The concept of increasing the performance of otherwise conventional vehicles has always been attractive. Bootleggers in the American West would modify their trucks during the prohibition era of the 1930s to outrun the police. The result was the birth of the hot rod.
The saloons that developed in the 80s were the result of a race meet, which required manufacturers to produce a certain number of road car models for their racers to compete. Hot hatchbacks, too, were born from rally homologation, with tricked-out versions of everyday hatchbacks offering cheap thrills and performance.
While American muscle cars will always be popular in their homeland, and German performance saloons continue to sell well, hot hatches are gone. The rise of SUVs, the lack of demand for small cars, and electrification are all key factors in this. But with the new A290, a modified version of the new Renault 5, Alpine takes it back, albeit in EV form.
The A290 is Alpine’s first new car in seven years, and is the first model in its new range of electric machines. It will be followed by the large crossover A390, and the new A110, the EV version of the French brand’s prestigious sports car. The A290 is “the hot spring of the electric age”, according to Alpine, and it’s easy to see the appeal. It is built on Renault’s new AmpR Small platform, which it shares with the new Renault 5. It has 220 hp in GTS form, and its weight is 1,479 kg. Its closest rival, another electric hot hatch, is the upcoming Mini Electric John Cooper Works. That has 254 hp, but it also weighs 1,670 kg, a significant difference of 191 kg.
Ride Overhaul
This is felt in the way the A290 drives. Although it shares basic underpinnings with the Renault 5, including its smaller battery that sits low under the car, the Alpine has completely changed the suspension and braking system. The dampers have hydraulic bump stops, which help provide comfort and response, and the underframe of the car has been created from the ground up, and is made of aluminum to help keep the weight down. There are also front and rear anti-roll bars, developed by Alpine, while the multi-link rear axle provides more stability and precision.
All this adds up to a smooth ride that’s firm enough to feel sporty but not too harsh. It absorbs bumps well, and you get plenty of steering feedback. In Sport mode the steering is responsive and feels incredibly natural. The steering wheel lights up in Comfort and Save mode, for easy cornering in the city. When pushed there is understeer, which is front-wheel drive, but lifting from mid-corner allows the rear to move slightly, giving the car good performance under pressure.
The Alpine’s 220 hp gives a good initial punch in the corners, but it fades quickly and lacks a real burst of excitement. The 52 kWh battery is the same as the one used in the top spec R5, but the sound is very different. The A290 features ‘Alpine Drive Sound’, which Alpine developed with French audio brand Devialet. Basically, the noise of an electric motor is said to be an enhanced version of the natural noise made by an electric motor. It’s not very encouraging, but it does provide audible feedback, in the same way the engine does, letting you know where your grip is as you accelerate and decelerate.
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