Who is MPM Motors?
MPM Motors was a French carmaker with a small, distinctive range. Its story in European registrations centres on one design: a sporty-looking four-door car that first appeared as the PS160 and was later renamed Erelis. The cars were assembled in France, and the Erelis used an engine supplied by the PSA group.
That makes MPM an unusual name in the European car market. Rather than building a broad family of hatchbacks and SUVs, it put its effort into a single model concept, with a dramatic coupé-like shape and practical rear doors. The approach gave the car a clear identity, even as its name and powertrain changed.
PS160 and Erelis: one idea, two names
The PS160 is the earlier name, with EU registrations from 2016 to 2019. In 2018, the car took the Erelis name; that version appears in EU registrations through 2020. The two names therefore describe successive stages of MPM’s main model, rather than separate branches of a larger range.
The Erelis kept the car’s sporty silhouette but brought a change under the bonnet. MPM moved from an earlier Mitsubishi petrol engine to a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine from PSA. That shift also marked the change from PS160 to Erelis, giving the model a new identity alongside its revised powertrain.
What kind of car is the Erelis?
The Erelis combines the low, sweeping outline of a coupé with four doors, so it has a more dramatic look than a conventional family saloon while retaining access to the rear seats. Its composite body and tubular chassis set it apart from more familiar mass-market construction. The result was a specialist, small-maker car with a clear focus on styling.
For drivers, that shape is the first thing to understand: the Erelis was designed to look sporty, while still offering a usable cabin layout. The name PS160 belongs to the earlier version; Erelis is the later form of the same basic proposition. Both are part of the same short chapter in MPM’s history.
Where were MPM Motors cars registered?
The market listed for MPM Motors is the European Union, through EEA registration figures. The PS160 recorded 436 EU registrations from 2016 to 2019, making it the larger of the two model lines there. The Erelis recorded 128 from 2018 to 2020. Those figures place the brand’s visible footprint in Europe, rather than across the UK, France, the USA or Canada as separate listed markets.
MPM’s range in these years stayed focused on the PS160 and Erelis, with no separate electric or hybrid model line among them. Its short run traces a simple progression: a French-built sporting four-door gained a new name and a PSA petrol engine, while retaining its distinctive shape.
Questions and answers
Are the PS160 and Erelis different cars?
They are successive versions of MPM’s main model. The PS160 was the earlier name; the later car became the Erelis, with a revised petrol powertrain.
Was there an electric MPM Motors model?
The PS160 and Erelis were petrol-powered. No electric or hybrid model appears in the MPM range described here.
Where do MPM Motors registration figures come from?
The listed market is the European Union, using EEA registration figures. The PS160 recorded 436 registrations and the Erelis 128.