Once upon a time Alpine had one UK model the A110, a sports derived two door coupe that was exhilarating to drive. Then they launched the electric A290 a souped up Renault 5 & this has been followed by the A390 an electric ‘sports fastback’ which we drove recently.
Tell me more ?
Whilst the A290 is based around the Renault 5 the A390’s architecture is shared with the Renault Scenic. However as this is an Alpine it’s been massively improved, with a bespoke aluminium platform, all-new structure & a tri-motor layout. It also comes with its own 89kWh battery & looks like nothing else.
Model choice & prices
Three versions are offered. The Alpine A390 GT from £61,390, the Alpine A390 GT Premiere Edition from £65,390 & range topping Alpine A390 GTS from £69,390, the version we drove.
Specifications
All come generously equipped, with GT featuring 20” diamond cut alloys, heated electrically adjustable sports seats, a heated leather steering wheel, a 12” vertical infotainment touchscreen, 12.3” drivers display, 13-speaker Devialet sound system, & a 360 degree camera. Step up to GT Premiere Edition & you’ll add 20”matte black alloys, a 22kW charger, Sabelt bucket seats & an Alpine Driving Pack. GTS take things further with 21’ forged wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres a Parking Pack, an improved Devialet sound system & an Alpine Telematics system.
Extras can get pricey though with our test car including Alpine Sport seats by Sabelt with genuine two-tone Nappa leather £2,000, Alcantara headliner £650, a serged carbon centre console & dash £500 & on the rear shell of seats £1,200.
Outside
Different in a good way. You get a long bonnet with four daytime running lights that are a nod to the A110, a thin bonnet wide light bar & cats whisker LED light below this. The bonnet & sides feature some complicated creases with hidden rear door handles, whilst the rear has another light bar with the Alpine name illuminated in the centre. It’s a ‘fastback’ with the large boot lid & rear window far more interesting than all electric SUV’s come with.
Inside
It’s a mix of familiar Renault things. So you get the excellent Renault Google infotainment set-up & portrait touchscreen, a MY Perso button to turn off driver safety & the dash itself looking very much like the one on a Scenic. But before you complain there’s loads of Alpine touches too, with dashes of Alpine blue, Alpine logo’s, carbon fibre, Alcantara leather & comfortable bucket seats. Cheaper stuff can be found lower down but the overall fit & finish is very good.
Infotainment
As we run a Renault Symbioz, the Google based info set-up was a cinch to use as it’s almost identical. The portrait shape makes for an easy reach from the driver seat, the menus are simple to follow & joy of joys the MY Perso button has been included from all current Renaults, which means you can set the cars safety systems & it will remember these when you re-start the engine. Simply press MY Perso twice – it’s a small right sided dash button – & the A390 will revert to your personal setting.Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto feature as does DAB.
Power & performance
Here’s where the Alpine shines. Both GT’s take just 4.8 seconds to hit 62mph & come with a top speed of 124mph, whilst the GTS is quicker with a top speed of 137mph & a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds.
Driving range & economy
Our GTS came with a range of 323 miles & whilst entry level GT is better at 345 miles, neither are class leading. To be fair to Alpine we drove the GTS 85 miles to Birmingham with an 85% charge of 303 miles & then onto Mollies Diner in Oxfordshire via Bicester Village which was 88 miles. So 173 miles all in & we still had 114 miles of range left & that was driving on the motorway in a chilly October. An overnight top-up to full, saw the range at 326 miles so we easily made it home with range to spare.
Charging
We charged overnight at home & at Mollies Diner on 7.4kWh chargers. If you use a public fast charger the maximum DC speed is 190kW on the GTS, so a 15-80% charge in about 27 minutes & 150kW on the GT’s, so not the quickest. In our experience fast chargers never charge as fast as advertised so this isn’t as big a deal as you may think. The inclusion of a heat pump is good news as is V2L bi-directional charging & V2G.
Cabin practicality & comfort
A ubiquitous glove box, under arm-rest storage, deep but narrow door pockets ,one cupholder, four USB’s, two 12v sockets & wireless charging feature, but the cars gear buttons take away smaller storage options.
Front seat passengers will enjoy the cocooning feeling you get with the bucket seats & centre console. Head & legroom are fine & the electric sets adjustable nicely as does the steering wheel. With the cars sloping roof & slim profile, it was always going to be tough for taller passenger to sit in the back. And so it proves. If you’re tall then you may find your head brushing the headliner & the seats themselves sit quite high so foot room is tight. The cars interior & narrow windows which look great from the outside make the cabin feel dark, especially on a gloomy day. The centre rear seat is narrow & not really large enough for an adult.
Boot
A generous 530 litres is on offer & with the rear seats folded this increases to 1,643 litres. The space is wide but shallower than in an SUV, so bulkier items may not fit. A split bottom means you can hide the charging cable underneath & the seats split 60:40.
Driving modes & regeneration
The flat-bottomed Nappa covered steering wheel features a red OV button which you push for maximum acceleration, a Drive Mode button & a blue rotary switch which allows you to toggle through 4 levels of brake regeneration all the way to one-pedal.
We tried out the different driving modes of which you can choose from Save, Normal, Sport, Perso & Track concluded that for most situations, Save or Normal are best. For sheer unadulterated fun though choose Sport or Track & engage the OV button for 10 seconds of unadulterated fun !
On the road
Whist the A390 comes fitted with plenty of gadgetry including a sport chassis with hydraulic bump stops & Active Torque Vectoring, it drives nice & sensibly when you want it to. On the motorway for example it’s a quiet companion & the suspension & travel make it very comfortable. Select Adaptive Cruise control & away you go.
A couple of hops around our local B roads including the Tatton mile & the winding Ashley & Mobberley roads allowed us to let loose at least to 60mph & the A390 proves it’s worth. In a straight line & coming with 808 Nm, the GTS is awesome. Direct, light steering, firm suspension & brilliant tyres glue the Alpine to the road. And the two separate electric motors mounted on the rear axle work to divide torque between the wheels independently, so it’s all done in a thrilling manner feeling lighter than almost all of it’s electric performance competitors.
Urban driving
In the city it’s also happy, with no grumbling at lower speeds like the A110 for example. In Save mode you can tootle around knowing that an open road isn’t far away & you can switch the mode up for more enjoyment. The only caveat we felt is that the helmet visor -shaped rear window is narrow & high so when parking you’ll want to take advantage of the cars 360 degree camera.
Company car info
Just 4% BIK currently. But VED of £10 in year one goes up to £200 a year from 2028. And with all versions costing over 50k an additional luxury car tax of £640 per annum applies in years 2 to 6.
Pros
Brilliant to drive in all situations. Looks stunning from the outside & tidy on the inside. Excellent Google infotainment system & MY Perso button. Almost supercar performance for a very low price.
Cons
All versions are expensive. Some derivative Renault switchgear don’t feel premium. Rear space & cabin storage are only average.
Verdict
Whilst some may scoff at the £60,000 it will cost to get into an A390, we think that Alpine should be applauded for trying something different. In a sector of lumbering, heavy electric SUV’s this Alpines a bit of a breath of fresh air & if you can live with it’s fault’s, will reward you with extraordinary handing & a company car at 4% BIK that will definitely stand out in the office car park !
A Francoise Hardie 4/5
