Can the Alpine A390 do what the Macan did for Porsche?
The Alpine A390 is an electric crossover that will introduce the brand to a new type of buyer – one that needs space for the family – but with the spirit of a lightweight sportscar coursing through its high-voltage cables. A390 sales will help finance a range of new models set for release by 2030.
There is some genuine evidence that the A390 is more than just another electric SUV with a sporty badge slapped on the bonnet to help it sell. It’s based on the same platform as the Nissan Ariya, but unlike the Nissan the Alpine gets tri-motor technology, which claims to give it "the driving dynamics of a lightweight car."
With two electric motors, the Alpine's back end (should) feel like it has an incredibly fast-acting and highly adjustable limited-slip differential, sending power to the rear wheels more precisely than a mechanical diff ever could. This should allow Alpine to give its A390 a broad range of personalities, from safe and sensible to plain good fun, with a back end that can get out of shape on command.
The system's clever torque vectoring will be central to the experience with wheels that glow blue when the system's in action. Sounds like a gimmick, but it does give you some idea just how central to the experience the torque vectoring is set to be.
Sticking a motor on the front means that, however much fun you're having, there will always be a safety net that can drag you out of trouble if the back end slides into what would usually be an irretrievable angle.
In terms of performance, Alpine hasn't given us any numbers. However, the Nissan Ayria Nismo – the most powerful model that uses the same AmpR Medium platform – has 435PS (320kW) and 599Nm (442lb ft) and gets from 0-62mph in five seconds. The Alpine, with its sportier badge and extra motor, should be quicker and more powerful. The Nissan tips the scales at over 2.2 tonnes, let's hope the Alpine is lighter.
Others have already driven late-development cars on Lapland's snow and ice (conditions that are surprisingly good at masking weight), with encouraging reports of a neutral handling balance and skids on demand.
While the performance stats are a mystery, the A390's styling was heavily hinted at by the A390_B concept car that showed us a five-door coupé-roofed SUV with a subtle dorsal fin that stretches from the centre of the bonnet to the boot. Hidden rear door handles further emphasise the car's sporty nature, but regular doors will replace the concept's rear-hinged suicide items.
Inside, the concept was far more radical than the production model will likely be, with a yoke steering wheel and seats that would look at home in an LMP racer. The toned-down production car will likely still feel very sporty inside with a Formula E-style ‘boost' button and a knob to adjust the regenerative brake force. But with seating for five and a large boot, it will be far more practical than any of Alpine's other offerings to date.
So when can you expect to buy an A390, and how much will it cost? To be revealed on the 27th May, order books for the A390 open soon after, and while the price has yet to be confirmed, Alpine is aiming for a premium price tag close to the £75,000 you'll pay for the mid-range electric Macan.
But the Alpine has more in common with the Macan than just a ballpark price.
Like its German counterpart, the A390 will bankroll a new generation of electric models, including replacing the A110 sportscar, two more SUVs, a roadster version of the new A110, and a four-seater sportscar.
Five good reasons we hope the A390 is the success we all want it to be.
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