Review: Alpine A290

Does Alpine A290 redefine French hot hatchbacks for EV age?

Alpine’s A290 not only seeks to redefine the hot hatch for a zero-emissions age but to reimagine what the French sports car brand is to a new generation of buyers.

But has Alpine succeeded where fellow featherweight motorsport icon Lotus seems to have lost its way as it becomes a purveyor of bigger, heavier, more mainstream electrified models?

Although it shares a platform with the Renault 5 and Nissan Micra, a 60mm wider track ensures that the A290 has a far more purposeful stance, its broad arches filled by 19-inch alloys that allow a glimpse of purposeful Brembo brakes.

Its front end features X-shaped LED daytime running lights, while the cut outs along its flanks allude to the legendary Renault 5 Turbo.

Adding purpose to the A290’s Renault 5-derived cabin are leather sports seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel festooned with controls.

Alongside a drive mode button is a dial to adjust the car’s regenerative braking, a function usually fulfilled by steering wheel-mounted paddles.

There is also a red lever marked ‘OV’, a tug of which provides a burst of full power where pressing the accelerator pedal might suffice.

The A290’s cabin also ditches the steering column-mounted gear selector of the 5 and Micra in favour of an array of buttons on the centre console, robbing the cabin of any drinks holders.

Thankfully, the driving position is good, seats are supportive and the 10.1-inch infotainment system’s array of ‘Telemetrics’, which set challenges to generate high G-forces and will coach you on your dynamic driving, a fun addition – if irresponsible on the public road.

How you judge the A290’s dynamic credentials may be of more import, however.

There are 178bhp GT+ (£34,295) and 217bhp GT Performance + (£32,745) and GTS+ (£32,245) versions. Each attracts the UK government’s full EV grant, providing a £3,750 discount.

The more powerful drivetrain driven here makes the GTS+ good for a 6.4-second dash to 62mph.

Alpine claims the 52kWh battery is good for a 226-mile driving range, albeit this drops off significantly the more vigorously you drive.

Most notable about the chassis is how tied down it feels. On a twisting B-road it feels utterly planted, bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tyres never wanting for grip.

However, I found this at odds with the poised and playful spirit of the French hot hatch and, indeed, Alpine’s joyful A110 coupe.

The high speeds at which the A290 starts to feel alive mean that you go without that sense of driving something special for much of the time.

Ultimately, the A290 is a very eye-catching compact EV with lots of quirky, playful details.

However, it falls short of translating an EV drivetrain into everyday driving fun.

Specifications

Alpine A290 GTS+

Price: £34,245 (with UK EV grant)

Engine: 52kWh battery

Power: 217bhp

Torque: 300Nm

Transmission: single-speed

Top Speed: 105mph