The Alpine A290 may look like another cynical attempt to profit from the glories of yesteryear, but this all-new French hot hatchback has plenty going for it. Alpine has been a bit of a one-hit wonder of late, with just one model — albeit in many different guises, although the Alpine A110 coupe was discontinued in Australia back in 2021 — to show for the eight years since it returned from the automotive wasteland. But now Alpine is trying to broaden its horizons, and it’s doing so with this: the new A290.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today An electric hot hatchback based on the new Renault 5 , the A290 is supposed to catapult Alpine into the future, while still paying tribute to the French brand’s storied history. Whether it will reach these shores remains to be seen, but it’s certain to attract some interest either way. To find out whether it is worthy of road space in Australia, we headed to the sun-kissed roads of Mallorca, in Spain’s idyllic Balearic Islands, to put the car to the test on the road and the race track.
How much does the Alpine A290 cost? Pricing hasn’t been confirmed for the A290 as yet, but we know the Renault 5 on which it’s based starts at the equivalent of around $40,000 or so. We also know that figure would rise if the Renault were to come to Australia, and indications from Alpine in Europe suggest the A290 will command a hefty premium. It isn’t unreasonable to suspect we might be looking at a car costing $65,000 or more.