New Alpine A390: the electric sports car for everyday driving and for company

Still fresh from the good impression left by the first drive of the Alpine A290, the French brand now presents its second electric model. The third will be the successor to the A110, but that’s another story… The A390 arrives loaded with technology while boasting both sportiness and versatility. To achieve this, it uses a body with four-door coupé silhouette that is not without a certain practicality, and a propulsion system with three electric motors and all-wheel drive (for the first time on an Alpine), in two power versions delivering 400 CV or 470 CV.

In reality, the A390 was no secret: we already saw a preview with the A390_β prototype presented at the Paris Motor Show in 2024. Now that we can see the final images and learn its main characteristics, we are eager to get behind the wheel. Outwardly, there is no denying it has personality. It is large for an Alpine, with a length of 4.61 metres, a width of 1.88 metres and a height of 1.53 metres. It has many peculiar design elements, but among its notable features, note how carefully the aerodynamics have been developed, inspired – although you wouldn’t notice – by the LMDh endurance racing prototypes. And you can choose from six appealing colours: Black, Abysse Blue, Alpine Vision Blue, Noir Profond, Bleu Abysse, Bleu Alpine Vision, Mercury Silver, White and Tonerre Matt Grey. Depending on the version, the roof can be the same colour as the rest of the bodywork, or finished in a contrasting black.

An Alpine for five passengers and their luggage

The dashboard layout recalls the Renault models, with the 12.3-inch instrument screen and the 12-inch screen below it set vertically, forming a kind of “L”, all oriented towards the driver. There are physical controls for the climate system, and the steering wheel has the specific buttons we already saw on the A290: a blue rotary dial to control the intensity of regenerative braking, marked RCH (Recharge), and a red one marked OV for “Overtake”, for instant access to all the power, quite literally “at the touch of a button”.

Once again, the centre console is inspired by the A110, with buttons for selecting the transmission position. The décor makes it clear this is an Alpine, and you can even opt for seats signed by Sabelt with carbon inserts. But the important thing is that the two rear doors give access to a cabin that can accommodate up to three occupants. They won’t be very roomy, but to experience what the A390 surely conveys, it’s worth squeezing in a little. Luggage capacity is 532 litres, which is not bad at all.

Naturally, the Alpine Telemetrics function is also included, now optimised compared with the A290. It has three categories: Live Data, with driving data across several menus ranging from g-forces to lap times on track, motor and battery temperature, motor torque or tyre temperature; Coaching, to help the driver improve their skills; and Challenges, to complete targets. Alpine also boasts an audio system signed by Devialet, developed specifically for the A390. It features an 850-watt amplifier and 13 speakers, combined with a dedicated amplifier that emulates engine sounds.

Three motors and all-wheel drive

The A390 features one motor on the front axle and two motors on the rear axle, one for each wheel. There are two versions available: the GT, with 400 CV and 650 Nm of torque, 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h; and the GTS, with 470 CV, 808 Nm of torque, 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 220 km/h. The announced weight starts at 2,121 kg.

This layout allows the Alpine Active Torque Vectoring function, an independent control of torque distribution between the two rear wheels. Alpine uses torque vectoring to enhance dynamism, sending more torque to the outer rear wheel in a corner to generate a yaw moment. The system’s interventions are shown on a dedicated indicator in the instrument cluster. Together with active torque distribution, the low centre of gravity, a weight distribution of almost 50/50, very direct steering and specific Michelin tyres (Pilot Sport EV for the GT, Pilot Sport 4S for the GTS, and the new CrossClimate 3 Sport as an All Season option) are key to delivering dynamic behaviour that, as with the A290, is sure to win over driving enthusiasts. The brakes feature 365-millimetre discs and, for the first time for the brand, 6-piston callipers.

The driver can select up to five modes for the powertrain management system using a dedicated button on the steering wheel: Save, Normal, Sport, Perso and Track. In addition, stability control can be fully disabled.

As for the battery, this is a new development for this car. It has a capacity of 89 kWh and a high-performance NMC chemistry to guarantee maximum power delivery when powering the three motors, and to do so repeatedly. It uses 400-volt technology with a dedicated cooling system, and allows the A390 to homologate a range of up to 555 km for the GT version with 20-inch wheels, and up to 520 km for the GTS with 21-inch wheels. It supports DC fast charging at up to 190 kW, which according to the brand allows around 2 hours of motorway driving to be recovered in under 20 minutes.

Alpine A390 – Image gallery