The French manufacturer Alpine, a subsidiary of Renault, presented its first electric car on Thursday, a small sports car which must compete with the Mini. The Alpine A290 is a muscular version of the Renault 5, with a widened body and crosses on the headlights, evoking rallying. It must compete with the British city car Mini and “what will happen” to other manufacturers in terms of small premium electric sports cars, said the brand’s boss, Philippe Krief, during a presentation to the press under embargo at the end of May .
The style of small sports cars from the 1980s
This A290, which refers to the small sports cars of the 1980s, “makes the link” between the sports A110, the only Alpine model currently on the market, and the manufacturer’s new electric range, which will have seven vehicles in total including several SUVs, underlined Philippe Krief , a former Ferrari man.
Manufactured in Flins in Yvelines alongside the Renault 5, the A110 will go on sale at the end of 2024 at a price around 38,000 euros. It uses the engine of the Renault Mégane, with an average power of 220 horsepower. With a battery of limited size, and therefore lighter, it offers a range of 380 kilometers.
Fast arrival of new models
For this type of model, the performance to go from “0 to 100 km/h will no longer be as important”, underlined Alpine product director Sovany Ang. “Emotion, agility will be more important.” Its behavior, both when accelerating and when cornering, was modeled on the A110, according to Alpine engineers. The sound of the electric motor has been remodeled and amplified to accompany acceleration. On the steering wheel, a red button allows you to gain a few horsepower to overtake, like on a Formula 1 car. And the on-board computer offers “challenges” (acceleration, curves) to the driver.
The Renault group brand will ramp up with the rapid arrival of new models and the opening of new dealerships in Europe. But “the most difficult thing is to create the brand to go to the United States”, where Alpine’s notoriety is in its infancy, underlined Philippe Krief.
