Fuel cells, electric motors and hybrid power were the star attractions at the opening of the Paris Motor Show this week.

Up to 50 new and concept models got their world and European premieres as industry chiefs put a brave face on the uncertain economic climate. Models with clean technology are now a big feature on virtually every stand and even luxury models attract more attention for their green credentials than their good looks.

European manufacturers were out in force to show smaller but more powerful engines while many eastern manufacturers now concentrate on lighter components to reduce fuel bills.

China's emergence as a car exporter is being closely watched by all the major maufacturers as already there has been a court case blocking the entry of one model into Germany. BMW got a Munich court to stop the Shuanghuan CEO going on sale because it was too like their top X5 model. The cheaper Chinese model is on sale in Italy and is about to go on sale in France.

Kia, the Korean manufacturer, had one of the busiest stands. The Soul, a crossover vehicle which will be here early in the new year, attracted a lot of attention for its strong exterior lines and roomy interior. The distinctive style was born in the USA, developed in Korea and fine-tuned in Europe. It is powered by a 126PS petrol or diesel engine with the option of a lower-powered diesel unit and CO2 output will run between 137-159g/km. There are also six airbags and ESP standard or an option.

Also on show was the Cee'd ISG (idle, stop, go) with the engine cut-out technology that can cut fuel and emission levels by 15%; the Cee'd and Soul hybrid vehicles which can bring emissions down by 26% to 114g/km; and a concept FCEV (fuel cell-electric vehicle) which gets power from a 136PS output fuel cell with a lithium ion battery pack giving it a range of 300 km.

The Insight, a petrol-electric hybrid car to rival the Toyota Prius, is the first of four new hybrids planned by Honda. A concept version of the Insight was on the stand and a production model will be here by spring. This is the second generation Insight. The first was launched in 1999 but was withdrawn. There is also a small hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z concept, a new generation Civic hybrid and a hybrid version of the new Jazz. Honda also has an FCX fuel cell car.

Audi showed off a near production version of the new A1 hatchback designed to compete with the BMW 1-Series and Mini models. Also on display was the new version of the RS6, powered by a twin-turbo-charged 5-litre 500bhp V10 engine for the ultimate in high performance. It goes on sale this month.

Chinese company Brillance Jinbei put four cars on display, two saloons a hatchback and a coupe. The company is state-owned and is in a joint venture with BMW. One mode, the BS4, will target the VW Jetta and Skoda Octavia when it goes on sale after the show.

A new Ka was unveiled by Ford 12 years after the original was launched at the same venue. This joint venture with Fiat is a totally new design with a diesel engine offered for the first time. It shares the platform with the Panda and is 70mm shorter than the current model. Also on the Ford stand was the Focus RS with a top speed of 260km/h from a 300PS output 2.5-litre petrol engine. A new Fiesta gets the ECOnetic treatment which cuts the CO2 from the1.6-litre diesel engine to 98g/km. It will be launched here this month.

The new Renault Megane goes on sale across Europe after the show. Renault spent €1.8bn to get six new body types for the new model. Also on the stand was the revolutionary-looking Ondelios, a concept design for a large six-seater SUV that uses two electric motors on the front and rear wheels in conjunction with a 2-litre diesel engine to give good economy and low emissions.

Toyota had three new models on show – the new Avensis, the tiny iQ and the strong-looking Urban Cruiser. The Avensis is now sleeker to take on Passat and Mondeo, the iQ according to Toyota is the smallest four-seater car on the market and the Urban Cruiser was shown with all-wheel-drive and a 1.4-litre diesel engine. This Yaris-based SUV goes on sale in 2009

Nissan has a new Pixo which will be positioned below the Micra. It will be powered by a 1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and will be built by Suzuki in India. The Pixo will be built alongside the new Alto from Suzuki which will be powered by a 1-litre 65bhp petrol engine with CO2 emissions of just 109g/km. Both cars should be in production by spring 2009.

Seat's new Exeo, a rival for the Ford Mondeo, made its debut. It will be ready to go on sale early next year. Volvo launched fuel-efficient versions of the C30, S40 and V50 with CO2 emissions now less than 120g/km and VW put the sixth-generation Golf on show. VW plans to built a new Golf in just over 20 hours compared to the 40 hours it took to produce one in 2003.

Mazda showed a Kiyora concept, the basis for a new city car. Mazda also showed a facelifted version of the MX-5. Hyundai unveiled a new i20 to replace the Getz. It is bigger and roomier than the Getz and will be built in India.

Prestige car maker BMW showed a hybrid concept of the new 7-Series flagship which will target the Mercedes Benz S-Class models while Mercedes Benz showed a Fascination design study which will be the sleek front-end styling for the next E-Class which is due in 2010.