Here is the A390, the almost-SUV from Alpine that wants to do better than the A110

Alpine has finally lifted the veil on its A390 and revealed details of its engine, batteries, range, weight, and pricing. This is the opportunity to finally pit it against its front-line competitor, the Porsche Macan, launched last year. The two electric SUVs are replaying the old duel between the German and French brands, which already faced off with their respective Cayman and A110 models.

The new A390 has already been the talk of the town since the Paris Motor Show, where it was photographed in concept form. The brand then presented it as a prototype, and we learned that it had decided to integrate the same fake combustion engine from the new A290, derived from the Renault R5 E-Tech. The opportunity to send the watts without losing too much of the listening pleasure (there are 13 speakers in the cabin, designed by Devialet), essential on the circuit to realize the speed.

Behind the A390, what platform do we find? Despite the car's rather crazy design, it is a modified Renault Scénic base. Alpine has indeed worked on the AmpR Medium platform, used on the family SUV of the diamond brand, with the difference that the tracks have been widened to better meet the performance and style requirements of the new A390. The center of gravity has also been lowered. The weight distribution is particularly good, with 49% at the front and 51% at the rear. In terms of dimensions, the electric Alpine A390 is 4.61 m long, 1.88 m wide and 1.53 m high.

The 3 engines of the Alpine A390

To compete with the 4S version of the Porsche Macan, Alpine has launched the new A390 in a top-of-the-range GTS version. It adds 70 hp to the GT version, accelerates the 0 to 100 km/h by almost a second and offers a slightly higher top speed of 20 km/h. More precisely, this gives the following technical specifications:

• Alpine A390 GT: 400 hp, 650 Nm, 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, 200 km/h top speed
• Alpine A390 GTS: 470 hp, 808 Nm, 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, 220 km/h top speed

To transmit this power to the ground, Alpine relies on three motors (on the GT and GTS versions), one at the front and two at the rear, capable of operating individually and adjusting the torque level according to needs and curves. Alpine has patented its system and named it Active Torque Vectoring. With it, the brand aims to enhance the body's agility in corners and thus overshadow more road-ready and lighter models, such as a certain A110. To optimize its performance, the electric car benefits from Michelin tires developed specifically for it.

On the scale, the new Alpine A390 makes no secret of its substantial mass, at 2,212 kg. But it is still lighter than an electric Porsche Macan, with nearly 220 kg less. As a result, the A390's power-to-weight ratio is superior to its rival's, with 4.51 kg/hp compared to 4.54 kg/hp. The GTS version's 0-100 km/h time is thus slightly faster, by 0.2 seconds, than that of the Macan 4S.

A Verkor battery

Both the GT and GTS versions of the A390 feature an 89 kWh NMC battery pack from the French company Verkor. To ensure it can handle the demands of such a car on the track, the battery was developed with a specific cooling system, allowing for high discharges without loss of performance. Charging this battery is capped at 190 kW at maximum power, but Alpine announces that it will only take 25 minutes to go from 15% to 80% with this direct current charge. On an AC outlet, you will have to count on 11 kW, or 22 kW by checking an option.

On the road, you will have to count on a range of between 520 and 555 km in the WLTP cycle, depending on the version (the GT version is more efficient) and the tire fitment, announces Alpine. This corresponds to a difference of 86 km all the same, to the advantage of the Porsche Macan, whose maximum battery charging power reaches 270 kW (21 minutes to go from 10 to 80%). If the German is heavier, it remains more versatile, especially since it will have a loading space greater by 92 liters (532 liters for the A390).

On condition of paying the price: the 4S version asks for 93,091 euros, while the GTS version of the new Alpine A390 should cost around 76,000 euros (the GT version should start at around 65,000 euros).