Review: Alpine A290

The idea of boosting the performance of otherwise normal cars has always had its appeal. Bootleggers in the American West would modify their pickup trucks in the 1930s prohibition era to outrun the police. The result was the birth of the hot rod.

Boosted saloons in the ’80s were the result of racing homologation, which required manufacturers to produce a certain number of road car versions of their racers in order to compete. Hot hatches, too, were born from rally homologation, with tricked up versions of daily hatchbacks offering cheap thrills as well as practicality.

While American muscle cars will always be popular in their homeland, and German performance saloons continue to sell well, hot hatches have died out. The rise of SUVs, the lack of demand for smaller cars, and electrification are all key factors in this. But with the new A290, a modified version of the new Renault 5, Alpine is bringing it back, albeit in EV form.

The A290 is Alpine’s first new car in seven years, and the first model in its entirely new lineup of all-electric machines. It will be followed by the larger A390 crossover, and the new A110, an EV version of the French brand’s acclaimed low-slung sports car. The A290 is “the hot hatch of the electric age,” according to Alpine, and it’s easy to see the appeal. It’s built on Renault’s new AmpR Small platform, which it shares with the new Renault 5. It’s got 220 hp in GTS form, and weighs 1,479 kilograms. Its nearest rival, and another electric hot hatch, is the upcoming Mini Electric John Cooper Works. That’s got 254 hp, but it also weighs 1,670 kilograms, a significant 191-kilogram difference.

Ride Overhaul

This is felt in the way the A290 drives. While it shares the basic underpinnings with the Renault 5, including its thin battery that sits low underneath the car, Alpine has completely overhauled the suspension and braking system. The dampers have hydraulic bump stops, which help offer comfort as well as responsiveness, and the motor’s subframe has been created from scratch, too, made from aluminum to help keep the weight down. There are also front and rear anti-roll bars, developed by Alpine, while a multilink rear axle offers further stability and precision.

This all combines for a smooth ride that is firm enough to feel sporty but not too harsh. It absorbs bumps well, and you get plenty of feedback through the steering wheel. In Sport mode the steering has pleasing resistance and feels surprisingly natural. The steering lightens in Comfort and Save mode, for easy cornering around town. When pushed there is of course understeer, being front-wheel drive, but lifting off midcorner allows the back end to move slightly, giving the car a playful character when under duress.

The Alpine’s 220 hp gives a good initial punch out of corners, but it fades away quickly and lacks a real surge of excitement. The 52-kWh battery is the same used on the top spec R5, but the sound is very different. For the A290 there is Alpine Drive Sound, which Alpine has developed with French audio brand Devialet. Essentially, it’s a whirring electrical noise that is said to be an enhanced version of the natural sound the electric motor makes. It’s not particularly inspiring, but does give good aural feedback, in the same way an engine does, letting you know where the grip is as you accelerate and decelerate.

When it comes to electric range, the Alpine has up to 236 miles with the 180-hp model, and 226 miles with the 220-hp motor. The Mini JCW offers slightly more with 251 miles.

Assertive Aesthetic

Designwise, the A290 looks aggressive without being overly shouty, and is different enough from the Renault 5. The Renault is softer and leans more into its cult ’80s aesthetic, but the A290’s wide body, flared arches, and angled lines allude to its sporty credentials. The X headlights reference classic rally cars, while the squat silhouette and faux side strakes give it a muscular appeal. It is bulkier than it could be, but in a world of cut-and-paste car design, it stands out.

Inside, the steering wheel feels suitably sporty. Its flat-bottomed design is said to be inspired by F1, as are the RCH and OV buttons, which can be found on Ocon’s and Gasly’s F1 car. The former is for adjusting the levels of brake regeneration. It is far more satisfying to use a twisty button than press a touchscreen. Simply click it left for one-stop increments of less regen, and right for more.

The OV button isn’t quite as successful. It is a bit of a gimmick, but a fun one, making for satisfyingly lazy B-road overtakes. How it works isn’t immediately clear. It doesn’t operate unless you’re also pressing the right pedal, and even then it is progressive. Feather the throttle and push the OV button at the same time and you’ll only get a small boost of power. Half press the throttle and you’ll get more, around 20 hp’s worth. Push the throttle to the floor and simultaneously press the OV button, and you don’t get anything as it doesn’t offer any additional power. It’s a trick to show your pals, but it’s hard to imagine owners using it long term.

Google Guide, Tech Coach

The 10.1-inch dual screens are the same as in the R5—they work well and do everything they should efficiently. There is heavy Google integration, and Maps works excellently. Google is integrated as standard on the Alpine, whereas it’s only available on high-spec Renault 5. The best thing about this is that Google links the car’s range to route planning, so you’ll know exactly what charge you’ll have left at your destination before setting off.

Other techy additions include coaching and challenges, akin to Gran Turismo–style license tests, which ask the driver to perform a series of tasks, from 0–60 mph times and cornering-based challenges, before grading the result. Some of these aren’t legal to try on public roads, and will be a nuisance to try on track, so are slightly pointless. Also, although the car will let the driver know when it’s appropriate to accept a closed-road challenge, disappointingly it won’t intervene if the driver chooses to ignore it.

While you can do most things through the touchscreen, there are buttons, too. There are those on the wheel, and the display itself has an on/off switch and volume buttons on the top of it, so you can turn it off if you want to de-tech your drive.

More importantly is the button to the left of the steering wheel that quickly turns off the driving assistance aids. Every time you turn your 2024 car on it will reset, meaning the steering fights you if you creep toward the middle of the road. Press this button two times for a “personal setting,” which you can adjust to turn everything off, eradicating the need for you to battle your way through the touchscreen menus. This button was introduced in the Renault 5, and it works just as well here. It doesn’t however turn off the car’s panic mode, which alerts you when it thinks you’re going to crash. This happened to me on an innocent overtake, with a red flashing warning and steering wheel input cutting in unnecessarily.

Pimped Renault 5

Has Alpine succeeded in tweaking and modifying the Renault 5 on which it is based? It’s sharpened its handling, resulting in something that’s great fun to throw into corners, while the additional power adds a welcome dose of torque out of them.

The tech is, on the whole, well integrated, too, and it feels special, with its F1-inspired steering wheel and numerous Alpine branded touches. It won’t break any performance records, but it’s a fun, characterful addition to the EV market.

The Alpine A290 is for now EU-only, and will start from around £33,500 for the 180-hp GT model, £36,500 for the GT Premium (also 180 hp) and rising to £38,000 for the top-spec GTS model, which is powered by the 220-hp electric motor. The limited edition Premiere Edition will cost around £39,000. But American muscle-car fans might still get their chance yet: Alpine is expected to launch its three-car electric lineup in the USA in 2027.