It’s hard to think of any electric vehicle, let alone one costing less than £40,000, generating greater anticipation than the Alpine A290. With good reason, too: the A110 sports car is brilliant, Renault has more experience in small electric vehicles than most, the engineers involved are saying all the right things about driver focus and the prototype tests have all returned favourable reviews (as per every verdict after an ice drive, in fairness). But it’s a small, light(ish) hot hatch from the country and the people that have made the very best small, light hot hatches over the years - so there's good cause for all the excitement.
And if there’s a category of cars that suits electrification, it’s arguably the supermini. Far easier to make a fun pocket rocket with a less emotional powertrain than, say, replace a six-cylinder sports car motor with batteries and motors. The Alpine Dream Garage starts here, with the A390 for the family-minded PHer and an electric A110 to follow. Is it as auspicious a start as we’re hoping?
Certainly, the A290 looks just as good in reality, with a healthy dollop more attitude to ensure it doesn’t just look like an R5 in a nice new blue. The bumper, skirt and diffuser extensions are smartly integrated, purposeful without being OTT, and the stance is good with big 19-inch wheels at each corner. Perhaps, being picky, it’d be nice to have a bit less arch gap (the black surrounds help mask it) to emphasise the short, squat appearance, but that’s a minor gripe. If a Mini still looks a bit odd, the Alpine is spot-on, from its crossed-out headlights like tape on an old rally car to the slashes in the side like it’s a mid-engined 5. Let’s just hope more colours join the palette in time, as with the A110.
The inside is more obviously a Renault than the outside; the important stuff like the seats and steering wheel are specific to Alpine, and there’s some nice leather on the more expensive variants, although the A290 probably loses out a little to the Mini in terms of interior wow factor. It probably ranks as good enough, and if it’s sacrifices here (while keeping all the fancy chassis hardware) that keeps the price below £40k, then that seems a price worth paying. In an ideal world, the driver's seat would go a little lower, the mode button would be less laggy and more tactile like the regen dial, and the wheel would be less cluttered. They aren’t quite deal-breakers. What might be is the 326-litre boot, or rather how it’s been achieved; though the capacity is very good for a car of this size, rear seat space is sacrificed for it, and there’s no room for feet under the front chairs. This is still just 3.99m long, remember - that back bench is for occasional use rather than year-round, family-style hot hatching.
The A290 is immediately encouraging to drive. That tautness and plushness of response we’ve always associated with the ride of Renaultsport hot hatches is absolutely present and correct, the Alpine refusing to be deflected or distracted by imperfections. The combination of a multi-link rear axle with hydraulic bump stops has resulted in a small car with impressive composure, never happier than when shrugging off the worst a road can throw at it. Or leaping over speed bumps without drama like it’s a little tarmac rally car. At slow speeds it’s pretty tough, though never unbearable, and the simple solution to overcoming that is to speed up and give the suspension a chance to breathe - then it feels fantastic. For a car of its dimensions on such large wheels, the maturity and sophistication of the ride is highly laudable. Like we expected anything less, right?
Don’t mistake it for dull, either, as the steering flits at there merest nudge of the wheel and the front end is willing to dart for an apex. If you’ve overcooked it then a lift will tuck the rear of the car around nicely, to the extent that you’ll soon be deliberately missing roundabout exits for another go at feeling loads of grip ebb away nicely into a more, shall we say, French cornering attitude. There’s a bit of fizz through the wheels as 220hp and 221lb ft get their way to the bespoke Michelin PS5s, and soon you’re scooting along having a merry old time in an A290. The brake pedal is really firm and satisfying, too, one of the better EV setups regardless of price. Maybe outright feel isn’t superb, as is often the case with by-wire setups, though as one of those details that feels frequently overlooked in many performance cars, it’s nice to have a bit of heft under your left foot. Plus really strong power from A110-donated Brembo calipers. The Alpine will be an absolute hoot to commute in.
As well as mode selection being fiddly (the Perso individual setting needs the big screen, and that’s a faff), you’ll likely find Sport the best setting for the A290. Going without the not-unpleasant whirr and a bit of heft to the steering makes the Alpine feel a little meek. A bit of tweaking with Perso reveals there’s not a great deal to change anyway: Save is there for when some miles need eking out, but otherwise Sport seems most appropriate. The regen dial is a nice touch for urban use and pretty much one pedal driving, while the Overboost is largely a gimmick (because it’s just full throttle, really), but welcome because of how nice the button feels and the fun graphics of the dash. Much better, surely, to have features in an EV that might not be used than none at all. Sometimes it’s fun to pretend you’re a racing driver and use boost for an overtake, or tweak the regen and pretend it’s something more significant.
Some flaws become apparent when trying a bit harder in the A290; those moments when an R.S. hot hatch might be at its best on the road, this can start to flail. Sometimes the steering’s connection to the front wheels can seem a tad loose, with a bit of creak through the rack that undermines confidence. The 220hp GTS is prone to some wheelspin on corner exit, too, which can get a tad unruly as the electronics don’t work quite as effectively as a limited-slip diff would. Sometimes it actually feels more effective to leave the TC on and let it work things out more smartly. But with so much so good on the way into and through a bend, it feels a shame that corner exit can be a bit scrappy. Particularly on a bespoke Michelin. Maybe the roads were dusty, or especially bumpy, but the front end never quite felt as keyed in as you might hope. And that's a bit disappointing.
The A290 is probably only just fast enough, too. Certainly it’s hard to imagine 180hp really doing the job. A 0-62mph time in 6.4 seconds for the 220hp (7.4 for the 180) is good for a hot hatch, but remember that’s with the immediacy of electric and no gearchanges. Once beyond that initial zip, acceleration can tail off a little, which is more noticeable when not being bombarded by the noise and just watching the numbers climb. The GTS is brisk, but nothing more. Probably better than another EV that’s dangerously rapid. The A290’s 1,479kg is good for an EV though still pretty chunky for four metres long; add a couple of passengers and luggage in and it becomes unavoidable.
On track, the GTS is an absolute hoot: mobile and adjustable and just a little bit silly in finest French hot hatch tradition. A sense of humour only hinted at on the road really does come to the fore. With lots of the weight carried low and the wider tracks, there’s lots of grip and precision where it’s required, but a willingness to rotate that, frankly, is loads of fun as well. Flick it one way and that on the brakes, lift off when you want, bung the heck out of it like it’s a rally car - it’s very easy to make an A290 oversteer. Or teeter just on the edge with a trailed throttle to avoid marshall trouble. All while being less edgy than, say, an old Clio when it does go; the Alpine just helping you corner (or show off) in eminently controllable fashion. Off is definitely off for the ESC. Llandow in the rain will be brilliant in this. Even if it gets down to 1.2 miles per kilowatt hour, which won’t get far on a 52kWh battery. (Something like 3 is more realistic in speedy on-road driving). The brakes stay strong, the body control is good, the resistance to understeer impressive. Still, the steering can feel vague, though it doesn’t detract from a really fun circuit experience. Oddly those reservations from road driving feel less of an issue on a track, which seldom happens, getting the power down well and the brakes feel improving.
And there’s so much more to come from this car. Some softer edges and a mellower side seem a much better way to launch Alpine’s first hot hatch than with a Trophy R-style road racer. Something more focused will follow for the A290 - a Cup to take on the JCW, for example. Or something mad with two motors. For now, it’s a very encouraging opening gambit: stylish, fun to drive, interesting, engaging and set to be decent value as well. The A290 would be a very different experience with an engine, and not necessarily a better one. Crucially, the Alpine feels easily as good, if not a bit better in some aspects, than the Mini to drive, while looking funkier and having that buzz around it that so many Renault products do right now - and which the Cooper SE perhaps doesn’t. That feels a very, very good place for the A290 to start from.
SPECIFICATION | 2025 ALPINE A290 GTS
Engine: 52kWh battery, single electric motor
Transmission: Single-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 220
Torque (lb ft): 221
0-62mph: 6.4 seconds
Top speed: 106mph
Weight: 1,479kg
MPG: 226 miles WLTP range, 100kW max charge rate
CO2: 0g/km (driving), 3.77mi/kWh efficiency
Price: c. £38,000
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