Originally slated to enter the US market with a series of sporty electric SUVs, Alpine has now seemingly changed its tune, and may offer the Porsche 718-rivaling sports car we want before an SUV. How do we know? Well, crash testing has already begun on the next-gen Alpine A110 for the US market, even if no official decision has been taken on when it will launch.That's according to Alpine's CEO, Philippe Krief, who is still holding out hope of a US launch despite market conditions seemingly being anti everything Alpine has pivoted toward in recent years. Sports Cars, Not SUVS, And America Is The Target AlpineThe Alpine CEO, who was formerly a Ferrari engineer, broke the news to Automotive News, confirming crash testing was underway. Back in April 2025, Alpine announced its American plans were on hold, citing problems with the geopolitical landscape and withdrawal on EV demand, which was not conducive to selling cars for a brand that was pivoting to be EV-only. But despite this, Krief was always adamant he still wanted to enter the US market. The A110 is a prime candidate for this, given America's position as one of the largest markets for sports cars globally.Krief has talked about shifting to exporting electric SUVs and crossovers to the US, but believes the global market for sports cars like the A110 is about 350,000 units. Half of those cars globally end up in the US, while only 25% end up in Europe, where Alpne's current focus remains. "I would not want to avoid that opportunity in the US," Krief told AN.Alpine Combustion Is Back In The Cards The A110 could now be the perfect model to penetrate the US market with, especially after news broke that the next generation model will not be all-electric as originally planned. Despite its underpinnings being based on those of the wild electric Renault 5 Turbo 3E hot hatch, modifications made in preparation for the new A110 include the ability to swap batteries for a combustion engine, mid-mounted as per the current A110's layout.AlpineSpeaking with AN, Krief addressed this, explaining the shift in strategy: "The early thinking was to be only electric, so we designed the new platform to be EV-only," but that changed, and a combustion engine can now be accommodated, even if the details of said engine haven't been confirmed.He did say the new A110 would maintain the signature lightness that has been at the heart of the brand's revival of the A110 name, and even in electric form, the new A110 is expected to weigh only 3,300 lbs. That's significantly more than the current model's featherweight 2,432 lbs, but if the US market demands combustion, expect that weight to reduce significantly.AlpineThe next-gen A110 will also take multiple forms, including a base two-seater and a 2+2 with a longer wheelbase and extended range in EV form that's intended to rival the Porsche 911. Both will be built on the Alpine Performance Platform (APP), an aluminum architecture, which can also host convertible models.While no timeframe has been given for a potential US launch, we're hopeful a new A110 will reach US shores before 2028. Now we just have to wait to see what happens to the Porsche 718 family between now and then; will they be electric, combustion, or some mix of both?Alpine Performance Platform - next-gen A110 sports car (2)