Alpine A390 GT - long-term review: report 1

Yes, it’s a 2.1-tonne Alpine. A 2.1-tonne electric Alpine. Pearls weren’t so much clutched upon the reveal of this electric A390 but likely crushed from horror. Because it’s an Alpine! Which means you can machine gun its model names as though that’ll change the course of history. A106! A110! Racing! Rally! Blue!

We’re almost one per cent certain that had he discovered a way, Alpine founder Jean Rédélé would have lightweighted his own name. So yes, a company that specialised almost exclusively in building cars that were light, pretty, and fast suddenly rolling out a 2.1-tonne ‘practical’ family car powered by electricity was a Big Deal.

But then Alpine sort of had to build a car like this. The 2017 new-era A110 was – is? – one of the most sublime sportscars not just of its era, but of all time. We’re almost two per cent certain that Alpine would have been enormously happy churning out A110s until the sun exploded.

Only, hardly anyone bought it. Last year, Alpine said 2,681 A110s found homes, with just over a fifth of those being the really pricey and range-topping A110 R version. Even though production of Porsche’s 718 line finished in Oct 2025, it shifted 18,612. And that’s down 21 per cent versus 2024.

So, like Porsche did with the Macan, you have only yourselves to blame for Alpine having to build something as heavy like this A390. And yet somehow, Dieppe – which once built the old R5 Gordini! – has managed to sneak in a lot of traditional Alpine DNA into the big lug.

Look at that roofline and rear window. That’s pure A110. Ditto the flanks. And the rear. And from the front? “It looks like a spaceship,” according to TopGear.com’s extremely in-depth and scientific research consisting of corralling opinion from my next-door neighbour. It does indeed look like a spaceship. A big blue one.

Formula One influence comes via the cool S-duct on the bonnet and not, thankfully, via finding another A390 to crash into, and while it might lean a little towards being a touch fussy and overwrought, on the whole the A390’s got decent, interesting visuals. Is it 'pretty'? Well, it's certainly got presence.

What about ‘fast’? Yup, got that wrapped up. The A390 sits on a bespoke version of the same bits that underpin the electric Renault Megane. Only here Alpine’s done its own homework. So there are three motors – two on the back, one up front – powered by an 89kWh battery to allow just under 400bhp for Top Gear’s GT spec car. That’s 0-62mph in under five, and a top whack of ‘it doesn’t matter’.

What does matter is how the thing feels, and on first impressions – bit of motorway, trundling around in town, B-roads etc – it feels really good. It’s never going to be finger-tippy good like an A110, but the way it rides, steers and accelerates is very positive. Engaging. Fun.

Has Alpine managed to transfer enough of the A110’s fun into this 2.1-tonne A390’s everyday manners? Or has it been crushed – like those pearls – by the sheer weight of the thing? We’re about to find out.

Powertrain: tri-motor, 89kWh battery, AWD
Performance: 395bhp, 488lb ft, 0-62mph in 4.8s, 124mph
Kerbweight: 2,124kg
Economy: 3.3mpkwh/345 miles (claimed)
Price: from £61,390