Louth Motors: Is the Alpine A290 the defining electric GTi car?

Alpine cars remind me of buses. You wait ages for one to arrive and then two come along at the same time. I adored the A110 recently and then got to spend an extended time with the Alpine A290. It uses the platform and shape of the Renault 5 with Alpine’s sporty changes.

It has a wider stance, different suspension, an uprated motor and even bespoke tyres to maximise grip. I didn’t think that was possible after my experience in the Renault 5 but the Alpine 290 has set a new standard for it. It felt like it had endless amounts of grip and is as surefooted a car as I have driven.

Further differentiators are the rally X lights and Alpine Arrow decals around the car with Snowflake alloys, a nod to the Alpine heritage. You get an F1 type steering wheel inside that has two distinct buttons. There’s a red OV one that you press with your thumb for an instant, and I mean instant, power boost. The other is a regen button in blue that you can adjust for the level you prefer. I find regen buttons playing a significant part in my day to day braking method and I welcome them. I particularly love one-pedal driving for the mundane, commute stuff.

Other Alpine giveaways are proper full fat sports seats, they’ve moved the drive selector to between the passengers in the form of a triangle of buttons (I prefer the R5 selector) and enhanced driver graphics. When you thumb press the OV button the driver’s screen goes into warp mode giving you a visual and visceral feeling that indeed you have.

The main figures, all available online for extensive analysis at www.alpinecars.ie, are 0-100km/h in 6.4s, 300Nm of torque and a top speed of 170km/h. Top speed in the A290 is not why you’d buy one, it’s the surefooted grip experience getting there so fast that is the drug.

The quoted range is 364km which is in fantasy land – I managed between 250km and 280km. Recharging was a mixed affair. When the temperature was milder the 15%-80% time of 30mins was acceptable but when the temperature was at zero the amount of kWs going in was low between 21kW and 29kW. This was very frustrating and took me 1 hour and 5 minutes to get from 22% to 79% for what was the slowest recharge time I’ve experienced in an electric car to date – that’s and average of 1 min and 8 seconds to add 1% of charge.

The OV button feels like a play button but it is not to be messed around with. Pressing it delivers an immediate injection of “where was all that power”? It could catch you out because the amount extra is a lot more than you might expect. Once you know you moderate its use and restrict it to what it was designed for – overtaking. But the wonder of it is how a car can wake up and deliver such immediate power. No dropping one or two gears and hammering the accelerator like in a petrol car.

Just a flick of the thumb delivers the warp. When you use it you get the full surreal sound experience that’s called Alpine Drive Sound. I suppose purists will frown but they probably, like myself, have too many human miles on their clock. The latter alphabet labelled people are used to electronic enhancement and will probably not even remark on its originality and focus on its experience. For the record I’m a fan as I am a fan of an original sound.

Sound aside, out on the road, at any time, on any road, for any reason, is a joyful experience in the A290. Every trip is anticipated and you’ll find lots of reasons to drive the A290. That chassis is magic. On our roads it always remains composed and whilst it has that expected sporty hardness it never approaches harshness.

The car keeps you comfortable and I didn’t get a jarring jolt during my entire time with the car. Precise steering is always adorable and it’s here in bucketfuls and can deliver the ability to treat the car like a go kart – it goes where it’s pointed at - especially when there is a delightful series of bends impending. I wanted for nothing more in the A290 and if you take one for a spin you’ll immediately sense that and realise that the A290, and indeed the R5, is something special.

There are 5 models to choose from with prices starting at €36,690 - mine was the GTS version with a 52kWh battery and instantly available 220hp for €42,500 which considering its performance is lower than I expected. Remember an entry Golf Gti is currently €62,615 and just half a second quicker to 100km/hr at 5.9s.

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Buying the GTi version of a car came with a heavier fuel bill but you didn’t mind as the thrills were worth it. The price of similar electric fun is, in the Alpine A290, no cup holders, tight rear space and recharging pace that’s the polar opposite of its performance – slow.

But all is forgotten when you take it out on the road, feel its wondrous power and marvel at the grip it has and its ability to keep its poise at all times. It is the natural electric successor to the “GTi”. It does not rely on nostalgic history or charm but is an ultra modern, sophisticated definition of what a performance electric car should be and I adored it, flaws and all.