Alpine A290 Review

Introduction 

I didn’t think it was possible for us to be any more excited about a car than we have been about the Renault 5. Then I remembered about this… The  Alpine A290.

It’s the 5 for people who like to drive, and after years of being teased with images and tantalising bits of information, I finally got to drive it. Hurrah!  

Before I reveal whether it’s as fun as we’re all hoping it will be, there’s some key stuff that you should know about the Alpine A290. We all know that it’s a performance-focussed version of the Renault 5, but we it’s not as simple as giving it more power. Alpine have given the A290 bespoke suspension, anti-roll bars, steering, brakes and drive sounds, so it really is a pretty comprehensive overhaul and worthy of being a different model to the Renault.

Naturally, when you’ve got all of the development – not to mention major style and interior alterations – to pay for, the price creeps up. Alpine hasn’t confirmed the price for the A290 just yet, but it’ll be available in three trims including a top-spec GTS model that gets a power hike up to 217bhp from the 178bhp that you get in the GT and GT Premium. Expect it to cost from around £33,500, while the GTS will be more like £38,000. An even higher-performance, 268bhp A290 is said to be arriving in the next few years. 

Basically, these guys haven’t just stuck some jutty-out bits and sports badging on a Renault 5; this is a properly engineered hot hatch. 

Anyway, that’s the basics. Let’s find out what it’s like to drive! 

Motors, Performance and Handling

Don’t panic – it is as good to drive as it is to look at. The Alpine A290 is an absolute riot to drive, and is exactly what I was hoping for. And that’s saying something! It is an interesting one, as the A290 doesn’t feel like most performace electric cars, it actually feels quite like a well setup petrol car. 

We drove the Alpine A290 GTS on track and on road, and when you put your foot down it feels gutsy, but it’s also a very progressive response and easy to modulate. It’s not as eye-wateringly explosive as the acceleration in some other fast EVs, but in many ways it’s actually more fun even on track. 

Added to that, the A290 suspension is awesome. Really taut and well controlled, so you don’t get too much lean in corners, but it’s got tons of grip and really quick but predictable steering. It all gels really brilliantly, and feels properly playful whether you’re going all-out on track, or just enjoying a decent road. I just love it, and I think this really does nail a good balance of usable-yet-fun. Especially as the ride comfort is also pretty good; nowhere near as firm as the MINI Cooper SE’s.  

We haven’t tried the lower-powered Alpine A290 GT and GT models, yet, but they'll do 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds - compared with the 6.4 seconds of the GTS - and I think they’ll work really well on UK roads. Mind you, I do also think that the extra power and kit that the GTS gets will make it the pick of the bunch.

Range, Battery and Charging

The Alpine A290 gets a 52kWh lithium-ion NMC battery, which is good for a range of 236 miles – although Alpine is waiting for final confirmation, so this figure may yet change a bit. Rapid charging is up to 100kW, which is on a par with most rivals and will deliver a 10-80% charge in around 30 minutes. A 7kW home charger will manage a full charge in under nine hours. 

It's tricky to judge real-world range and efficiency off the back of our test drive, but the claimed range suggests reasonable efficiency, even if others – including the Cupra Born – offer longer range. I reckon you'll see around 150 - to 200 miles in the real world, depending on the conditions and how you drive it. 

You get a standard heat pump on the Alpine A290, for better cold weather efficiency, and it gets vehicle-to-load (V2L) as standard, and can support vehicle-to-grid (V2G), provided you’ve got a bi-directional home charger. 

Practicality and Boot space

I’m pretty amazed that Alpine has squeezed 329-litres of space into the A290’s boot, which is not far off what you get in bigger stuff like the MG4. There’s no ‘frunk’ cable storage, but there’s a really useful amount of luggage space so I reckon you could even live with the A290 as a small family car. 

I mean, how cool would this look on the school run?!

At just under 4.0-metres long, the Alpine is a touch longer than the Abarth 500 and Mini Cooper, and it gets five doors while both of those rivals are three-doors, so the Alpine is winning for practicality next to those alternatives – albeit the Cupra Born is also good fun, longer range, and usefully more practical as it’s a substantially bigger car. 

The A290 will do the job of a small family car just fine, provided you don’t need loads of legroom in the back. You’ll get a couple of kids back there comfortably, and even shorter adults, but it can feel a bit cramped for legroom thanks to the A290’s dimensions and chunky sports seats. If you want this for a daily family car and reckon you need a good amount of space, you may want to have a look at the Cupra Born instead. 

Interior, Design/Styling and Technology 

The interior of the A290 looks very cool, with a three-spoke steering wheel has a flat bottom and a centre-marker so that you can easily see the dead-ahead point leaving no illusions as to the performance intentions. There are aluminium buttons inspired by the Alpine Formula One car, as well; the rotary knob on the left sets the brake regen’ level, and the driving modes on the right, and a big red OV (overtaking) button begs to be pushed.  

The seats are bespoke, too, and are really snug and have plenty of adjustment. You get a very snazzy blue- and grey leather finish if you go for the GT Performance or GTS, while the lower spec cars get blue fabric that’s largely made of recycled materials.   

I particularly like how high-set the screen is, in the Alpine. It’s perched on top of the dash, and is curved towards the driver, so it’s really easy to see when you’re driving. 

There are proper buttons to control the air-con, which I definitely approve of. That 10.1-inch touchscreen gets the Google maps and software that we really like in the Renault Megane and Scenic, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, of course. The Alpine A290 GTS also gets a whole host of telemetry features built into the screen as standard, including lap timer, g-force readout and more.

Running Costs and Pricing 

Alpine hasn’t confirmed the price for the A290 just yet. Expect final prices and details early next year, while sales are expected to start in spring. I’d estimate that the Alpine A290 GT will start the lineup at around £33,500, and it’ll include 19-inch alloy wheels, auto-folding mirrors, reversing camera, that full touchscreen system, adaptive cruise control and more. The mid-spec GT Premium will add a leather interior, heated steering wheel, contrast roof and upgraded sound system, and will probably cost around £36,500. The GTS will be the range-topper (for now) at something like £38,000, but given the additional power, the touchscreen telemetry readouts, and style upgrades including red brake callipers and ‘snowflake’ alloys, I wouldn’t be surprised if the GTS becomes the biggest seller in the A290 range. 

Verdict

The Alpine A290 is an absolute joy. Sure, a Cupra Born is more practical and is good fun, but the Alpine is another level when it comes to driver entertainment and sheer 'want one' factor. It really is a brilliant little package, and I suspect it'll win over a lot of buyers who may previously not have considered an electric car, at all. Alpine had frighteningly high expectations to meet with this one, but it's actually done it. And then some! 

Like the Alpine A290? Try these...

Abarth 500e Review

MINI Cooper Electric Review

​

MG4 XPower Review