New Alpine A390_β concept hints at triple-motor electric SUV for 2025
Alpine's so-called ‘Sport Fastback’ is a coupé-SUV concept designed to take the French brand into uncharted territory
Renault’s sporty sub-brand is readying itself to take things up a notch, previewing its next move with the Alpine A390_β concept. The company is calling its four-door, Porsche Macan-sized coupé-SUV a “Sports Fastback” – and says the exterior is “85 per cent true” to the production car due next year.
Bosses claim the car is a natural next step for the brand, suggesting the A390 will draw in new customers looking for “distinction and driving pleasure” in a market previously unoccupied by the French sports car maker.
This is no lukewarm family crossover, however. While just a concept for now, the A390_β boasts three electric motors, plus active torque vectoring to shuffle the power exactly where it’s needed. Sovany Ang, VP for Alpine product performance, said the new car will “drive like an [Alpine] A110” – suggesting the brand’s driver focus will remain long into the electric era.
Even ignoring the SUV shape, the A390_β pushes Alpine in a totally new design direction, ditching the A110’s dual light clusters in favour of a slim, full-width lightbar and an illuminated logo. There’s plenty of intricate detailing on the nose, with a set of deep vents to the side and a protruding front splitter. Alpine’s design director Antony Villain described the fastback as a “racing car in a tuxedo”.
To the side, you’ll find a set of huge wheels (22-inch at the front, 23-inch to the rear) with an illuminated blue centre cap said to highlight the aforementioned active torque vectoring system. Regrettably, Villain confirmed such frivolities are unlikely to make production.
Many of the car’s aero flourishes are functional, however. The ‘micro-perforated’ grille channels air around the front of the A390, while ‘side scoops’ accelerate flow to the rear. The rear lightbar can extend by up to 80mm, a little like a McLaren W1, although here it works with the diffuser to reduce drag and improve range.
The car’s coupé-like shape is emphasised by the extensive glass house, which wraps around the C-pillar to reiterate a feeling of space inside. Small, light-up Tricolore flags leave you in little doubt of this car’s heritage; Alpine has crêpes and coq au vin running through its veins and the maker has already confirmed the A390 will be built in its existing factory in Dieppe, northern France.
But while the concept car’s exterior might be representative of the forthcoming SUV, the interior is still some way off. Inspired by the mountains (like the Alpine name, no less) it features a rutted carbon-fibre floor and a set of white, almost snow-covered rear seats.
The cockpit puts the focus on the driver, with a triple-layer glass instrument panel providing “multi-dimensional reading” of key data such as the speed and trip info. The seats and steering wheel are inspired by Formula One; the chair moves on an axis that allows drivers to seamlessly switch between “the world of everyday driving and that of extreme sportiness”. In its standard setting the rectangular steering wheel is quite wide, but in the racier mode it slims down to boost agility and offer that driver-focused feel.
The 3D-printed triangular key slots in neatly to the centre of the wheel. As on the A290 hot hatch, the concept gets an ‘OV’ (overtake) button that unlocks full power for short bursts. Alongside this, there are switches for the hydraulic suspension and regenerative braking, as well as the car’s multimedia functions.
Much of the car’s technical information remains under wraps, although as mentioned, the A390_β has three electric motors – one at the front and two at the rear. Alpine CEO Philippe Krief told us the A390 will “always be all-wheel drive”, but that a more modest dual-motor version could also be offered.
When asked about a possible competitor set, Ang mentioned cars like the BMW iX2 and latest Porsche Macan – suggesting the Alpine could get up to 600bhp in its most potent form. We’d also assume, given those referenced rivals, that the maker would be targeting a real-world range of 300 miles or more.
And that’s eminently possible given the car is based on the Renault Group’s AmpR Medium platform found underneath more modest models like the Megane and Scenic. However, at roughly 4.7m, the A390 is much longer than either of these cars. A wider track and bigger wheels – mated to those more powerful motors, torque vectoring and some larger brakes – should transform the way the coupé-SUV drives.
Alpine bosses are targeting one new model each year until at least 2028, with the A390 due next year. Following this will be the electric successor to the popular A110 in 2026, with a convertible version soon after. The initial line-up will be book-ended by a larger 2+2, badged A310, in 2028.
Krief told us that this last model will “bridge the gap between sports cars and something more roomy – a kind of mix between a Porsche 911 and a BMW M4”. No further Alpine-badged Renaults are planned, either; while the A290 was a natural first step, Krief wants greater differentiation of the Group’s brands going forward.
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