2017 saw the rebirth of Alpine with the launch of the new A110. Now the real future of the sports brand begins under the Renault banner. The new A290 signals the start of a full range of electric cars with a focus on driving pleasure. We spoke to design chief Antony Villain and Sovany Ang, director of product performance, at the unveiling.
The people at Alpine have the difficult task of redefining sportiness, because the future of the brand is all-electric. Within a strict framework, the new models must remain true to driving pleasure, performance and comfort combined with practicality. Attributes that are so characteristic of an Alpine.
The Alpine A290 is based on the electric Renault 5 and can be considered the spiritual successor to the 5 Alpine of 1976. Antony Villain: "The Alpine is in a historical context and in it are also characteristics such as agility, performance and French savoir-faire. All these elements are reflected in this new A290".
An electric car is by definition not light, but Alpine has visibly incorporated this characteristic into the materials and the Alpine theme with the so-called graphic snowflakes that appear in numerous places on and inside the car. Antony Villain: "As with all new cars, we started with a blank sheet of paper and a pencil and sketched without too many preconditions. A lot of cool ideas came out of that. We were given the task of reinventing the hot hatch. A type of car for which users have high expectations. Not an easy challenge, but a very attractive one.
Antony says this is reflected in the exterior as well as the interior. "For example, the car is fitted with 19-inch wheels as standard. The track width has increased by 6 centimetres compared to the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, and we have made the edges around the wheels more pronounced. The rear doors have a shape reminiscent of the air intake on rear-engined cars. The bar connecting the two rear lights is painted in the same colour as the body, with the name of the car underneath. The colour is also accentuated on the underside of the sills and bumpers with a stripe that contrasts with the shiny black elements.
Inside, the Alpine cockpit is pure and unadulterated, explains Antony Villain. "Elements such as the centre console and steering wheel follow the same design features as the A110. On the steering wheel, there are two new elements that stand out simply because of their colour: a blue dial for adjusting the energy recovery level and a red button for a boost function that can briefly demand maximum performance from the engine".
Sovany Ang points out the figures: "The A290 is just under 4 metres long, 1.82 metres wide and weighs less than 1,500 kg. In any case, the car has a 52 kWh battery that powers an electric motor taken from the Megane. This delivers either 180 or 220 hp. A 100 kW DC fast charge is available and the battery can also be connected to an 11 kW AC charging station. The most powerful version sprints to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds. Remarkably, braking from 100 km/h to a standstill takes just 3 seconds. That's incredibly fast and powerful.
Photos: Sovany Ang (left) and Antony Villain (right).
Sovany Ang: "The A290's chassis is based on the Renault 5, but gave the Alpine team plenty of opportunities to emphasise the characteristics expected of the brand. We are talking about a skateboard platform. The battery is low in the middle. The multi-link rear suspension gave us enough options to upgrade to our requirements for a challenging handling that is worthy of Alpine.
Alpine is launching the new A290 in four different versions: GTS (220 bhp), GT Premium (180 bhp), GT Performance (220 bhp) and a special Launch Edition of which, like the A110, exactly 1,955 units will be built. Alpine's CEO Philippe Krief cites the subject of sound: "Sound is important for the experience, but at the same time it should not be artificial. We have found a nice interpretation of this. The driver can switch the engine sound on or off. It corresponds to the movements of the accelerator pedal, so it matches the driver's expectations. There is more sound when accelerating quickly than at constant speed on the motorway. This sound generator is only available with the optional high quality Devialet audio system, which is fully tuned to the Alpine A290's cabin.
The fact that Alpine has put a lot of thought into this is evident in the seats, which are noticeably more supportive. Not only the foam, but also the metal structure has been optimised compared to the Renault 5. The dashboard and central screen also offer more functions, such as Alpine's own telematics. All kinds of data can be stored during the journey or even viewed directly. A feature that is particularly useful on the track.
Finally, Sovany Ang sees the electric Mini as a direct competitor, although the field of competition is currently very modest. "The strengths of the Alpine A290 include a much lower weight, a usable boot of 326 litres and the skateboard floor group with a completely re-tuned suspension for an optimal driving experience". At the end of the year we will see what buyers think."