greatest car shows of all time (the 100th Brussels Motor Show 2023). This year, the organisers could not secure a major thematic exhibition like the 2022 Bond in Brussels or the dream car exhibitions of the past. Also, the military vehicles abstained (a prime theme of last year) along with a movie car theme.
Visitors might find refreshments at Red Bull’s Extreme Sports Bar, located in Palais 9. The decoration includes Liam Everts’s motorcycle and the Formula 1 car of the quadruple Champion Max Verstappen, along with other memorabilia.
Right next, Sim specialist Sim Power set up 12 eSport racing simulators of the highest professional level. The stage is surrounded by a couple of race cars uploaded in the sims.
There are stages built by Belgium’s national car museum Autoworld (advertising its current Maserati exhibition) as well as BEHVA (the Belgian Historic Vehicle Association).
Another exciting exhibition is courtesy of Turismo’s selection of supercars scattered around the halls. The cars include an Aston Martin Vantage V8 Roadster, a Ferrari 488 Pista, a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ and a Porsche 911 GT3 Touring.
We plan to publish a few more articles, but until then, this is a fair warning, if you are looking for a brilliant car show for this year, you are best served with the Brussels Motor Show 2025.
