Alpine A290

Alpine, the French sports car manufacturer known for the legendary A110, has just introduced its first-ever five-door electric vehicle (EV) hatchback. Some might consider this a controversial move. Let’s take a closer look at what this new EV hatchback from the makers of A110 is all about.

2025 Alpine A290

Starting at 34,700 Euros plus additional costs, the first-ever Alpine A290 is undoubtedly the most controversial vehicle made by the makers of the legendary A110 sports car, but that doesn't stop Alpine's finest ambassadors—even its F1 drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon—from giving it a thumbs-up.

2025 Alpine A290

The concept-turned-reality design is one of the A290's charm points, although this is basically a sporty version of the upcoming Renault 5 E-TECH. Although it has some of the reborn 5's exterior details, the A290 differentiates with X marks on its headlamps and its rally-inspired foglamps, not to mention the ALPINE details. Although it mimics the legendary Renault 5 Maxi rally car from a distant past, there's nothing special about it.

2025 Alpine A290 interior

Being a five-door Alpine is obviously the most controversial move ever done but having rear seats in an Alpine is nothing new. Sure, it can carry up to five people and has 1106L of boot space with all of the passenger seats folded down, but what's behind the wheel really matters. Behind the race-inspired steering wheel lies a V-shaped widescreen packed with the virtual instrumental panel and a touch screen powered by Google, not to mention the Devialet sound system.

2025 Alpine A290

The base GT variant is packed with a 52kWh lithium-nickel-mangan-cobalt battery. It produces 177PS of power and 285Nm of torque, making it capable of hitting 0-100kph in 7.4 seconds and a 160kph top speed, not to mention having 378km of driving range. The GTS variant bumps the performance figures to 218PS of power and 300Nm of torque, sprinting from 0-100kph in 6.4 seconds, a top speed of 170kph, and up to 361km of driving range. That's less than its main rival, the Cupra Born.

Being a front-wheel-drive hatchback, the A290 checks and balances the rights and the wrongs in the making of this EV hatchback from its multi-link rear suspension, sporty chassis tuning, by-wire braking, and a choice of four driving modes. On normal roads, the A290 feels right at home even in Parisian streets but on track days, it doesn't feel like an Alpine as expected.

Despite the questionable dynamics, the A290 features over 26 driver assistance systems, providing an unparalleled driving experience for an Alpine.

Despite being a controversial decision, the Alpine A290 is evidence that it is ushering in the age of the "new normal," and it is going... well... out of the blue.

Available colors: Alpine Vision Blue, Snow White, Matte Tornado Gray, Deep Black, Alpine Vision Blue/Black Roof, Snow White/Black Roof, and Matte Tornado Gray/Black Roof.

Photos: Alpine Cars