Alpine A290: In the rapidly evolving landscape of electric vehicles, where soul-stirring driving experiences often take a back seat to efficiency metrics and charging speeds, Alpine has crafted something genuinely special.
The A290 represents more than just another electric vehicle joining the crowded marketplace—it embodies the resurrection of a beloved automotive archetype that many thought had breathed its last breath in the fossil fuel era.
The Return of the Electric Hot Hatch
The hot hatch concept has always been about democratizing performance, making genuine driving thrills accessible to enthusiasts who might not have the budget for a full-blown sports car.
Alpine hasn’t bothered to read the EV speed script, focusing instead on delivering a 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds that prioritizes character over pure acceleration figures. This deliberate restraint reflects a deeper understanding of what made hot hatches special in the first place.
Building upon the phenomenal success of their sublime A110 sports car, Alpine has channeled decades of French automotive excellence into their first electric offering.
The A290 serves as the opening chapter of Alpine’s ambitious “Dream Garage” electric vehicle strategy, positioning itself as the gateway drug to the brand’s electrified future.
Design Philosophy: Where Retro Meets Revolution
The A290’s visual identity draws inspiration from its spiritual predecessor, the iconic Renault 5, while asserting its own distinct personality.
The charge indicator light on the bonnet has switched from a 5 to an Alpine ‘A’, the rear door panels are scalloped to recall the old R5 Turbo, and round the back there’s a deeper diffuser and a strip across the bootlid.
These design cues aren’t mere nostalgic flourishes—they represent Alpine’s commitment to honoring automotive heritage while embracing technological progress.
The wider wheel arches, spanning almost 2.4 inches beyond the standard Renault 5, communicate the A290’s enhanced performance credentials at first glance. The bumper, skirt and diffuser extensions are smartly integrated, purposeful without being OTT, and the stance is good with big 19-inch wheels at each corner.
The overall aesthetic successfully balances the playful retro-futurism of its donor car with the purposeful aggression expected from a performance-focused variant.
Available in four carefully curated colors—black, white, grey, and blue—the A290 offers enough visual variety while maintaining the cohesive brand identity that Alpine has cultivated.
The design language speaks to both long-time enthusiasts familiar with Alpine’s motorsport heritage and newcomers discovering the brand through its electric transformation.
Performance Engineering: Balancing Power with Precision
Under the distinctively styled exterior lies engineering prowess that demonstrates Alpine’s understanding of what makes a car genuinely engaging to drive. Two power configurations cater to different enthusiast preferences: a lower-spec GT with 178bhp costing £33,500, and a feistier 217bhp GTS at £37,500.
This tiered approach allows Alpine to serve both entry-level enthusiasts and those seeking maximum performance within the platform’s capabilities.
The 52kWh battery pack provides a WLTP range of 236 miles from its 52kWh battery and 100kW DC fast-charging, enough for 15-80 per cent in 30 minutes.
These figures position the A290 competitively within the electric hot hatch segment while ensuring that performance doesn’t come at the expense of usability.
What sets the A290 apart from conventional electric vehicles is its sophisticated chassis engineering. The chassis has received the full Alpine treatment, with bespoke suspension featuring hydraulic bump stops and a multi-link rear setup – rare in this class and a sign that Alpine is serious about handling.
This commitment to chassis excellence reflects Alpine’s decades of motorsport experience and their understanding that true performance extends far beyond simple acceleration figures.
The Electric Driving Experience Reimagined
Alpine has approached the electric drivetrain not as a limitation to overcome, but as an opportunity to redefine performance car characteristics. The A290 is an easy car to drive quickly, responding to your inputs very predictably and only suffering from bouts of understeer if you request full throttle mid-corner. This predictable behavior builds driver confidence and encourages spirited driving—exactly what enthusiasts want from a hot hatch.
The steering system deserves particular praise for its calibration. In Sport mode it gives you more than enough idea of what the front wheels are up to, providing the tactile feedback that forms the foundation of an engaging driving experience. Alpine has recognized that removing the combustion engine doesn’t mean removing the emotional connection between driver and machine.
The regenerative braking system showcases Alpine’s attention to seamless integration. Alpine has said it wants you to feel no difference when the A290 switches from regenerative braking to your physical braking inputs and vice versa. This transparent transition ensures that the driving experience remains natural and intuitive, even as sophisticated technology works behind the scenes.
Interior Innovation: Racing Heritage Meets Daily Usability
Step inside the A290, and Alpine’s motorsport DNA becomes immediately apparent. There’s a unique steering wheel that houses various tricks including an ‘OV’ button that gives you full throttle to boost out of corners or zap past other cars. This Formula 1-inspired control interface brings a touch of professional racing to everyday driving scenarios.
The attention to detail extends throughout the cabin, where refined, iconic interior design with an F1-inspired steering wheel creates an environment that balances performance focus with comfort. Alpine has partnered with premium French audio company Devialet to create a bespoke sound system that not only handles your music but also delivers carefully crafted “Alpine Drive Sounds” to enhance the driving experience.
Despite its performance orientation, the A290 doesn’t sacrifice practicality. 326L of boot space with 5 doors and 5 seats ensures that this hot hatch can serve as a primary vehicle for enthusiasts who need everyday usability alongside weekend excitement.
Technology Integration: Smart Performance Enhancement
The A290’s technological sophistication extends beyond its electric powertrain into systems designed to enhance the driving experience. Four levels of brake regen can be toggled between by twisting a switch, and a shortcut to change between your various driving modes allows drivers to customize their experience based on driving conditions and personal preferences.
The driving modes—Save, Normal, Sport, and Personal—each fundamentally alter the car’s character. Sport mode gives drivers the full beans while also automatically slowing the inside wheels to help the car take corners more sharply. This electronic torque vectoring system compensates for the absence of a mechanical limited-slip differential, using software intelligence to optimize traction and handling.
Alpine has also collaborated with Michelin to develop specific tyres for the car, with different compounds available depending on whether you prioritise performance or efficiency. This holistic approach to vehicle development ensures that every component works in harmony to deliver the intended driving experience.
Market Position and Competition
In the emerging electric hot hatch segment, the A290 faces competition from vehicles like the Abarth 500e, Mini Cooper Electric Sport, and the newly arrived Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. However, Alpine’s approach differs fundamentally from these rivals. Where others prioritize maximum acceleration or luxury appointments, Alpine has focused on creating a cohesive driving experience that honors hot hatch traditions.
Starting at £33,500, it’s positioned as a premium offering above the Renault 5, but the specs suggest it’s worth the extra outlay. This pricing strategy reflects Alpine’s positioning as a premium performance brand while remaining accessible to enthusiasts who might be priced out of more exotic offerings.
The A290’s market success will likely depend on buyers’ willingness to prioritize driving engagement over raw specifications. Going for the Alpine is likely a heart-over-head choice, appealing to enthusiasts who value character and heritage alongside modern electric vehicle benefits.
Manufacturing Excellence and French Savoir-Faire
Alpine’s commitment to quality extends to their manufacturing processes. The A290 is assembled at the Manufacture in Douai, within ElectriCity. The electric motor is also built in France at the Megafactory in Cléon. This domestic production strategy ensures quality control while supporting local manufacturing expertise.
The attention to French craftsmanship permeates every aspect of the vehicle’s development. Founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, Alpine has established itself over the years with its French-style sports cars, and this heritage continues to influence their electric vehicle development philosophy.
The Broader Alpine Vision
The A290 represents just the beginning of Alpine’s electric transformation. Alpine introduces its Dream Garage of 100% electric cars featuring the sporty and urban A290 in 2024, the Crossover GT in 2025 and the new A110 at the end of 2026. This comprehensive strategy demonstrates Alpine’s commitment to translating their entire brand philosophy into the electric era.
Future models will expand Alpine’s reach into different segments while maintaining their core focus on driving pleasure and motorsport-inspired engineering. The A290’s success will likely determine how ambitious Alpine can be with their subsequent electric offerings.
Critical Reception and Real-World Performance
Early reviews have been largely positive, with automotive journalists praising the A290’s handling balance and character. On track, the GTS is an absolute hoot: mobile and adjustable and just a little bit silly in finest French hot hatch tradition. This enthusiastic reception suggests that Alpine has successfully captured the essence of what makes hot hatches special.
However, some critics note that 217bhp is the absolute maximum that can be extracted from that powertrain, suggesting that more performance-oriented variants may be limited by the current platform’s capabilities. This limitation may necessitate future platform developments to satisfy the most demanding enthusiasts.
A New Chapter in Performance Electric Vehicles
The Alpine A290 succeeds in ways that extend far beyond its technical specifications. It represents a thoughtful interpretation of what electric performance vehicles can become when engineers prioritize driver engagement alongside environmental responsibility. By respecting hot hatch traditions while embracing electric vehicle technology, Alpine has created something that feels both familiar and revolutionary.
This urban sportscar marks the introduction of Alpine to a broader public and resurrects a forgotten category, the hot hatch, so much loved for the driving pleasure it delivers. The A290 proves that the transition to electric mobility doesn’t require sacrificing the emotional connections that make driving genuinely rewarding.
As Alpine continues developing their Dream Garage of electric vehicles, the A290 stands as compelling evidence that the future of automotive enthusiasm remains bright, even as the technology propelling it undergoes fundamental transformation. For enthusiasts wondering whether electric vehicles can deliver genuine driving pleasure, the Alpine A290 provides an emphatically positive answer