Alpine A290 review: fast and occasionally furious

Introduction

I loved my recent stint behind the wheel of the reimagined Renault 5. It’s a great example of how keeping things small can often deliver a better electric car experience than you’ll find behind the wheel of a powerful yet portly SUV. Now it’s the turn of Renault’s performance wing, to add some additional spiciness into the compact EV mix.

The Alpine A290, driven here in range-topping GTS edition trim, isn’t just a more muscular-looking Renault 5 – though I’ve got no doubt which would come out on top in a fight. There’s also a far more potent electric motor, which sends a generous 217bhp to the front axle – up from 148bhp in the Renault. Even the lesser GT variant will have a 30bhp advantage over the Renault. It uses the same 52kWh battery back, though, which helps keep weight down, but means range won’t be a strong point.

Rivals include the Mini Cooper SE and Abarth 500e, but my only real thoughts before driving the A290 were: how much better could it be over the excellent Renault 5?

The styling

The Alpine A290 is a delicious thing to look at, with lots of styling touches that take it firmly into hot hatch territory. I thought it was fabulous in Metallic Alpine Blue, but it works surprisingly well in white too – not all cars do. A lot of that is down to the edgy bodykit, which boasts plenty of highlights as you work your way around the car.

Up front, the array of lights is striking, as are the openings at each end of the front bumper. Down the sides, the arches look bloated – but in a good way – to accommodate those fat 225 Michelin Pilot Sports, which are wrapped around very cool 19in alloys. Side skirts add additional zingy detailing. Meanwhile, at the back, it’s another exercise on cool angles and subtle badging. Sure, the Alpine A290 is quite brash, but it’s meant to be.

The other thing to remember is that the A290 is a compact car, so it’s less than four metres long. It’s sitting on the same AmpR electric platform as the Renault 5, but the track has been widened by 60mm. It hasn’t been slammed to the floor, but doesn’t ride so high it looks ungainly. All in, it looks considerably meaner than its close relative.

Inside the cockpit, the A290 has the sort of embracing and comfy seats you’d expect from a compact performance car. I wasn’t impressed by the bulky centre console, which combined with armrests in the doors that jut out quite far, will make it feel very snug for anyone on the large side.

The drive

While the Renault 5 E-tech was an unbridled bundle of joy, the Alpine A290 GTS adds an entirely new level of fun. It feels quick from the off, and the sensation can be boosted by cranking up the synthesised Alpine audio backdrop. Unlike some EVs that over-egg the effect, Alpine’s boffins seem to have got the levels about right.

An anodised blue knob on the steering wheel can dial the brake regeneration up or down. The Alpine A290 was most enjoyable with it at the highest setting.

As it eagerly pulled me through twisting bends, as if trying to get me to try my luck and push the throttle down further, I was confident Alpine had delivered one of the most fun small EVs around. The handling is a hoot. However, while there’s lots of grip most of the time, there’s also a noticeable degree of torque steer. This can be enjoyable and slightly disconcerting at the same time, but for the type of car this is, I think it mainly adds rather than detracts to the driving experience. I didn’t try it in the wet, which could be a different experience entirely.

There’s very little in the way of road noise, with only wind shooting past the door mirrors providing an accompaniment to the otherwise very quiet ride.

The technology

Alpine has revised the control layout from the Renault 5, ditching the column-mounted drive selector in favour of push buttons on the dashboard in order to match the Alpine A110 sports car. It has also made the steering wheel a bit of an experience, with some F1-inspired touches like the bright red “OV” lever that gives a push-to-pass burst of power from the battery when pressed. Sure, putting your foot to the floor does the same thing, but where’s the fun in that?

As you’d expect, the interior has also been tweaked to reflect the look and feel of the brand. That means no baguette holders (no cup holders, either), but plenty of cool ambient lighting. The LEDs change hue depending on which drive mode is selected, with Sport unsurprisingly turning everything angry red. I kept this option for the bulk of my driving.

The other good stuff sits within the 10.1in central touchscreen, which interestingly, has an actual power button on the top edge, like an iPad. The screen looks good (though not iPad Pro good), and the onscreen interface is easy enough to navigate. Google provides the maps, which were dependable during my test drive.

The digital instrument cluster in front of the steering wheel is quite busy, but the view can be customised if you’re wanting to monitor your driving data more enthusiastically than most.

Alpine A290 verdict

The A290 will arrive first in a few limited-run variants. I was particularly taken with the models wearing Alpine’s signature blue on my test drive, but this little French fancy definitely has something regardless of colour, just like the Renault 5 on which it’s based. Except the Alpine is bolder and brasher – two things the fast small car category has been lacking since the EV switchover.

It’s very much still a compact car: the boot may be reasonable but it’s optimistic to think you’ll get three adults in the rear seats without some grumbling. I also found it a little too easy to munch through the battery reserves – but equally that should tell you exactly how excellent this hoot of an EV really is.

Alpine A290 technical specifications

Powertrain	Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Battery	52kW
Power	217bhp
Torque	221lb ft
0-60mph	6.4sec
Top speed	106mph
Range	236 miles
Charge rate	100kWh
Cargo volume	316 litres