Road Test of the Year: Alpine A290
With a sporty makeup and heritage-inspired looks, the A290 has a lot going for it. Cameron Richards discovers what it’s like.
I’ll be honest, when I was handed the keys to Alpine’s A290 electric hot hatch, I had mixed feelings.
Excited…yes, because this little car has the recipe to be something rather special, just like Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N, though I was worried that all of the hype surrounding the car would make it feel a bit overrated.
So, what is it? Alpine is Renault’s performance sub-brand, which is known for making lightweight sports coupes like the A110. The A290 is based on the funky R5 supermini, and is the trailblazer for Alpine’s new electrification strategy, which is now focusing on producing battery-powered models with a sporting pedigree.
Underneath that bold exterior is a 52kWh battery with an electric motor that pumps out 217bhp and 300Nm of torque, while it dashes to 60mph in 6.2 seconds and will run on to a top speed of 106mph.
The exterior gains larger wheels, flared wheel arches, red brake callipers, X-shaped front LED spotlights, stiffened suspension and a lower ride height.
Inside, there are lots of sporty Alpine design cues with blue leather upholstery, a button-shift gear selector, aluminium pedals and gloss black trim.
Once you’re behind the wheel, the A290 is brimming with personality. Despite its 1,479kg kerbweight, the car’s sharp turn-in, responsive steering and eager power delivery makes this an absolute blast on a Welsh B-road.
The Formula One-style steering wheel features many switches, with an ‘overtake’ button. If you press and hold the red lever down, when overtaking, the car gives you a sudden boost of maximum power and torque levels. It might sound like a gimmick, but it does add to the car’s cheeky charm. There are several driving modes, too, despite the fact that ‘sport’ doesn’t really seem to do anything, apart from sharpen the throttle response a little bit, and there is a spaceship-like ‘whoosh’ noise that enters the cabin under acceleration, where the sound is trying to replicate an exhaust note.
Despite some of Wales’ rutted roads, the A290’s suspension isn’t too firm over the imperfections. Okay, so it isn’t the last word in comfort, and you are going to notice you’ve been on a long journey in it, but the car does feel rather sophisticated when it comes to
ride quality.
However, when the heavens open and the road surface becomes slippery, the A290 starts to show some of its weaknesses. The first thing to point out is the lack of grip from the front tyres when you put your foot down, with the wheels scrabbling for traction. Also, there is a surprising amount of torque steer, which makes the car feel unsettled and nervous on the twisty bits when it’s raining – especially encountering the dips and peaks on some of Brecon’s finest roads.
Like with lots of compact EVs, though, the elephant in the room is the range. Alpine claims that the A290 in GTS guise, like our test car, can travel 223 miles on a single charge. Despite that optimistic figure, we were seeing a real-world range of around 170 miles, with the car averaging 3.6 miles per kWh.
If you’re planning on going on holiday in the A290, then you’d best pack light as the car’s limited practicality does restrict its hot hatch credentials to a certain extent. Forget carrying drinks, as there are no cup holders, which is due to the Alpine-inspired button-style gear selector.
The door bins are extremely shallow, the glove box is puny and the centre armrest cubby hole isn’t exactly cavernous, either.
The rear seats are another compromise, as the high floor means passengers with long legs will find it difficult to get comfortable, while there is very little leg or kneeroom. And, while we’re on the subject of seats, the A290’s front chairs look rather bland. They would look better if Alpine had made them look more bucket-like with integrated headrests and thicker bolsters, just to liven up the cabin and make it feel more special.
The A290 really is a bittersweet moment for Alpine. Overall, it’s a fun, funky and fresh entry into the market and will certainly be highly-desirable for any car collector.
Despite this though, the car just doesn’t feel special enough to call it a ‘hot hatch’ and its compromises don’t outweigh its positives. Plus, with prices starting at more than £36,000, which includes the £1,500 Electric Car Grant incentive, it’s considerably more expensive than its Renault sibling.
