Sacrebleu! The automotive world has a new petite French bombshell to drool over. Alpine, the niche sports car brand under Renault, just unveiled their first electric hot hatch – the mouthwatering A290. This racy little hatch dials the sportiness up to 11, blending zippy electric performance with sexy French styling. Let’s take a closer look at this tantalizing new EV.
Aggressive Hot Hatch Styling
The A290 pulls no punches in the looks department. Its compact, muscular stance screams “rally car” with bulging fender flares, a subtle rear ducktail spoiler, and an aggressive front end with X-shaped LED auxiliary lights. This isn’t a boring eco-box – it’s a feisty hot hatch with an attitude.
Inside, Alpine meshes sportiness with premium touches. Sports seats hug you in the corners, while a racy flat-bottom steering wheel and aluminum pedals remind you this is a driver’s car. But it’s not all bare-bones – there’s a crisp 10.1″ touchscreen, 10.25″ digital gauge cluster, and even ambient lighting you can customize.
Zesty Electric Performance
So it looks rapid, but can the A290 back it up with some legitimate quickness? You bet your béret it can! Alpine offers two powertrain tunes:
- Base/GT Premium: 174 hp
- GT Performance/GTS: 215 hp and 221 lb-ft of instant electric torque
Even the “base” model scoots from 0-62 mph in a respectable 7.5 seconds. But step up to the 215 hp variant, and the sprint drops to a hot hatch-worthy 6.4 seconds! Power hits the front wheels through a single electric motor.
To enhance dynamics, the A290 utilizes a multilink rear suspension, model-specific Michelin tires and Brembo front brakes pilfered from the A110 sports car. There are also selectable drive modes like Sport and an “Overtake” button for maximum acceleration punch.
Just One Catch – It’s Not Coming to America
Before you rush out to put a deposit down on this feisty French mobile, there’s one big catch – the A290 is Europe-only for the foreseeable future. Yep, another case of an awesome Euro-performance car that won’t make it across the Atlantic.
Why does no U.S. love, Alpine? This athletic little hatch seems perfectly suited for American hot hatch fanatics. At least tell us you’ll consider it in the future as you expand the Alpine brand’s presence here!
Quick Alpine A290 Specs
- Power: 174 hp / 215 hp
- Torque: 221 lb-ft
- 0-62 mph: 7.5 sec (base) / 6.4 sec (GTS)
- Battery: 52 kWh
- Range: 236 miles (est)
- Charging: 100 kW DC fast charging
- Suspension: Multilink rear
- Brakes: Brembo front (from A110)
- Tires: Model-specific Michelin performance tires
The Verdict
The Alpine A290 is a tantalizing glimpse at the future of electric hot hatches. It expertly blends zesty electric performance with a sexy French fashion sense. While it’s frustrating that Americans will miss out on this particular EV for now, the A290 bodes well for Alpine’s future electric lineup that will eventually grace our shores.
If you find yourself in Europe, do yourself a favor and try to get some seat time in this racy French EV. It’s sure to have you muttering “Sacré bleu!” and grinning from ear to ear.
Share your thoughts on the A290 in the comments below! Would you want to see this electric hot hatch sold in America?
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