New 1479kg electric hot hatch will have up to 215bhp and be priced from £36,000
SAM PHILLIPS
OFFICIAL PICTURES
Alpine has entered its electric era with the A290 hot hatch, which majors on performance, agility and lightness.
The Renault-owned brand’s debut EV preserves the spirit of last year’s outlandish Beta concept, with a wide-reaching design makeover that clearly marks it out from the Renault 5 on which it is based and emphasises its sporting billing.
The A290 is the same length as the Renault hatch but its track has been increased by 60mm, endowing the muscular A290 with a wider stance in order to appeal to “stylists and performance enthusiasts alike”, according to Alpine.
The exterior design contains distinctive details that play into Alpine’s motorsport heritage, such as the X-shaped motifs on the spotlights. Wider wings, deep side skirts, chunky 19in alloy wheels and a black rear diffuser round off the A290’s rally-inspired look.
The extreme design is backed by a host of extensive technical modifications. The A290 features bespoke suspension, powertrain tech, brakes, tyres and sounds for what Alpine calls a “more emotional driving experience”.
Alpine CEO Philippe Krief said the A290 was a “standalone development” but it has been crafted to “remind drivers of the A110” – the sports coupé that has been the brand’s sole road car since its 2017 relaunch.
He stressed that the new hatchback will play an important role as a conquest model for Alpine, given its entry-level billing and urban-friendly proportions. “The A290 is the first Alpine you can have in your story, because it’s a hatch, it’s a city car and it’s quite versatile, so it could be the first car of a future Alpine lover,” he said.
As with the A110, weight-saving has been a focus of the A290’s development. As a result, the electric hot hatch tips the scales at 1479kg. That’s only around 250kg more than a Renault Clio hybrid and 126kg lighter than the similarly conceived Mini Cooper SE, which was used as a benchmark by engineers. Alpine claims the motor and gearbox weigh less than 100kg altogether.
The rear multi-link suspension from the Renault 5 has been retained for the A290, but with bespoke hydraulic bump stops and anti-roll bars added to “ensure an excellent level of comfort” and “top-of-the-range handling”.
Larger, 288mm Brembo brake discs have also been fitted and Alpine engineers have retuned
