Alpine A390 review

Something new for Alpine. And more importantly, something new for Planet Car. It's a tall-ish five-door sports car (not a hotted up version of anything else) designed solely around electric power.

Not that that's stopped Alpine leaning on its F1 know-how: the A390 has advanced torque vectoring via triple-motor drive, plus race-type aero in its front S-duct and rear spoiler. Detailed track telematics are available on its centre screen, downloadable to your phone so you can prepare your excuses – we mean analyse your performance – later. With video.

But more relevant to a road car, there's a bit of Alpine's sports-car magic too. The modelling of the door panel stampings has a lot of A110 about it. The roofline and rear pillar more so. The front lights use ideas from the Alpenglow hypercar concept. Big Sabelt seats keep you clamped into the action.

Is it not just a warmed-over Renault in a slinky suit?

To give you an idea of its raw size and understructure, not to mention the driver interface, it's related to the Megane E-Tech. 

But the suspension is different, widening the track for more grip and less body roll. The 89kWh battery, made in France, has new chemistry and cooling for higher sustained power, both discharging and charging, for regeneration and when you're hooked up to a charger. And while the front motor is an all-coil job as Renault uses on its other cars, the rear pair are the permanent-magnet type.

So each rear wheel has its own inverter, motor and reduction gear. They're entirely independent of one another so the car's dynamics brain can overpower the outside one to pivot the car into and through a corner, or drive them at a similar speed like a limited-slip diff.

But to emphasise, there is no need for an actual differential, limited-slip or free, because the wheels aren't physically connected. Meanwhile, a variable split of effort with the front motor adds another degree of control.

So does it work?

Sure does. In its different drive modes the A390 can alter its balance. In the dry and on 21in performance tyres, grip slightly loosens but doesn't break. Select a spicy drive mode, turn in under the brakes and then get on the accelerator: you can feel the rear taking the load and just inching out, which is a subtle joy. More on this if you click through to the Driving page of this review.

That's all well and good, but is it quick?

Oh yes. The spec for the GTS (pictured below) says 464bhp and 0-62mph in less than four seconds. It feels fast, though not drastic, and hauls up to the speed limit without catching breath. You can also engage launch control for kick-starts.

The GT version is 396bhp, and 4.8 seconds 0-62mph. Top speed for that one is 125mph, versus 138mph for the GTS.

A synthetic noise, dependent on pedal position, helps your sensory connection. Regeneration is controlled by the blue steering wheel twist knob, which is less convenient than paddles but more Formula One n'est-ce pas?

What about electric stats?

Both share the 89kWh battery, and a peak charge power of 190kW. But what matters more than the peak is the ability to sustain high power for a long way through the charge period. It can get from 15-80 per cent in 25 minutes.

Range WLTP is up to 341 miles for the GTS on its 21in performance tyres, and 346 miles for the GT on 20in eco-rubber. So not wildly efficient, but what do you expect for this performance?

Over the course of around six months, we saw 2.7 mi/kWh in an A390 GT across summer and into autumn, suggesting 250 miles is the GT's actual ceiling. The faster GTS might require a more gentle right foot to hit its claimed goals too.

Tell me about that faster GTS – surely that's the one to have?

Normally with electric cars, we'd recommend going for the longer-range, lesser-powered versions because they're generally more comfortable, more economical and offer good performance without making your passengers unwell. The opposite rings true for the Alpine – there's so little in it between its GT and GTS trims, plus the difference in character is enough to warrant the higher entry price (more on that in the Buying tab).

It genuinely feels more alert, more alive, and much more responsive than the raw numbers suggest. Everything that the GT offers appears to have been turned up a notch or two, and – at least on a track where literally nobody will ever take it – it's hilariously good fun.

Does it work as a five-door hatch?

Much of its joy is that it's relatively small and agile. Much less daunting than the Ioniq 5 N. So correspondingly tighter inside. The back is pretty cramped for grown-ups, but the lengthy tail houses a decent boot. For more detail click through the Interior section of this review.

It's tricky to give a verdict on a car that's in a class of one. The Ioniq 5 N is the closest, but it's bigger, so roomier, and more of a hooligan. The Porsche Macan electric costs more for the same power, or the same for less power. It's bigger too.

The A390 is maybe not the car you expected. It's really not that lairy. Rather, a quick and agile GT that revels in weight transfer and slick cornering. You could absolutely enjoy every day, although the suspension lacks the softness to excel as a comfy GT.

But its motions down the road, its springs and damping, the speed of its steering – those really do carry the character of the A110. It's just more distant. And heavier. You might not get the almost obscenely intimate connection of the A110, but you do know what it's thinking and doing. And those things are well worth having.