Three times the fun with the triple-motor Alpine A390!

Alpine promised us the ‘beta’ vision its A390 crossover would preview the production reality and has now delivered, with confirmation of a two-model line-up powered by an innovative three-motor arrangement promising handling like the A110 sports car that’s inspired it. But in a more practical and – let’s face it – fashionable fastback SUV style. Can it pull off the best of both?
• A390 will join the Renault 5 based A290 along with the (for now) petrol-engined A110 • Show car’s alpine influenced design features carried over into the production version, including snowflake inspired wheel shapes and lighting displays • A390 will be based on similar foundations to the existing Megane E-Tech 100% Electric and Scenic but with a dedicated twin-motor set-up at the back for more power and sharper handling • Two versions will be available – standard GT and bells and whistles GTS with a bit more power and increased performance • Alpine says the A390 will be on sale from November and says pricing will be on a par with the Porsche Macan Electric against which it has been benchmarked

Last time we looked at the Alpine A390 it was officially a motor show concept but not much has changed in the transition to something you can actually buy, the coupe crossover looks reminiscent to our eyes of the Cupra Tavascan we’ve been we’ve been living with of late. The new Macan Electricis another close rival, and like Porsche has with its SUVs Alpine has attempted to reinvent its sports car heritage for the tall-riding crossover stance. You’ll spot the influence in the nose and roofline – whether you approve or not is how closely you identify with Alpine’s petrol-powered heritage of low-slung sports and racing cars. Two models will be available, these being a standard GT and a faster, more powerful and more lavishly trimmed GTS.

A bit of a reality check for the interior after the snow-themed fun of the concept, the A390 slightly more conventional here than hinted at originally. It still combines crossover practicality with racing and rally car inspiration, the steering wheel including F1-inspired buttons to control the regenerative braking and another for overtaking boost and launch control. These are, respectively, colour-coded in boot-cooling blue and blood-pumping red. The driver gets a digital instrument cluster, while the portrait-orientated and Google-powered centre screen a familiar carry-over from related Renaults. We’ll have to see if Alpine’s claim of the cabin being a “sporty cocoon for five” plays out but this will be the biggest and most practical Alpine yet, and also the most luxurious with the GTS getting race car inspired Sabelt seats with a mix of fancy leather and ‘technical’ synthetic materials.

This is where it gets interesting, or does if you’re of a geeky mindset and/or a petrolhead considering whether this is the moment your next performance car goes electric. Short version? While based on the same foundations as the Megane, Scenic and Nissan Ariya the Alpine takes a step to the sporty with its own twin motor rear axle – one driving each wheel. Combined with another motor up front this arrangement means all-wheel drive traction for acceleration and all-weather performance but also the agility of a lighter sports car like, picking a random example, an A110. We’ve seen similar three-motor tech in cars like the Tesla Model S Plaid, the A390 GT getting a 400 horsepower configuration while the GTS has 470 horsepower and can hit 0-62mph in less than four seconds. The range takes a bit of a hit but both are capable of over 300 miles by official figures, which is better than we’re getting out of our Tavasan.

In a curious move Alpine has invited us to speculate pricing will be around £60,000 for the GT and £70,000 for the GTS … while making it clear this has not been confirmed “in any form” by the manufacturer. Odd! Anyway, that puts it in the ballpark to compete with the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Porsche Macan Electric, Maserati Grecale Folgore and similar performance-oriented electric crossovers.

With the Renault 5 now out eyes will be turning to the Alpine A290 version already announced. Beyond that, and after the A390 makes production, we’re told there will be a new and all electric A110 sports car to follow.

While the focus is – rightly – on a new generation of more affordable and smaller electric cars the industry hasn’t entirely lost its appetite for speed and glamour. As such we’d see this Alpine as a rival to models like the Polestar 4, and perhaps any future Lotus electric crossover slotting in beneath the existing Eletre.