Alpine allegedly plans Scenic offshoot A390 with tri-motor drive

Alpine has been known for its sports cars since it was founded in 1955. The only model currently available, the A110, is also a sports coupé. However, the first electric model will be a small car and is rumoured to be followed by a compact SUV - an offshoot of the Renault Scenic. Well, the purists were also upset when Porsche launched its first SUVs on the market - which are now the brand's most successful models.

The first electric model, the A290, has already been presented as a study; the cockpit is also already partially known. The model will be officially unveiled on 13 June in the run-up to the 24-hour race in Le Mans, as has already been officially announced. The car is a derivative of the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, but will probably have more power at the top end. The 150 PS top drive from the R5 could be added later, according to an article from Auto-Moto.  

The next model to follow will be an A390, writes the French magazine on its website. This is said to be a compact SUV à la Renault Scenic. Renault boss Luca de Meo already announced at the beginning of 2021 that a type of SUV based on CMF-EV was planned.

CMF-EV is the platform on which the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, the Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric and the Nissan Ariya are based, and it is now called AmprR Medium. Like the A290, however, the second electric Alpine will have a more powerful engine and a sportier chassis than the Scenic.

Like the electric Scenic, the A390 will also be around 4.40 metres long and help to keep the plant in Dieppe (Normandy) busy. Renault did not actually promise an SUV in 2021, but a "GT X-Over", which can probably be translated as a crossover GT. So we can probably expect something like a high-riding GT or a coupé SUV. It will be interesting to see whether the side view, at only 4.40 metres long and despite the height of at least 1.60 metres due to the battery, will look as elongated and elegant as the silhouette shown in 2021:  

Silhouette of an Alpine model shown at the "Renault eWays" event

The top version is to be an all-wheel-drive vehicle with a tri-motor drive; it is not yet clear how high the performance will be. However, it is likely that Alpine will use the three engines of the A390 from the Renault range. In addition, there could be the front-wheel drive with 215 PS from the bourgeois Scenic. According to the report, the car will have an 89 kWh battery - that would be 2 kWh more than the large battery from the Scenic E-Tech Electric. 

The Alpine A390 is not due to come onto the market until 2025, but it could be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October - whether as a design study or already in the production version remains to be seen.

Alpine's "Dream Garage" announced for 2021: a small car, a crossover and a sports coupé

Alpine wants to have a complete model range by the end of this decade. This should also include the successor to the A110, which is to be called the A310 and is rumoured to be launched in 2026. According to the report, this could be offered as both a combustion engine and an electric car.

More from Alpine:

See Alpine A290 EV hot hatch being tested at -30°C

The Alpine A110 R Turini is a four-cylinder £90,000 sports car

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The bottom line

Alpine wants to put seven electric cars on the road by 2030. The A290 will be the first to be launched in 2024, followed by an A390 next year and then the sports coupé, which will replace the A110, in 2026. This will complete the Dream Garage. However, four models would still have to follow in the years 2027 to 2030, i.e. an average of one model per year - an extremely tight programme.

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