alpinethe historic sports brand of the Renault Group, had announced for some time the decision to go fully electric, with a range that was not only renewed but also diversified.
Just today the first step of this transformation is presented and we had the opportunity to discover it live the first electric Alpine in history. It’s about the A290_βa compact car very reminiscent of the long-awaited new Renault 5 from the outside and actually related to this car as it shares the same basic platform CMF-B EV.
The acronym follows a new nomenclature. Next to the usual A is the 2 indicating that Segment B, while 90 is the new edition of Alpine’s lifestyle products. The last symbol reads betain the sense of prototype in the initial phase, a part of the name that will then of course disappear in the production version, which, however, should not differ too much from this concept.
There Alpine A290_β It consists almost entirely of a body made of carbonto lower the weight and get the best performance. The car’s performance can really be tested on the track Approved by the FFSA for the tracks (Fédération Française du Sport Automobile). It is therefore a moving show car, which also serves to refine the dynamic behavior. At the moment it has two electric motors at the front, but in the production phase there will be only one motor, while the battery, for which we have no data, will remain in the middle of the platform.
Several stylistic solutions and interesting materials stand out in the outdoor area. The car is full of slits that improve its aerodynamic behavior, even without door handles. hidden in the side sockets. Alpine assures us that much of the final A290 will stay the same and that the car actually doesn’t look too extreme. Even the rear doors already have drafts. The dimensions are 4.05 meters long, 1.85 meters wide and 1.48 meters high.
When it came to the colourway, Alpine played with the contrast between the snow and the mountain rocks a white that has a rough surfaceto evoke the snow and details in black. Then there is a composite fiber decorated with blue particles, which is used in several details throughout the car. It is often resumed triangle motiftypical of Alpine as a distinguishing feature, especially with the light-alloy rims, but it will remain 99.9% in the production car.
Inside we find the unusual three seat configurationcentered on the pilot, with a lightly padded seat, flanked by two passengers a little further back Carbon fiber seats. The guests could also experience the thrill of the race track. The dashboard has a futuristic look and bright details blue and magenta are recorded in different parts of the passenger compartment and indicate a Connection to the world of gaming. Even the steering wheel seems to be taken entirely from video games overhaul key.
Special materials also stand out on the door panels, e.g excavated skin lasered, or parts 3D printed, all “experiments” that we have seen live, but which are not intended to remain so, some are intended to become standard, others part of packages that the customer can choose in the configurations. So many options, just as there will be many optimizations dedicated to performance. We’ve already talked about the boost button, but the A290 will also feature high-performance landing gear multiple links behind, e.g Brembo 4-piston brakes with improved cooling.
As we said at the beginning, the A290_β represents the first step towards a 100% electric future to create what Alpine “dream garage“. In addition to this compact can, there will also be one GT crossoverand finally the trio is completed with what will be in practice the replacement of the current A110. We certainly won’t have to wait long to discover the production version, given that production is expected to start in 2024.
