Alpine A290 review: Formula One team’s take on an EV hot hatchback

Alpine’s first all-electric car – an EV hot hatch based on the brilliant new Renault 5 – isn’t quite the smash hit we were hoping for. Sure, it’ll put a smile on your face with secure and nimble handling – exactly as a hot hatch should. But we were disappointed that – in this EV world – the performance didn’t give us quite the kick in the back that we were hoping for, and that’s from driving the more powerful version.

Grip levels on the go are good and the car feels planted through corners, but we experienced old-school torque steer when we accelerated quickly out of a junction (where the front wheels struggle for grip when pulling away and the steering tugs you left and right) – you’ll need a firm hand on the wheel, especially in the wet.

The looks are an acquired taste – again, they’re a bit old school with flared wheel arches, side skirts (guaranteed to give you dirty trouser legs), wings and spotlights that try to mimic rally cars of old. Some might find it all a bit naff in the 2020s.

However, the interior is well made and not quite so in your face with neatly integrated tech – it’s reasonably comfortable, too.

Prices are good, though, but we can’t help but think a standard Renault 5 is just a bit cooler, easier to live with and almost as much fun.

Alpine launched the A290 on the smooth mountain roads of Mallorca, although we managed to find some roads more akin to our own potholed tarmac. We also had a few laps around Circuit Mallorca.

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Independent rating: 7/10

There’s only one battery available in the Alpine A290 and it’s the same 52kWh pack that’s in the Renault 5. It comes with different states of tune through the electric motor, though, and in the UK we’ll get GT and GT Premium models with 178bhp or a top-spec GTS model with 217bhp.

While a Renault 5 with the 52kWh battery will go a maximum of 250 miles on a charge, the 178bhp versions of the A290 will only do 236 miles – that drops to 226 for the more powerful car. And with the temptation to use the point and squirt nature of the powertrain a bit more for maximum playfulness – especially with the excellent Alpine Drive Sound upping the excitement level – we suspect those range numbers will drop considerably, as they did on our test drive.

Fast charging comes in at up to 100kW with a 15 to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes, while – like the Renault 5 – there is V2L (Vehicle to Load) and V2G (Vehicle to Grid) charging that can power accessories or even your house. A heat pump is standard to improve cold weather efficiency.

Given the sportiness of the A290 with confidence-inspiring grip levels through fast corners and fat bespoke Michelin tyres on 19-inch wheels the ride is okay. It’s much firmer than a Renault 5 and will thump over the worst bumps and potholes, but it does its best not to shock you too much.

What’s less confidence inspiring is the torque steer as the front tyres struggle to put down all the power if you try to accelerate swiftly out of corners – the front tyres will scrabble for grip with the electronics intervening, but the steering wheel will move around in your hands. And that was in the dry in Mallorca – we’ll wait and see how it is on a rainy weekend in Morecombe.

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And while the GTS version we drove with 217bhp felt quick, with a novelty overtake button on the F1-inspired steering wheel, it didn’t feel as quick as we thought it would in this age of instant EV acceleration. It’s 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds is also a whole second quicker than the 178bhp GT and GT Premium models.

Stopping power was good, though, with brake regeneration adjusted by a dial on one side of the flat-bottomed steering wheel – drive modes are on the other side – and the brakes from Alpine’s sports car, the A110, help to make the pedal feel more natural when stopping than in the Renault 5. The steering feels nicely progressive, too, while the turning circle of 10.2 meters means easy parking manoeuvres.

Like the 5, though, there’s a fair bit of wind noise around the side windows – the result of air flow around the door mirrors.

Alpine has given the A290 enough of a boost inside to make it feel special – and more special than the sub-£40,000 prices might make you think. Quality is good and there are enough Alpine badges, subtle lights and nice materials to make it feel suitably sporty.

The front seats are bigger and will hug you closer than in the Renault 5, but that also means less room in the back. We struggled a bit as – with the front seat set low – there’s nowhere to put your feet under the seat in front.

The centre console, which houses gear selection buttons for drive, reverse and neutral is quite wide and there’s not the storage underneath you might expect in some rivals. There is wireless phone charging available, though.

Unless you have the Devialet audio upgrade with its subwoofer, you’ll get a decent-sized 326-litre boot, easily enough for a couple of cabin-sized suitcases.

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Alpine – like Renault – has worked with Google on the tech, with the infotainment system based on an Android OS. There’s a 10.1-inch digital screen in front of the driver, that can be customised with different displays and data, while there’s a 10.25-inch infotainment screen in the centre that works brilliantly, with an intuitive Google Map app and a whole variety of other apps available.

Alpine refers to it as the Alpine Portal, while there’s also Alpine Telemetrics on board giving owners the opportunity to get coaching on their driving, to analyse live data and take up driving challenges, too.

Thankfully, climate controls sit separately underneath the screen; they have a milled metallic feeling to them and add to the premium look inside the cabin.

GT Premium and GTS models also get an upgraded audio system from French high-end hi-fi brand Devialet. Given the small dimensions it has to work in, the sound is impressively punch and crisp.

Exact pricing for the Alpine A290 should be released, but we’ve been reliably informed that the range should start at £33,500 for the GT model with 178bhp – that’s around £4,000 more than the top of the range Renault 5.

Moving up the range to the GT Premium gets you more kit including a leather interior and the Devialet sound system and a price expected to be £36,500.

At the top of the regular range will be the GTS which gets more power – 217bhp – and a few cosmetic improvements.

The UK will get a supply of the limited edition Premier Editions – just 1,995 models are being built in total – with prices expected to be £39,000.

The A290 will be available in four body colours: Deep Black, Nival White, Matte Tornado Grey and Alpine Vision Blue.

As for running costs, the claimed maximum ranges for both power outputs are no better than reasonable, but we’d expect them to drop considerably if drivers enjoy the performance to the full.

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The A290 will charge at a maximum rate of 100kW on a suitable fast charger, meaning a 15 to 80 per cent charge should take around 30 minutes.

With a starting price expected of £33,500 the A290 looks to be reasonable value – although that does mean it starts at around £4,000 more than the range-topping Renault 5 on which it’s based.

As with all EVs, the A290’s electric battery is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles.

The Alpine A290 handles like a hot hatch should, but it could be faster. It also looks like a hot hatch used to, but that could be a bit over-the-top in the 2020s for some. A standard Renault 5 is a better all-rounder, but the sweet spot could be somewhere between the Renault 5 and Alpine A290 – an ideal position for a Renault 5 Gordini, perhaps.