Alpine has revealed the final version of its A290 as part of the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 100% electric city car, cousin of the new Renault R5, is expected at the end of the year.
It is within the framework of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 92nd edition of which takes place on the weekend of June 15 and 16, 2024, that the Alpine brand revealed its brand new A290 this Thursday, June 13. The 100% electric city car, whose production is based in Douai, in Hauts-de-France, will be the sporty cousin of the Renault R5 E-Tech expected on our roads at the start of the next school year.
The small city car from Alpine will be distinguished from the small Renault by a slightly more muscular silhouette and a personalized interior. The French manufacturer is ambitious and is targeting “80% new customers” with this model. Let’s go and discover the bomb whose beta version, 85% close to the final one unveiled at Le Mans, was presented in May 2023 in Bristol (England).
What information do you need to know about the new Alpine A290?
- Unsurprisingly, the Alpine A290 resembles the new Renault R5 E-Tech unveiled last year and which should soon invade our roads. But its silhouette is more muscular – like its widened tracks at the rear – by being both short (3m99) and tall (1m52). Its turning radius, calculated at 10.2m, making it an ideal vehicle for city driving. The city car is a five-door and has five seats.
- The front of the Alpine is reminiscent of that of the new R5 which is also based on the AmpR Small platform. The four headlights at the front are distinguished by a square shape marked with a cross, signature of the Dieppe brand’s rally cars of yesteryear.
- If the beta version of the A290, presented in May 2023, was mounted on 20-inch rims, the final version of the body-built city car is fitted with 19-inch rims. This does not detract from its sporty and dynamic aspect which we also find in its performances, Alpine announcing that its most powerful A290 (see below) would be capable of going from 0 to 100km/h in just 6 seconds and 4 tenths!
- The dashboard of the A290 imitates that of the Renault 5 E-Tech but the steering wheel of the Alpine wants to make a direct reference to Formula 1 – in which it is involved – with colored buttons including the “Overtake”, in red. This button allows, with a simple press, to deliver the maximum power of the car for the duration of the press or for a maximum of 10 seconds. A hell of a boost reminiscent of the F1 DRS button. The central console is inspired by that of the A110, again with a resolutely sporty side.
- The 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen is placed in the center of the dashboard. It notably hosts an application, Alpine Telemetrics, which provides access to three categories of services: live data with data on driving, coaching which provides advice in sports driving mode, and challenges which consist of a series of challenges on the themes of agility, power and endurance. The dashboard, in front of the driver, displays the battery level and speed on a 10.25-inch screen but in a pyramidal shape and not a circular one.
Engines on the A290
Alpine finally chose to equip its A290 with two engines for its launch. The small electric bomber will be powered either by a motor developing 180 horsepower and 285 Nm or by a motor of 220 horsepower and 300 Nm. In both versions, the city car will be equipped with a 52 kWh battery which should allow it, according to the manufacturer, to drive 380 kilometers on a single charge. According to an indiscretion reported by the site largus.fr, the French manufacturer is also working on an even sportier A290, with four-wheel drive, developing 280 horsepower!
When will the Alpine A290 be released?
The brand is planning a release at the end of the year, a few months after that of the future electric R5 scheduled for September. Orders will be opened during the summer. As for the four-wheel drive version, much more powerful (280 hp), its release (if there is a release) will not arrive before 2026.
How much will the A290 cost?
Alpine has given the price of its new electric city car. The entry-level A290 – with the 180 horsepower engine – will start at 38,000 euros before deducting the ecological bonus of 4,000 euros. The price will rise for the 220 horsepower version and depending on the equipment levels chosen, but the whole thing should not exceed 47,000 euros, the fateful bar for still being able to benefit from government aid according to the 2024 criteria.