The Alpine A290 kicks off the brand’s fully electric “Dream Garage,” preserving Alpine’s sporty spirit in a more eco-friendly form. Measuring 3.99 meters in length, the A290 is built on the fully electric Ampere Small platform, designed to deliver excellent drivability and a dynamic character—even in urban settings.
Let’s see how it performed in our first-drive test.
Alpine A290: our tops&flops
It might seem like another failed attempt, much like the Abarth 500e, but the Alpine A290 shares only an overly high price with its Italian counterpart. In every other respect, the approach is completely different: this time, they truly believed in it. The base is certainly the Renault 5 E-Tech, which we already loved, but the setup here is entirely different. Stiffer, quicker thanks to a power boost from 150 to 218 hp, it’s a real little toy — the kind we rarely see today. And despite the battery, it manages to stay agile and gives a pleasant sense of lightness. Its road presence and cornering precision are phenomenal, thanks to tracks that are a full 6 cm wider and larger 19-inch wheels instead of 18s. The sporty setup is finally crowned by a dedicated and upgraded braking system with four disc brakes — the front ones being 320 mm. Yes, the Alpine A290 is an expensive little toy, but one that can immediately win over enthusiasts and, like very few others right now, even charm the skeptics of electric sports cars.
What we like:
- It’s very well-equipped, even from the base version.
- It’s fun to drive without demanding sacrifices in everyday use: braking and agility are excellent.
- It has an original and well-crafted design: all versions feature interior and exterior details that highlight its sporty character.
What we don’t like:
- There’s no front limited-slip differential. It would have made the car even more effective in corners.
- Space for rear passengers is limited, especially for the feet.
- The price is too high. As beautiful and fun as it is, it’s far from the “affordable fun” of the cars it aims to evoke.
Prices in Scandinavia
It Stands Out
A compact body with aggressive styling details, front-wheel drive, and just enough horsepower to put a smile on the driver’s face—whether on a twisty road or sprinting away from a traffic light. This has been the “magic formula” for decades when it comes to small sporty cars derived from everyday city cars. These models have nearly disappeared from the market in their gasoline versions, but in the meantime, new spicy electric versions are starting to appear—though unfortunately, they come with a hefty price tag.
The Alpine A290 sets itself apart with several aesthetic and mechanical differences: the design is inspired by rally cars, featuring new X-shaped lights embedded in the front bumper, widened fenders, a new rear spoiler, and a redesigned rear bumper. To support the increased power of the electric motor (the Renault 5 E-Tech goes up to 150 hp, here we’re at 218), the track has been widened by 6 cm. It also gets larger wheels (225/40 R19 instead of 195/55 R18) and new anti-roll bars, along with an upgraded braking system with 4-piston front calipers and 320 mm discs (the rear discs measure 280 mm).
Two power options, one battery
The new Alpine A290 is available in two power levels: 180 hp or 218 hp (as in the tested version). In both cases, the electric motor sends power to the front wheels with the help of an electronic torque vectoring system: the brake automatically slows the inside wheel when cornering, helping to avoid understeer. The result is similar to what you’d get with a limited-slip differential, though it puts more stress on the brakes.
The Alpine A290 retains the same electric architecture as the Renault 5 E-Tech. The 52 kWh battery can be charged via DC fast-chargers at up to 100 kW (in the best-case scenario, charging from 15% to 80% takes about 30 minutes) or via AC charging at up to 11 kW. The WLTP range is 380 km for the 180 hp version and 364 km for the more powerful one. The rear suspension geometry is particularly refined (also shared with the Renault 5 E-Tech): it doesn’t use the usual torsion beam found in most small cars, but rather a multi-link setup with independent wheels.
So how does all of this translate into the driving experience? Once inside the new Alpine A290, the first impression is of a surprisingly comfortable little sports car. Despite the low-profile tires, the suspension absorbs most road imperfections quite well. Sound insulation is also impressive: wind and tire noise are kept nicely in check. Even with the wider tires and the 218 hp electric motor in the version we tested, energy consumption remained modest during relaxed driving, around 7 km/kWh according to the onboard computer—figures we plan to confirm later with our test center.
Using the “Drive Mode” button on the right side of the steering wheel, you can select between three driving modes: Save, Normal, and Sport. Only in Sport mode does full power (218 hp) become available with a full press of the accelerator. In Normal mode, power is limited to 193 hp—unless you press the red “OV” (overboost) button on the steering wheel, which unleashes the motor’s full power for ten seconds.
Impressive in corners
According to the manufacturer, it takes just 6.4 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h—not bad for a small sports car, although the instant torque of the electric motor tends to make the front wheels spin quickly if they’re not perfectly straight or if the surface has limited grip. As we experienced when pushing the car to its limits on a racetrack, it’s best to be “gentle” on the accelerator to get the most out of the car’s performance. Instead, rely on the impressive cornering speeds (thanks to the grip from the sporty OEM tires) and the car’s agility when entering or changing direction off-throttle, where it tends to oversteer.
The steering is precise, although a bit “filtered,” and the braking is strong (the system handles the car’s 1,479 kg curb weight with ease). Being an electric vehicle, it lacks the roar of a traditional engine—something enthusiasts of sporty driving often appreciate. Manufacturers are experimenting with alternatives using speakers; in this case, the sound doesn’t try to mimic a gasoline engine, but rather emphasizes the natural noise of the electric motor, providing the driver with an audible sense of acceleration. It’s not overly intrusive and can be adjusted to two levels—but unfortunately, it can’t be turned off completely.
Great in Front, Less So in the Rear
The interior of the Alpine A290 is well-finished, especially at the front, where there are soft-touch materials on the upper dashboard and door panels. The steering wheel stands out too, with a leather-wrapped rim. Compared to the Renault 5 E-Tech it’s based on, the seats have more pronounced side bolsters, and the center console is redesigned to house the buttons for selecting drive and reverse (in the Renault, the selector is a stalk mounted on the steering column).
In the rear, however, some cost-cutting is evident—particularly in the door panels, which are entirely made of hard plastic. Space for rear passengers is limited, especially in width. Headroom is decent, but foot space is restricted by the low clearance between the floor and the front seats. The trunk is spacious: the manufacturer claims 326 liters. The shape is fairly regular, and there’s space under the floor to store charging cables. However, the load lip is much higher than the floor itself, and folding down the backrests creates a large step in the loading area.
