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In principle, electrification offers a number of advantages precisely for the sporty driver as well. Just think of the readily available power of an electric motor, or the low center of gravity thanks to the battery. On the other hand, that battery also makes the whole car a lot heavier. Moreover, I think that especially in sporty cars, the engine and exhaust noise is also an important part of the driving experience. It seems that despite its electric drive, the Alpine A290 manages to convince even the traditional sporty driver. I would like to experience that.

A good foundation

The basis of the Alpine A290 is already good. That is, in fact, the new Renault 5. That was already my personal car of the year before it officially became one. First, it is very nicely designed and then it also turned out to be one of the nicest driving EVs on the market. That bodes well for the A290.

The Alpine A290 is not only distinguished from the Renault by its brand name. Both body and chassis have been addressed by Alpine, and in front is the more powerful electric motor from the Megane E-Tech Electric. Depending on the version, you have 130 kW (180 hp) or 160 kW (220 hp) at your disposal. So the fact that the A290 is positioned as an Alpine model is not (just) a matter of marketing, Alpine really did contribute to it. In our earlier review we went into more detail about the Alpine and its equipment, now the focus is mainly on the driving experience in Dutch practice.

On board the Alpine A290

Behind the wheel, it appears that the seating position of the Renault 5 has remained just a little too high in the Alpine. In the R5 that doesn’t matter, but in a hot hatch you would actually want to sit lower. You get used to it quickly, though, and then it doesn’t really bother you anymore. Alpine didn’t rush into the interior either, with much more than just some sportier trim. Even the entire center console has been modified, with now a sort of center tunnel between the front seats. The transmission controls (actually: driving direction) have also been moved there. In the Renault, it’s on the steering column. So you have a markedly different experience inside than in the Renault as well.

Clearly sporting approach

Once on the road, the modified suspension is immediately noticeable. The Alpine A290 clearly has firmer suspension than the Renault 5. It does not become uncomfortable – a bit bouncy on clinker roads, for example – but it is clear that sporty handling takes precedence over driving comfort.

You also notice immediately that you have more power at your disposal. I am driving the GTS, the top model which also has the most powerful engine. When accelerating strongly, you notice that Alpine has not tried to suppress torque steer, i.e. the driving forces can be felt in the steering wheel. A plus as far as I’m concerned, as it makes for a somewhat more analog driving experience.

Classic hot hatch driving experience?

Where the “standard” Renault 5 already invites you to take fun shortcuts, the Alpine does so much more. Moreover, you don’t have to reach highly illegal speeds to have fun. As a result, even in the middle of North Holland there are still several country and dike roads to be found where you can really have fun.

It only gets really fun when you switch off the ESP in the process. Then the rear end becomes playful. In the first place, this allows you to “set” the car a bit when braking for a fast corner. If you let off the gas in the corner, the rear end can even become really loose, just like before.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be afraid of flying backwards down the embankment – as the hot hatchbacks of yesteryear sometimes found their Waterloo. Indeed, on dry asphalt, you have to deliberately provoke it if you want the rear end to really break out. Disclaimer: do this only in places where it is justified and you have the space. If you’ve gotten to know the car and know when it’s going to slide, it provides an extra dose of fun. Under the right conditions, you can even put down a real drift, although it obviously lasts a short time since it is a front-wheel-drive car.

Alpine Driving Sound

In short, the Alpine A290 offers a driving experience remarkably close to the traditional hot hatch. But yes, then that sound… To that end, Alpine has equipped the car with the Alpine Driving Sound. That’s a driving sound that is “inspired by the A110” (with a hint of spaceship). That sound should provide (in the interior only) some extra experience.

Convincing? Mwa. Even in loudest mode, you have to give considerable ‘gas’ to hear it at any volume. Other than that, to be honest, it doesn’t immediately remind you of the A110, nor does the sound ‘shift’. Never mind that it plops and prattles nicely at throttle release. Well, the Alpine Driving Sound is better than silence, but it doesn’t match the soundtrack of a real sports exhaust.

Fair is fair: when you’re having fun on a dyke road you don’t even miss the sound that much. Then the focus is mainly on the fun driving. But if you are cruising through the countryside at a slower pace, an accompanying growl and rumble from the exhaust would complete the experience.

Alpine telemetry

Even the onboard infotainment has been updated by Alpine. Not only is the design of the digital instrument cluster and infotainment menus different, so are the menus themselves. One interesting toy is the telemetry menu. In it, you can see exactly how hot the tires, electric motor and battery are after a drive – or during, but then you have to pay attention to the road as well. Or how much G-force you achieved in the corners. Unless you’re doing a serious trackday not useful, but still nice to know.

Range and consumption Alpine A290

In the tested version, the 52 kWh battery is good for a range of 364 km, with an average consumption of 16.5 kWh/100 km. That’s pretty economical, although these are theoretical WLTP values. If you just drive with the flow of traffic, you should be able to come pretty close to that theoretical consumption. Including the sporty drives, after a week we arrive at an average of 18.6 kWh per 100 kilometers, which is still not too bad.

Prices Alpine A290

A sport version is more expensive than the base model; this is no different in the electric era. Depending on the version, you currently pay 27,990 to 35,990 euros for the Renault 5, plus any options. For the Alpine A290, you pay a minimum of 38,800 euros. For the more powerful engine, you need at least the GT Premium, available from 42,000 euros. So if you do go for the Alpine instead of the Renault 5, we would always take that extra step to the most powerful engine. The top model is the GTS, which because of slightly richer equipment sits at 44,800 euros.

So for a B-segment hatchback, the Alpine A290 is pricey, but so is every hot hatchback. Consider also that a comparable hot hatch with a gasoline engine would be even more expensive (because of the bpm). As an indication: a Mini Cooper JCW comparable in terms of specifications and performance is available from 49,990 euros and then you still have to start the options list. For completeness: the JCW Electric is slightly more powerful and available from 43,990 euros.

Conclusion

There are now plenty of electric cars that can accelerate impressively fast. Electric cars that also have fine steering are far fewer in number. Electric cars that offer real driving pleasure can be counted on one hand. However, the Alpine A290 is certainly one of them. It invites you to take the back roads and offers a lot of fun. It is perhaps the most enjoyable kind of sportiness: especially with ESP off, it is already a lot of fun even at “normal” speeds, a road with corners is enough. And then once you really have the space to play….

Except in terms of sound, it really offers the traditional hot hatch driving experience. It shows that an all-electric future really doesn’t have to be boring. That Alpine has its first Car of the Year in the house with the A290 is completely justified as far as I am concerned.