French performance car brand and Formula One team Alpine has revealed its second all-electric model, which is set to take on Porsche in the hot EV SUV market.
The new Alpine A390 is the company’s first bespoke EV – its A290 hot hatchback is a sister car to the Renault 5 – with the fast French brand calling it a ‘racing car in a suit’.
The A390 sits on Renault Group’s AmpR Medium platform and gets an 89kWh battery with a 342 mile claimed maximum range. It’s the first Alpine with four-wheel drive, courtesy of a single motor at the front and twin motors at the rear with an active torque vectoring system that’s said to improve agility and grip. The 20- or 21-inch wheels wear Michelin tyres specifically made for the A390.
The hottest GTS version with 464bhp will cover the 0-62mph sprint in 3.9 seconds – faster than a Porsche Macan 4S – while the GT model with 395bhp will do the same dash in 4.8 seconds.
Alpine says the battery has been specially developed for the A390 and is able to offer the same level of high performance when required with no drop off in power. Fast charging at speeds up to 190kW is available, offering a 15 to 80 per cent charge in less than 25 minutes. There’s also a standard heat pump on board to improve cold-weather efficiency.
Although the A390 will rival existing EV SUVs like the Porsche Macan, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, BMW iX2 and Cupra Tavascan, Alpine calls the A390 a sport fastback. Its sleek coupe-like shape is in keeping with the Cupra than the more sensible Tesla, although its dimensions are not far off the Model Y’s. Alpine says that the A390 will still seat five people in comfort, while there’s also a big 532-litre boot.
Ultra-slim LED headlights feature at the front, along with smaller, triangular LEDs referred to by Alpine as ‘cosmic dust’. More triangular elements decorate the lower front bumper and the F1-style front spoiler. The bonnet features sharp slashes in the metalwork, with further sharp creases along the side of the clean bodywork – door handles for the front and back doors are recessed – leading to powerful haunches across the rear wheel arches.
At the back the rear screen has been designed to mimic a driver’s helmet visor, while yet more slim LEDs and cosmic dust feature across the full width of the rear hatch. The Alpine logo is also illuminated by red LEDs.
A high-quality interior features two customisable 12in digital screens in landscape mode for driver information and with a portrait layout for the Google-powered infotainment panel.
The flat-bottomed steering wheel features F1-inspired aluminium buttons to adjust brake regeneration and offer a boost function for overtaking and launch control. Gear selection is made via buttons on the high-set centre console, a nod to Alpine’s first modern-day car, the A110, which is also set to be electrified in its next incarnation.
There’s plenty of leather and Alcantara around the cabin, with special Sabelt bucket seats in the GTS model, plus a bespoke Devialet audio system featuring aluminium speaker grilles. As you’d expect from a premium model, there’ll be plenty of personalisation options for the outside, inside and tech.
Standard tech includes that Google-powered infotainment alongside Alpine telematics that include coaching and challenge settings. There are four sporting themes for the live data display measuring agility, power, endurance and circuit data and lap times. Plus there’s the expected driver assistance features that can be selected by a My Safety button beside the steering wheel.
We’re some way from prices for the A390 being announced, but we’d expect both the GT and GTS model to undercut the equivalent Porsche Macan with prices of around £60,000 for the A390 GT and £70,000 for the A390 GTS.
The order books should open in November this year, with the first cars delivered in the UK in the middle of next year. And as is the Renault Group way, Alpine fans can be among the first to get their cars by buying a VIP A Pass for priority ordering that will also get them exclusive news and a gift.
