Alpine A390 review

The A390 GT opens the bidding at £61,390. Crikey. That one gets 400bhp, 20in wheels, and most of the premium interior trim including nappa leather armrests and steering wheel, plus a mix of Alcantara and leatherette on the seats.

It also bags you the 12in touchscreen with built-in Google, a heated steering wheel, a 13-speaker Devialet stereo, 360 degree parking cameras and a heat pump for when the going gets cold.

Then there's a GT Premiere Edition for £65,390, which adds a black roof and a number of other cosmetics, 22kW three-phase AC charging and a Driving Pack that adds ADAS and hands-free parking.

Then there's the 464bhp GTS for £69,390, which grants you the bigger 21in wheels and grippier tyres, Sabelt seats with massage and electric adjustment, and an XtremeSound processor for the hi fi. That version also has the surprisingly wide-ranging driver coaching system, and semi-autonomous driving.

What's my best bet?

As we mentioned in the Overview, normally we'd recommend sticking with the entry to mid-level trims. However... whack a few choice options on a GT and you're staring down the barrel of the GTS's starting price, and for the standard equipment and better performance, you might as well just plump for that one.

For example, stick some delightful Alpine Blue paint on a GTS and it's £741 per month (with a chunky £12.5k deposit) – around the same as a GT with the same wheels, hifi, seats and so on. Go on, you know you want to.

The thing to remember is that there are hundreds upon hundreds of Porsche Taycans vying for attention on used car websites right now, which has likely made finance companies think twice about backing another hugely expensive electric sports car. Food for thought if you're buying outright too...

Any other business?

The A390 comes with external charge ability, AKA V2L. Renault's Mobilize division is working towards using its vehicle to grid – V2G – capability in the UK, which could transform ownership cost. Basically, if you can charge at home you buy cheap electricity at night, store it in the battery, and sell it back to the grid at higher prices in peak hours.