Alpine has pulled the covers off its all-new all-electric show car called the A290_B (pronounced Beta). This zippy new hot hatch offers a quick glimpse into Alpine’s venture into the world of mainstream electric cars, with a production model set to follow in 2024.
The naming of the A290_β was based on Alpine’s new global naming strategy. The A and three numbers signify the brand, with 2 indicating the B-segment and 90 foreshadowing the upcoming Lifestyle range. The use of the Greek letter beta marks the vehicle’s intermediate phase before its official launch next year.
More: Renault’s Alpine Sports Car Brand Is Working On Two Electric SUVs For The USA
While the concept is not the exact embodiment of the R5 Turbo 3E study from last year, we’re pretty happy to say that it looks raucous enough on its own. It leans deeply into the same styling of the already previewed Renault 5 Prototype.
The production car is expected to retain much of the concept’s exterior styling, with Chief Designer Raphael Linari telling Top Gear that “85% of the exterior design will be identical to the real thing”. However, the interior, featuring a unique three-seat cockpit that positions the driver in the center, will not be carried over.
“It’s too early to announce what’s happening inside the car so we went crazy on the interior,” Linari told TG. “Driving sensation is at the center of our product philosophy so we thought, ‘what if we put the driver in the middle of the car?’ This in turn led to many styling solutions and ideas. Because this has never been done on such a compact format.”
Two Powertrains
The upcoming production A290 will share the same technology as the Renault 5 and ZOE, which feature a 52kWh battery pack for a stated range of 245 miles. While the Renault 5 will offer a choice of two electric motor options – 108 bhp (106 hp / 79 kW) and 132 bhp (130 hp / 96 kW) – the A290 is expected to be significantly more powerful. Although Alpine did not release any specifics at the time of the reveal, the brand’s engineering chief, Bonetto, previously told Autocar that the A290 is likely to have a base 215 hp motor and an upgraded 268hp motor from 2027.
We’re hopeful that if the R5 Turbo 3E concept was a hint at anything it’ll lend even more power AND rear-wheel drive to the mix later on. That would certainly be a fitting contribution to a car that clearly calls back to the Renault Clio V6 as well.
Regardless of power, battery capacity, or range, the A290_B is touted as a show car that precedes an urban street car to be introduced in 2024 so it’ll be a little while before any of us get our hands on the production version.
Additional reporting John Halas
