Near-production Alpine A290 Beta concept heralds French brand’s first EV and first hot hatch
The 2024 Alpine A290 Beta has emerged, a near-production concept that previews the first battery-electric model and the first hot hatch from Renault’s performance car brand.
It’s also the first car launched by Alpine as a successor to the now-defunct Renault Sport operation, and the road-going version is a hot tip to come to Australia.
Based on the reborn Renault 5 EV, the A290 Best is described by Alpine as “an urban sports car” and can be seen as a zero-emissions successor for the Renault Clio RS in terms of its size and power.
Official specifications are still to be revealed, but the A290 Beta is expected to generate around 160kW from a single electric motor and reel off 0-100km/h in about six seconds, with drive sent exclusively to the front wheels.
Agility will be enhanced by a revised version of the Renault 5’s multi-link rear suspension and a low centre of gravity.
This compact but sporty identity is directly reflected in the concept’s nameplate, with Alpine executives revealing the formula to be surprisingly simple and in line with the brand’s existing global naming strategy – lead by the letter ‘A’ for Alpine.
“The number 2 stands for the B-segment and the 90 stands for the brand’s future Lifestyle range,” the company said.
“The Greek letter Beta indicates an intermediate phase working up to the production vehicle’s official launch in 2024.”
Squat in stature and big on boldness, the A290 Beta’s resemblance to the Renault 5 is clear.
However, Alpine has slathered it with its own signature styling cues, including the traditional quad-light arrangement on the front fascia.
Less production-oriented but still indicative of Alpine’s sporting intent and its Formula 1 connections, the cabin features a motorsport-inspired central driving position.
There’s also a rectangular steering wheel with an angular digital instrument display mounted on top.
The driver’s seat is flanked by a pair of sports buckets in similar fashion to the McLaren F1, with the arrangement being made possible by the A290 Beta’s 1.85m width.
Motorsport DNA is also present in the form of an ‘OV’ overtake mode which extracts extra performance out of the electric drivetrain, not unlike boost mode on the Genesis GV60.
Alpine F1 drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon were on hand to present the car at its public debut and feature prominently in the official reveal video.
“The A290 Beta is the first stage in Alpine’s new era, the first step towards the all-electric Dream Garage in 2024,” said Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi.
“This urban show car has rewritten the playbook for electric hot hatches.”
The production version of the A290 will make its global debut and launch in Europe next year, with Renault’s local importer Ateco Group keen to bring Alpine back after the A110 sports car fell victim to the latest side-impact safety regulations and was axed.
“In terms of the Alpine brand, we’re certainly in discussions,” said Renault Australia general manager Glenn Sealey recently.
“At the end of the day, we would still be importing the Alpine 110 if ADR85 side impact regulations didn’t come along.
“Alpine is working on its next generation of vehicles and we’re very excited; we think it would work really well in Australia.”
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Keyword: 2024 Alpine A290 Beta electric hot hatch revealed