Ah, just what we needed. Yet another SUV. I've always thought of Alpine as being the French equivalent of Lotus since they've focused on lightweight sports cars. Much like the peeps from Norfolk now have an electric SUV with the Eletre, the boys and girls based in Dieppe are introducing this–the A390_β. It's only a concept at this stage but a production version will follow next year.
Just like Ferrari is refusing to call the Purosangue an SUV, Alpine doesn't use the acronym. Instead, it's a "sport fastback." The sloping roofline gives the impression of an SUV that had an affair with a coupe. Because this is only a concept, the Renault-owned marque can get away with not giving the A390_β a conventional B-pillar. However, that won't be the case with the subsequent road-going model. In addition, the suicide doors won't make it to production either.
Although the concept does look more exciting than your typical SUV, logic tells us the actual vehicle people will be able to buy won’t match this level of pizzazz. There is hope, though. Alpine does promise the final car will retain around 85% of the exterior design but we'll believe it when we'll see it.
The futuristic interior is said to take after Formula 1 cars but obviously with a lot more seats. The A390 is touted as a five-seater version of the future electric A110 sports car. It's the one Alpine initially planned to develop with Lotus before the two parted ways in mid-2023.
Technical specifications are limited at this point but we do know the production model will feature three electric motors. One will sit at the front and the other two at the back, enabling all-wheel drive. It won’t be a permanent AWD setup, which suggests the front-mounted motor can be decoupled for a more tail-happy experience. Active torque vectoring is promised for a more engaging drive.
Alpine A390_β concept
The A390 will be the second EV from Alpine, following the A290 hot hatchback. The latter is essentially a high-performance version of the reborn Renault 5. Although Alpine is coming to the United States in a couple of years, you won’t see these electric vehicles in North America. Instead, bigger SUVs are expected to get a US visa. There are also plans for an A310 coupe, a bigger four-seat sports car to take on the Porsche 911 but with an electric setup.
By the end of the decade, Alpine intends to have no fewer than seven EVs in its growing lineup. A supercar was recently confirmed and it'll either be entirely electric or will feature a hydrogen-fueled combustion engine.
