52 Brands, One Market: What Auto Athina 2026 Reveals About the Future of the Car in Greece

Auto Athina 2026 took place from Saturday, October 3 to Sunday, October 11, for the second time at the Metropolitan Expo, and was described as the largest car show ever held in the country. The 52 participating brands “surprised” by Greek standards, while the Press Day alone brought together 47 nationwide and pan-European premieres. The most interesting element was the variety of powertrains. Fully electric, full hybrid, plug-in hybrid, petrol and dual-fuel models were found side by side. Electrification had the first say in the premieres, but combustion and hybrid models clearly held their ground.

Pan-European premiere: the new BMW iX4

BMW’s Neue Klasse family is growing, with the iX4 being presented to the European public for the first time at Auto Athina. BMW chose Auto Athina to show Europe its first iX4, a sporty SUV coupé that continues the Neue Klasse strategy. Sebastian Kroes, head of interior design for the Neue Klasse, traveled specially to the event, and the model appeared next to the new i3 and the new X5, which had made their nationwide premiere a few days earlier. The car at the presentation was the top-of-the-range iX4 M60 xDrive in the special BMW Individual Frozen Pure Red color. It is based on the sixth-generation BMW eDrive, with an 800V architecture and DC fast charging up to 400 kW, and it also supports bidirectional charging. Finally, the new BMW iX4 redefines the brand’s iconic “kidney” grille, integrating lighting into its design and giving the front end a more modern, technological identity.

Standout models

Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50: The anniversary GTI edition was the purest representative of the combustion hot hatch, right next to VW’s electric ID. models. It delivers 325 hp and 420 Nm, and the brand describes it as its fastest model at the Nürburgring, with a time of 7:46.13 over 20.8 km.

Audi RS 5 Avant: The RS 5’s new powertrain combines a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 petrol engine (510 hp) with a 177 hp electric motor, for a total output of 639 hp and 825 Nm. The 0–100 km/h sprint takes an astonishing 3.6 s and the top speed reaches 285 km/h. In other words, it is a practical station wagon with the performance, horsepower and driving experience of a supercar.

Porsche 911 Turbo: The T-Hybrid drive system combines a 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine with electric assistance, producing a total of 711 hp. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 2.5 seconds, while the top speed reaches 322 km/h. The new 911 Turbo S proves that electrification can enhance Porsche’s traditional sporty character, with no compromise in performance.

Test drives and interactive experiences

Auto Athina 2026 was not only for visitors’ eyes. Specially designed routes allowed the public to test drive dozens of new electric, hybrid and petrol models. In addition, there was no shortage of interactive experiences. Robots from Tesla and Chery drew the interest of technology fans and others! Audi stole the show with its F1 Driving Simulator, which gives the brand’s fans the chance to test their driving skills on a simulated Formula 1 circuit.

Our perspective

Auto Athina played a decisive role in the Greek car market and showcased a wealth of new releases and models. Through KAR AI, you can get information on any model you saw at the show and ask about its specific features and details. Also, if you feel you are torn between many options, compare your cars in the “Comparison” section and get specialized results for the models that interest you.