( AFP / ERIC PIERMONT )
Future models from the Alpine brand will have a sporty and sharp profile like the A390_β concept unveiled on Friday, to stand out from other premium brands, said brand director Philippe Krief.
The “A390_β” electric concept is a “coupe” SUV, with an aggressive and aerodynamic design, with its long body (4.7 meters) and its fins taken from racing cars.
“From the A390, all the cars will have a very recognizable exterior language”, at the risk of dividing, explained the director of Alpine, Philippe Krief, poached from Ferrari by the Renault group.
“We want to make a French sporting specialty. So the design, even on an SUV, must be sporty and give this idea of fluidity,” added Mr. Krief during a presentation to the press ahead of the Paris Motor Show. automobile of Paris.
The production version of the A390 will use 85% of the lines of this concept, with marketing planned from the second half of 2025.
The A390 will be produced at the Alpine factory in Dieppe (Seine-Maritime) alongside the A110 sports car.
“We do not have ambitions for stratospheric (sales) volumes,” said Mr. Krief. “We want to create the brand and we are not going to compromise, (go) towards less divisive things. We have to assert ourselves. Afterwards, perhaps when we are in a stabilization phase, we will see “.
The power or range of the A390 have not been announced, but its price should be positioned below the Porsche Macan (80,000 euros), according to the manufacturer.
In addition to its design, and despite the weight of the batteries, the A390 must also offer the driver the agility of a sports car, in particular via electronic settings, specified Mr. Krief.
The interior of the concept, inspired by the mountains with its immaculate armchairs and its fake rocks made from recycled solar panels, will not be used as standard.
Alpine, a small sports brand born in Dieppe in 1955, embodies a new attempt by the Renault group to break into premium ranges and the American market.
The brand, which only marketed a light and efficient sports car, the A110, began to fill its “garage” this year with a small electric car from the Renault 5, the A290, which must go hunting on the platforms Mini strips.
The brand plans to then launch an electric A110 (2026), which will be the first to arrive in the United States (2027), before a convertible version and a 4-seater version (2028), and a large SUV.
