Alpine's A290 aims to redefine what a little EV hot hatch should be. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Ten Second Review

The future of the Alpine brand rests with this car, the A290. It's an all-electric hot hatch based on the new-era Renault 5 but with very much its own distinctly Gallic performance character. If you like it, you'll find nothing else in the segment that's quite the same.

Background

So. The Alpine A290 - an EV hot hatch that's this French sporting brand's most crucial model yet. There's a temptation to dismiss this car is merely a hot hatch version of the new-era Renault 5 - and it is indeed fundamentally based on that model. But everything about that design has been re-imagined for the A290 - which in a way makes it more faithful to original brand values than the existing A110 sports car. Alpine founder Jean Redele established the marque by a fundamentally and uniquely re-engineering Renaults in a way that Renault never could. The A290 project leader Charlie Biardeau references the Seventies Alpine A106, which was originally a Renault 4CV, but with changes to the engine, the gearbox, the suspension - even the shape of the body; everything really. So it is with the A290. It is, in every way that really matters, a true performance car in its own right - as it needs to be to take on the new breed of EV hot hatches characterised by contenders like the MINI Cooper SE, the Abarth 500e and the Volkswagen ID.2 GTI. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

Those who feared a Renault 5 carry-over here will be reassured by the sheer depth of changes made. Not that there aren't Renault references. The basic dimensions aren't much different from a '5', apart from 60mm of extra width, achieved via bespoke suspension knuckles and wider 19-inch wheels. Plus, as expected, the 52kWh battery has to be Renault-sourced (from the Megane E-Tech) which is good for up to 236 miles, if you drive the car in the way a typical owner never would. But wherever the dedicated Alpine development team could change the basic Renault formula, they did. There's an entirely different all-aluminium front subframe; and a unique suspension set-up with hydraulic bump stops using a design borrowed from the A110. The Brembo brakes are from that sports car too, with 320mm discs, a naturally-tuned brake-by-wire system and regenerative braking you can influence via a chunky blue steering wheel dial. There's a unique anti-roll bar, bespoke Michelin tyres and an OV button for overtaking boost. You'll need that to replicate the performance figures for the two variants on offer - both front-driven (the chassis will take a dual motor powertrain, but there's no sign of one yet). Choose between a 180hp version (0-62mph in 7.4s en route to 99mph); or a 220hp variant (0-62mph in 6.4s en route to 106mph - much the same as a MINI Cooper SE). Sound of course - in this case the 'Alpine Driving Sound' - is equally as important as speed. There are two selectable choices here, one with combined 'whooshing' noises and the other more muted that builds with speed, reacting to throttle inputs and grip levels.

Design and Build

Everything about this A290 is designed to convince you that it's more than just a Renault 5 in 'esprit Alpine' form. Since nothing fundamental could be done with that basic structure, it's all about the little details, like flared arches that are responsible for the extra 60mm of body width; the more aggressive lower bumper; and rear doors with ribbing (the 'Alpine swoosh') supposed to reference the old Renault 5 GT Turbo. There are lovely touches too, like square daytime running lights designed to look like rally fog lamps, complete with cross motifs supposed to reference the tape stretched across headlights on Seventies rally cars. You can even get a design for the 19-inch wheels that looks like an alpine snowflake. Big 320mm Brembo brake discs fitted with 4-piston callipers sit behind the front rims. A black rear diffuser adds a finishing touch. Inside, there's also plenty to distract from the Renault 5 architecture, principally the chunky attention-grabbing Alpine wheel, supposed to borrow design elements from the brand's F1 car. It incorporates an OV-spec 'overtake' button for extra e-boost and a blue dial to change break regen settings. As with the equivalent Renault, there's a large digital instrument cluster and central infotainment screen, but here they come with bespoke graphics and animations, including triangular power and speedo meters that raise as you go faster. There's a bespoke centre console similar to that of the A110 sports car and featuring the same gear selector. And the blue-highlighted retro-style sports seats can be finished in a variety of leather and technical fabrics. Most customers will want the optional sound system upgrade, developed with French hi-fi brand Devialet. As you'd expect in a hot hatch, the small rear seat and boot space are quite tight, but will be sufficient for most customers. There's 326-litres of boot space.

Market and Model

The A290 now qualifies for the highest £3,750 level of Electric Car Grant. Which means that grant-deducted prices start from just over £30,000. That's for the entry-level 178bhp 'GT+' version, with grant-deducted prices rising up to just over £34,000 for the 'GTS+' variant. That's a useful saving on what you pay for a comparably-equipped MINI Cooper SE or Abarth 500e Turismo. Four A290 specifications are available, starting with base 'GT' and 'GT Premium', which both use the lower-powered 178bhp motor. If you can stretch to the 'GT Performance' version or the top-spec 'GTS', you'll get the more potent 217bhp motor and grippier Pilot Sport 5S rubber. A huge draw for the track day crowd will be a telematics programme for the centre screen that includes a G-meter and a lap timer for circuit driving. There's a coaching section that helps you get the best from the car and even tutors you on achieving the best drifting angles and corner apexing points. And 15 challenges are set for you, which include clocking the fastest 0-62mph time and achieving the shortest braking distance. There aren't too many colour choices; popular will be the brand's classic 'Alpine Blue', which has fresh pigments that are deeper and stronger. Grey and black are also offered, as is a white colour scheme that references that of the original concept version of this design.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the EV range figure in our 'Driving' section - up to 236 miles on a charge in the 180hp models; it's up to 226 miles in the 220hp cars. Your battery replenishment options are 11kW AC or 100kW DC. A 15-80% DC top-up takes around half an hour. As with the equivalent Renault 5, the A290 features a vehicle-to-load feature, allowing you to charge electrical devices like laptops from the drive battery. And, also like the Renault 5, this Alpine features bi-directional charging and vehicle to grid technology, which can sell energy stored in the car's battery pack back to the grid during peak demand periods of the day. To get anywhere near the quoted mileage figure, you'll need to make full use of the strong regenerative braking functionality controlled by the chunky blue dial on the steering wheel, which includes a coasting function. That range is helped by the way that weight saving has been a focus throughout the A290's development; it tips the scales at 1,479kg, which is 126kg lighter than the comparable MINI Cooper SE that Alpine used as an engineering benchmark. The brand reckons the motor and the gearbox weigh less than 100kg altogether. As with the A110, all A290 variants have a 3-year/60,000 mile manufacturer's warranty, which can be extended to four or five years. Maintenance packages are also available.

Summary

The A290 is the car Alpine always threatened it would build. An accessible performance car true to brand heritage that borrows the best bits of Renault design but mates it to track-tamed engineering. If you happen to miss the old Renaultsport Clio and Megane models, will here it all is, re-imagined for a new electrified era. Not every hot hatch enthusiast is ready for that of course - and you can see why. EV pricing remains premium and you're not going to cover many race circuit laps on a track day before needing to stop for a lengthy charge. But if you're ready to switch from combustion power and need a small fast hatch with five doors, there's lots to like here.