Alpine A290: price, specs and release date

by Russell Campbell

Following the reveal of the A290_β concept car back in 2023, Alpine has released more details about the production version of its new A290 hot hatch. The A290 will later be joined by an electric crossover and the A110 Coupe’s all-electric successor.

The A290 production model looks strikingly similar to the show car, while power comes from a front-mounted motor pumping out up to 217bhp. Multi-link rear suspension, torque vectoring and four-piston Brembo brakes suggest a sorted chassis, too.

Alpine A290:

Alpine A290 front

Alpine A290: Exterior Design and Dimensions

We'd say that the new car features an expertly judged mix of retro and modern design, being very reminiscent of the Renault 5 hatchback with which it shares its AmpR platform, but with a sprinkling of Alpine’s motorsport heritage thrown in for good measure.

The A290’s Renault 5 underpinnings are clear to see, but while the Renault has a puppy dog face, the Alpine has a more focussed demeanour, with X-themed headlights and a lower bumper with angular vents that duct air around the car’s front wheels. Happily, the show car’s X-style spotlights have made production, and are a nod to the auxiliary lights on the old A110 rally car.

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When viewed head on, the A290’s stretched wheel arches bristle out of the car’s flanks and allow the production model to accommodate high-performance tyres. Alpine says the short wheelbase and wide track are key to the A290’s agile handling.

Alpine A290 rear

All versions get 19-inch wheels wrapped in specially developed high-performance Michelin rubber from the factory, plus there's subtle Alpine badging behind the front wheel. The show car's fake air vent ahead of the rear wheel, which mirrors the design of the old Renault 5 Turbo, has not made it to the production car, although the contour of the bodywork in that area does hint at a similar shape.

The back of the A290 is also pure Renault 5. The roof slopes on a constant angle to the rear bumper, with the vertical tail lights creeping up into the rear window pillars, just like on the original Renault 5.

In terms of size, the Alpine is 3990mm long, 1820mm wide and 1520mm tall.

Alpine A290 dash

Alpine A290: Interior Design and Practicality

The A290_β show car had a motorsport-inspired interior with three seats, a central driving position and a windscreen that stretches far over the car’s bonnet for an excellent forward view.

None of this made production, of course with the five-seat cabin adopting the conventional two-row layout. All versions have heavily bolstered sports front seats upholstered in a grained fabric blend, plus a leather sports steering wheel. The boot is a modest-but-useable 326 litres.

Alpine A290 driving rear

Alpine A290: Performance, Battery Capacity and Range

Alpine is pitching the A290 as a “city sports car” and uses words like “sparkling” and “agile” to describe the car’s driving experience. Thankfully, these words are backed up by a technical spec sheet that could make the Alpine ideal if you’re looking for a nippy city slicker.

You choose between four versions. GT and GT Premium cars have a 174bhp while GT Performance and GTS variants have 215bhp. The former has a 0-62mph sprint time of 7.4 seconds, while the latter reaches the same benchmark in 6.4 seconds. Not game-changingly quick, then, but we're willing to bet it'll feel quicker than the numbers suggest.

Unusually in this class, the A290 has multi-link rear suspension, which should help it deal with lumpy roads and mid-corner bumps, and hydraulic bump stops designed to filter out the chatter on poor surfaces. Powerful Brembo-supplied four-pot disc brakes will handle the stopping.

Meanwhile, the car’s torque vectoring will promote agility and simulate the grip-finding magic of a mechanical limited-slip differential under power.

Power is supplied by a 52kWh battery. The car is yet to be homologated, so no WLTP range figure is available as yet, but Alpine is predicting a figure of around 235 miles.

Alpine A290 side

Alpine A290: Price and Release Date

The price is one of the many things that still yet to be announced concerning the Alpine A290. The car will join a rapidly growing group of electric hot hatches that already includes models like the Mini Electric and Abarth 500e, as well as the larger Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID.3 GTX. The Renault 5 is expected to cost around £25,000, so when the Alpine version finally does go on sale early in 2025, expect it to cost around £30,000.

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Before setting his stall up as a freelance writer for CarGurus, Russell worked on numerous titles including PistonHeads, Classic & Sports Car, Carbuyer, Carwow and DriveTribe. A car lover at heart, he can usually be found on the classifieds slavering over the next used gem that will bring him much joy, and only a little financial misery...

Ivan Aistrop is a Contributing Editor at CarGurus UK. Ivan has been at the sharp end of UK motoring journalism since 2004, working mostly for What Car?, Auto Trader and CarGurus, as well as contributing reviews and features for titles including Auto Express and Drivetribe.

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