2026 Alpine A390 GT | PH Review

France's answer to the Macan Electric promises class-leading handling. Does it deliver?

As a car that measures 4.6 metres in length and weighs 2.1 tonnes, the Alpine A390 can lay claim to being the most compact and lightest car in its class. Describing a battery-powered SUV as ‘light’ is stretching it a bit, of course, but next to the 2.2-tonne Hyundai Ioniq 5 N or 2.3-tonne Porsche Macan, the A390 is like Jake Paul standing face-to-face with Anthony Joshua. And when the intention is to create something that feels more agile and reactive than its main rivals, it’s easy to see how a near-10 per cent weight reduction could be seen as a performance advantage. Rivals might throw the bigger punches, but a lighter and smaller Alpine should be faster on its toes - and potentially more interesting to drive on the limit.

That’s certainly the thinking, at any rate. The A390 evolves Renault-Nissan’s AmpR Medium platform so substantially that it gets a unique three-motor electric powertrain to give each rear wheel its own power source, uses bespoke aluminium suspension arms and a much faster steering rack, as well as specific Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres and Alpine’s first six-piston caliper brake setup. This is in a package with a near-perfect 49:51 weight distribution, which Alpine reckons creates an SUV that accelerates, goes around corners and stops like an A110, albeit one with more seats - and no engine.

The pricing should be pretty competitive from the off, too, with the A390 starting from an anticipated £62,000 in entry-level GT form, before rising to around £70k in more potent GTS trim. That means both the 400hp GT and 470hp GTS will rank close to their all-wheel-drive arch rivals from Porsche and Hyundai. Sure, the Porsche has more badge prowess and the Hyundai has more power, but Alpine expects the A390’s driver appeal to win over private buyers and, even more significantly given their share of the UK market, company car drivers, for which this category of EVs represents something to aspire to.

So how does it play out in the real world? On first impressions, things aren’t so clear. The A390 does - as Matt predicted when it was revealed - look better in the metal, appearing lower and sleeker, and more like the Beta concept, thanks to the illusion of lowness created by black wheel arch surrounds and GTS-spec 21-inch alloy wheels. The air channelling bonnet openings at the front of the A390 hint at high-speed performance, and the rear’s pinched lines, aerodynamic diffuser and LMDh prototype-inspired rear arch flaps are interesting, racy details. But as a coupe-SUV silhouette in 2025, it’s slightly generic, albeit handsome enough.

The interior won’t impress everyone either. Fans of the A290’s F1-inspired wheel will be happy to see an identical solution here, with the same ‘OV’ red overtake switch, blue regenerative braking dial and black Drive Mode button. But those hoping for a complete cockpit overhaul compared to the Scenic might be disappointed to see the same dual-screen setup (which is actually very good, both tech and usability-wise), flanked by straight-lined air vents and a familiar dash shape. But look a little closer and the same level of Alpine enhancement has been applied to the A390’s front interior as was in the A290. As ever, it’s all in the details.

Alcantara and unglossed carbon fibre replace cloth and plastic on the dash, and the Scenic’s column-mounted gear selector is swapped for D(rive), N(eutral), R(everse) buttons shared with the A290. They’re located on a new centre section that cocoons the driver, and - you won’t believe this A290 and A110 owners - sports a conveniently-located cup holder, with space underneath for more storage, to go with the door bins and glovebox. As far as up-front interior space alone goes, this is a very different Alpine to what’s come before.

Since the car we’re driving in Spain is the entry-level GT, we don’t have the GTS’s standard-fit, leather-clad buckets (boo), but rather part-Alcantara chairs that are admittedly nice and supportive on the lower back, and go low enough to remain sporty in feel. I like that Alpine uses a similar dot pattern in its seat fabrics to ‘00s Clios (I would), though there is potentially a practicality hindrance in sticking with these thicker GT-spec seats…

In the back, there’s good knee room for a near six-footer, but the 89kWh battery in the floor means your legs sit higher and with a hatchback-like angle in the knee. That, and the swooping roofline above you, means it feels cramped for an SUV. At least boot space is almost identical to that of the longer Macan EV at a generous 532 litres, although unlike the Porsche, there’s no front boot thanks in part to the A390’s aerodynamic bonnet openings. Thankfully, the charge cables can be stored under the boot floor, which is handy, because the A390 generates a fair bit of lateral G-force.

With a 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds, the 400hp GT is quick but it has nothing off the line on the ballistic Ioniq 5 N, which hauls itself to the mark a full 1.4 seconds earlier. Not surprisingly given the hype, it’s in the bends where the A390 excels. Lightweight suspension hardware, passive damping and hydraulic bump provide body control that’s taut, but not so firm that it dials out all of the chassis’s communicativeness. Sure, the steering’s devoid of feel, but the rack is quick and the 235-section Michelins provide plenty of bite. When pitched and angled at an apex, the A390 is as keen on the nose as anything in this class, although the slight drawback of that is it sometimes a bit too keen to change direction on the motorway. Moreover, on anything other than a perfectly smooth bit of tarmac, you’re always providing miniscule corrections to the car’s direction of travel. At least the steering assist tech is very good.

Alpine’s twin-motor rear setup looks properly exotic on paper because it is. Everything else in this class uses a single rear motor and a differential to split the torque, but the A390 can claim to deploy the segment’s only ‘pro-active’ torque vectoring where you really want it. Each rear wheel is powered by its own motor, but with ‘just’ 400hp to play with, the GT - even when sent squatting on its nose and flung at an apex - can’t be convinced into going fully hooligan like a 5 N. This is where the power-oversteer-capable Hyundai holds unique track day driver appeal. But that’s fine: even an A390 GT with a Track Mode is unlikely to ever venture onto a circuit. Its smaller and more subtle kicks of oversteer are there to reduce understeer, rather than send you flagrantly sideways.

Those brakes, by the way, resist fade brilliantly and the pedal is nice and progressive, even when you ramp up the regenerative braking via the blue dial. If you want to maximise the regen, there’s a one-pedal driving mode, meaning slower speed driving can be as efficient as it is effortless. Drive sensibly, and the Alpine boasts sufficient efficiency to beat the Hyundai and at least run the Macan 4 Electric close (the rear-drive Macan Electric is well out of reach), with a 345-mile claimed range. Although that’s when the GT’s got its standard-fit 20-inch alloys; with the 21s, that falls to 314 miles. At least that’s still ahead of the 278-mile Hyundai.

That range difference versus the 5 N is vital because for out-and-out thrills, the Hyundai is leagues ahead. But for anyone who feels like they might appreciate the A390’s near-optimal blend of ride comfort and high-speed body control, not to mention its three-motor powertrain and its sleek SUV-coupe design, this five-seater SUV has bags of appeal. Arguably Alpine’s biggest challenge is not convincing people of its dynamic smarts, but rather luring buyers away from a very capable (and popular) Macan 4 Electric. For the GT, that might be a fight too hard to win, but for the more potent GTS? That might be when the A390 finally enters the ring with a glint in its eye. More on that next time.

SPECIFICATION | 2026 ALPINE A390 GT

Engine: 89kWh battery, three electric motors
Transmission: Single-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 400
Torque (lb ft): 488
0-62mph: 4.8 seconds
Top speed: 124mph
Weight: 2,121kg
MPG: 345 miles WLTP range (314 with GTS wheels), 190kW max charge rate
CO2: 0g/km (driving), 3.9miles/kWh efficiency
Price: £62,000 (est)

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