- New Alpine A390 revealed in full
- Electric fastback is Porsche Macan rival
- Described as ‘racing car in a suit’
- All-wheel drive and Active Torque Vectoring
- Order books open later this year
- Price still to be confirmed
This is the aggressive new all-wheel drive, tri-motor electric Alpine A390 - and it’s got the Porsche Macan firmly in its sights.
We’ve already seen one electric car from Formula One giant Alpine in the form of the compact A290, a companion vehicle to the Renault 5. You can lease an Alpine A290 right now with Select Car Leasing.
And now Alpine has released the A290’s big brother - the five-seat A390 fastback - which promises to be a proper driver’s car.
Order books open later this year, when we’ll also get to find out how much it costs. But here’s everything we know so far about the Alpine A390:
Alpine A390 exterior and interior
French brand Alpine reckons the A390 is rocking the ‘design of a racing car in a suit’ while taking the essence of the two-seat Alpine A110 coupe (traditionally fuelled, for now…) and adding a dollop of practicality.
The A390 is a striking looking car, with a rear window that’s shaped like a helmet visor and a distinctive ‘blade’ on the bonnet to channel air flow.
There’s even a cluster of illuminated triangles at the front, called 'Cosmic Dust', which come to life as the driver approaches.
The cabin is referred to as a ‘sporty cocoon’ by Alpine and comes with twin 12-inch screens tilted towards the driver, Google services included, Alcantara sports seats, a heated Nappa leather steering wheel, and an abundance of physical buttons.
You also get a generous 532-litre boot, which falls just narrowly short of the 540 litres you get with the Porsche Macan Electric.
Alpine A390 powertrain
Underpinning everything is the electric architecture. All models get a 89 kWh lithium-ion battery that translates to a range of up to 345 miles (the Porsche Macan Electric can journey close to 400 miles between trips to the plug.
You can expect one electric motor at the front and two at the rear for a tri-motor set-up.
A heat pump is standard on all trim levels.
DC fast charging can reach 190 kW DC and can replenish the energy in the battery from 15% to 80% charge in less than 25 minutes.
An 11 kW on-board charger is standard while a 22 kW charger is optional.
Alpine A390 trim levels - GT and GTS
There are also two distinct models to choose from; the entry-level ‘GT’ and the range-topping ‘GTS’.
GT variants get 400 hp, 650 Nm of torque, and the ability to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 4.8 seconds. That compares well to the all-wheel drive Porsche Macan 4, which does the same sprint in 5.2 seconds.
Those GT models also come with 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, Michelin Sport EV tyres, anodised brake callipers, and chrome logos. Inside, the sports seats are electric and heated, the Nappa leather-covered steering wheel is heated, you get 360-degree cameras, and there’s also a 13-speaker sound system.
The range-topping GTS gets more power at 470 hp, 808 Nm of torque, and it reduces the 0-62 mph acceleration time down to just 3.9 seconds. For comparison purposes, that’s more sprightly than the 4.1-second Porsche Macan Electric 4S (but gets nowhere near the ballistic Porsche Macan Electric Turbo, which thunders from 0-62 mph in 3.3 seconds.
The A390 GTS is also equipped with larger 21-inch alloy wheels, uprated tyres, Nappa leather bucket seats with heating and massage functions, a swankier sound system, semi-autonomous driving and parking, and the Alpine ‘Telemetrics Expert’ system, which lets you analyse technical data when you’re ragging it around a track.
Alpine A390 driving dynamics
Despite its obvious heft, Alpine says the A390 is ‘lively and easy to control’, with the torque vectoring system channelling power to the wheels that need it most.
The A390 is all-wheel drive as standard, but the way that it’s set up with two electric motors at the back makes it feel as if you’re driving a rear-wheel drive vehicle.
Robert Bonetto, VP Vehicle Projects at Alpine, tells us: “The design with three motors and Alpine Active Torque Vectoring made it possible to interact between the motors to manage the torque between the front and rear axles as well as on the outer wheel to influence the balance, transitioning from understeer to neutral or even oversteer, thereby acting on the handling."
There are five driving modes; Save, Normal, Sport, Perso and Track.
You can also punch a big red ‘Overtake’ button on the steering wheel (called ‘OV’) which delivers extra power for up to 10 seconds. You’ll have to wait another 30 seconds while it recharges before you can press it again.
You can also take advantage of the A390’s launch control for rapid acceleration off the line.
Alpine A390 rivals
Besides the obvious Porsche Macan Electric, the Alpine A390 will have to do battle with some other big heavyweights in the class. They include the BMW iX2, Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron and the Polestar 4.
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