Alpine A290 is proof there’s life in scorching hatches in an EV period

French performance brand Alpine has just unveiled a game-changing EV that promises to bring fun to the electric car market.

The new A290 hot hatch offers compact proportions and driving thrills that will spark warmth under the collars of petrol heads – and without an emission from a tailpipe.

Battery range is estimated to be around 236 miles on a single charge and prices – though not yet confirmed – are likely to hover just below the £40k mark to rival its EV competition, namely the Abarth 500 and Mini Cooper SE.

The French marque says the A290 is designed ‘to attract a new range of male and female customers’. But does it take your fancy?

Alpine – which was established in the 1950s as a sports car maker and racing brand which now has a prominent place in Formula One – is offering the sporty little hatchback as ‘an entry point into the Alpine world’.

It is widely considered the spiritual successor to the Renault 5 Turbo – one of the iconic hot hatches of the 1980s that was made famous racing in the fearsome Group B World Rally Championship. 

As a hot hatch, performance is crucial and the French car firm says ‘the A290 incorporates all the sensations so appreciated behind the wheel of the A110 coupe into an urban sportscar’.

Its unveiling comes almost 12 months after the concept A290 was first showcased and – like the Renault 5 EV it is based on – is easily one of the most hotly anticipated new arrivals of the year.

While the A290 is compact and agile, the aim is to offer easy-to-use high performance while guaranteeing comfortable everyday use. 

It uses the latest ‘AmpR Small platform’ from Renault, which is a skateboard-style architecture with the battery pack spread across the chassis floor.

This should enhance its electric sportiness, thanks to the optimal weight distribution and low centre of gravity. 

The short wheelbase, compact front end and wide stance (which allows for fatter tyres) is set to offer ‘greater liveliness’, the company says.

And it doesn’t just look like a souped-up version of the Renault electric hatch – it will go like one too.

Alpine’s tuning department has upped power from 148hp in the 5 EV to a minimum of 180hp. Go for the most expensive versions and you’ll have 220hp to play with.

It has also upgraded the brakes to regenerative and hydraulic Brembo components, used stickier tyres and installed a more performance-focused torque management system. 

With the car weighing just 1,479kg, drivers should be able to accelerate from 0-to-62mph in 6.4 seconds. 

The engineers have also been busy developing ‘Alpine Torque Precontrol’, which ‘finely adjusts the delivery of optimum torque, in addition to the action on the brakes to maximise traction,’ the brand boasts.

The A290 will also have multi-link rear suspension (rare in this category) to ‘give the A290 top-of-the-range handling’, high speed cornering stability and drag reduction. Plus there’s front and rear anti-roll bars for fine balance. 

The chassis ‘aims to recapture the sporty feel that is part of Alpine’s DNA’ but the brand is also very clear that the A290 will be hot hatch all can tame – despite the speed in bends, the A290 will deliver ‘the feeling of safety and control’.

There will be four driving models to choose from: Save (for battery range extension), Normal, Sport and Personal. 

Activate personal and you can adjust the level of steering assistance, throttle response, lighting ambience and Alpine Drive Sound. If you want you can deactivate Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

All versions come with launch control, four regenerative power levels and two Alpine Drive tones.

There’s also a patented Overtake button that’s been inspired by the F1 team’s DRS system. This can be activated via the steering wheel to instantly deliver the maximum 220hp, and animate the screen and driver’s display. 

And you can get lap times and keep records of your driving data using the plug-in telemetrics data that you can then store on your smartphone.

Engine options are: 180hp in the GT and GT Premium versions and 220hp in the GT Performance and GTS. 

As standard there’s a 52kWh battery with a range of 380km (around 236 miles), an 11kW on-board charger, 100kW DC rapid charging capacity and a heat pump.

The rapid charging will take the battery from 15 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes, or top up 90 plus miles in 15 minutes. AC 11kW home charging will take 3 hours and 20 minutes to go from 10 to 80 per cent.

Handily, the A290 will also have bi-directional charging or vehicle-to-load (V2G) which will allow you to charge electronics from the car, and save money.

And what about chic French style?

It’s a muscular little urban car with a very wide stance, and all the tradition of Alpine founder Jean Rédélé’s vision.

It’s incredibly characterful with a unique lighting signature comprised of four headlamps (as per all Alpine models), which in this case have X-shaped rally car motifs which welcomes you as you approach.

The boldness continues in the wide wings and body-coloured edging on the side skits, the aluminium roof edge, the black lacquered body surround and wings and the diffused rear bumper. 

Aerodynamics shape the car, with air intakes molded to create beneficial air flow and drag reduced rear lights, side skirts and diffuser shapes. And instead of a spoiler you get a ‘ducktail’ to prevent rear flow disruption.

Alpine is spelt out across the front, but there’s also a subtle snowflake motif in the sports bumper and if you want it an optional French flag on the C-pillar.

There will be four body colours including new Alpine Vision Blue, but for the limited Première Edition launch each version will have its own colourway – offering you four verities: Deep Black, Beta in Nival White, La Bleue in Alpine Vision Blue and La Grise in Tornado Matte Grey.

The standard 19-inch alloys come in two designs.

Antony Villain, VP Alpine Design said: ‘We conceived the A290 as an ultra-compact variation of the A110, in the purest style of small sports cars or hot hatches. 

‘A small Alpine with a character that, at first glance, expresses its potential for driving pleasure to appeal to styling fans and performance enthusiasts alike.’

Interior – is it comfortable inside?

Inside it’s all about the deep blue tones, with a sporty ambience from the driver and passenger side lights in the cockpit, the backlight Alpine name and the complimentary ambient lighting throughout the cabin.

Drivers get a three-spoke steering wheel with a flattened mid-point, with aluminium buttons and that instantly recognisable OV (Overtake) red button.

It’s a very modern motorsport interior with a high centre console inspired by the A110, incorporating RND transmission controls.

The driver gets a 10.25-inch screen and passengers get a 10.1-inch central display, but it’s still orientated to the driver with their specific graphics, interfaces and functions. 

Instead of circular digital dials, the driver will have a triangular theme, with geometric symbols, red lines for speed limits and a blue background with Alpine’s hallmark mountain silhouettes. 

You can adjust the driver theme between three options too.

Alpine wants practicality and comfort, so despite the small proportions (length 3,990 mm, width 1,820 mm, height 1,520 mm, so smaller than a Hyundai Ioniq 5) it’s a five-door, five-seater hatchback with a 326-litre boot (same as a Renault 5) and reinforced seats for extra comfort.

And Alpine’s used upholstery from 15 per cent recycled plastic and hemp fibre and 100 per cent recycled fabric for the silica stitching. 

The Nappa leather option is sourced in Europe and processed sustainably, and tanned from coffee bean pods.

Of course the A290 will come with endless tech: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Maps navigation, My Alpine smartphone integration, and 26 driver assistance systems. 

But Alpine has cleverly brought in a new My Safety Switch button on the left-hand side of the steering wheel to allow you to quickly select your preference and switch functions on and off.

Once UK delivery schedules and pricing is confirmed, we’ll update you with how much it will cost.