Alpine’s new electrical crossover coupé, the A390, is a real corner-carver. It may not match the razor-sharp agility of a Porsche Macan 4, nevertheless it delivers critical driving pleasure — at a significantly cheaper price.
Ever heard of a “blue banana”? No, it’s not some psychedelic fruit or the results of a botanical experiment gone unsuitable. It’s a sense — the grin that spreads throughout your face whenever you’re driving the Alpine A390. Alpine automobiles are sometimes painted in blue, and this one wears its grin up entrance, too. The blue banana, it seems, comes as a double act.
Beneath, the A390 rides on the AmpR Medium platform additionally utilized by the Renault Mégane, Renault Scénic, and Nissan Ariya. The place Renault sometimes matches a single motor, and Nissan employs one per axle, the A390 makes use of a three-motor setup: a 115 kW (156 PS) EESM up entrance, and two equivalent PSMs on the rear to deal with torque vectoring. “We began with a four-motor prototype, examined completely different configurations and software program maps — the three-motor answer turned out to be the perfect,” explains chief engineer Robert Benetto.
It wasn’t an inexpensive answer, and Alpine’s dynamics engineers needed to persuade higher administration to greenlight it. Ultimately, former Renault CEO Luca de Meo gave the thumbs up. “The Alpine A390 can completely maintain its personal in opposition to the Porsche Macan Electrical,” says product supervisor Fabrice Izzillo. It’s a daring declare, however there’s logic behind it. With 345 kW (470 PS), the French machine outmuscles the entry-level Macan 4 by 45 kW. It does 0–100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and tops out at 220 km/h.
However Alpine isn’t about brute power. Its popularity rests on dynamic finesse via twisty roads. So the A390 encompasses a sports activities suspension with coil springs and hydraulic bump stops, similar to the A110. Stiffer anti-roll bars and bespoke dampers set it other than its Renault-Nissan siblings. Cast aluminium double wishbones up entrance and a bespoke aluminium body to cradle the dual rear motors sharpen response and add rigidity.
All that engineering work pays off. At 2,121 kg, the A390 isn’t any light-weight, but it feels playful and composed via corners. The entrance finish is keen, and torque vectoring on the rear permits you to steer the automotive with the throttle. In Sport or Observe mode, the system sends extra torque to the outer rear wheel, tightening the automotive’s line. Even in Eco or Regular mode, it stays energetic. The 824 Nm of torque definitely helps.
There are two enjoyable toys on the steering wheel: a pink Increase button for ten seconds of additional energy, and a blue dial to regulate regenerative braking throughout three ranges, together with full one-pedal drive. The journey is agency however not harsh — excellent, actually. It might not fairly attain the Macan 4’s apex precision, however with extra energy and round €6,000 much less to pay, it’s a compelling provide. Go for the A390 GT (295 kW, €67,500) and also you’re saving €17,100.
We recorded a mean consumption of 24.8 kWh/100 km — 4.4 kWh greater than claimed. The usable battery capability is 89 kWh, providing as much as 503 km on the GTS with 21-inch wheels. Max DC charging is a good 190 kW; because of an ordinary warmth pump, you possibly can go from 15% to 80% in 25 minutes. At 11 kW AC, 20–80% takes 5 hours 20 minutes. With non-obligatory 22 kW AC, that drops to 2 hours 40.
Inside, the A390 GTS has two screens: a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 12-inch vertical touchscreen operating Android Automotive. The interface is intuitive, and there’s some sometimes French drama within the sportier drive modes — G-force shows included. Why is there nonetheless a cumbersome bodily quantity knob? “We spent the finances on chassis dynamics,” says Benetto. Truthful sufficient.
The A390 measures 4.62 metres in size and goes on sale in January. Rear-seat headroom is tight for these over 1.85 metres tall, as a result of sloping roof. Boot area is 532 litres, or 1,643 litres with the seats folded — though a step within the load ground and a excessive lip make for awkward loading. Nonetheless, that’s a small value to pay for a automotive that places such an enormous grin in your face. Or as they are saying in Dieppe: the blue banana impact.
