The range of Renault’s Alpine performance offshoot has doubled in the last year, with the A110 joined by the cute little R5-based A290 hot hatch, and it’ll soon grow again, because we’re getting closer to the full reveal of the Alpine A390, a fastback-ish, SUV-ish EV set for a full reveal next month.
Ahead of that, Alpine’s given us a bit more info on the car, including the information we all want to know: it’ll do big skids. On a wet skid pad, at least.
As much as we’d like to label these spyshots, Alpine itself has released more images of the A390 prototype undergoing testing, and they’re our closest look yet at the final production car.
Alpine A390 prototype – side
We can tell you it’s going to largely resemble the A390 Beta concept seen in late 2024, albeit toned down a little for production. The front end looks to be refined a little with more prominent headlights and a smaller set of triangular daytime running ones below those.
The rear is getting a full-width light bar, and that’s about as much as we can add on its design at this point. The finer details are well camouflaged, and we’ll see the full car on 27 May.
Alpine A390 prototype – rear
Alpine has given us some more technical info, though. It’s confirmed that, following in the footsteps of the concept, it’ll be getting a triple-motor setup. If it replicates the concept exactly, that’ll be two at the back and one at the front, and if it’s to go after things like the Porsche Macan, expect somewhere in the region of 400bhp at least.
It’s also going to feature torque vectoring and five drive modes, one of those including a ‘Track Mode’. The five-seater A390 measures 4.6m long, 1.5m tall and 1.9m wide, which is to say slightly smaller in footprint than a Macan.
Alpine A390 prototype – side detail
Helping it achieve the luxuriant wet-weather skids you see here are a set of Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, bespoke to the A390, shrouding the staggered wheels – 20 inches at the front, and 21 at the back.
Finally, and perhaps controversially, Alpine’s given us a heads up on the A390’s electric driving sounds. There’ll be two options – a sports sound inspired by the A110’s four-pot rasp (although Alpine’s keen to note it’s not trying to outright replicate a combustion engine), and a less bassy day-to-day setting. Don’t worry, though, you’ll also be able to switch the noise off entirely.
It’ll mark the first electric Alpine not to use a Renault as its base, given the A290 relies on the new R5 as a starting point. It won’t be the last, though – more are coming as part of the brand’s ‘Dream Garage’, including a larger SUV and a new A110.
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