We were not mistaken when a few days ago we anticipated that the prototype that Alpine was going to unveil today would be the high-performance brother of the Renault 5. The brand confirmed days ago that it was working on a fully electric sports utility vehicle, a vehicle that for the moment responds to the name Alpine A290_B, the latter being “B” for beta.
It is not yet the final version that will hit the market, but it is a very advanced prototype. The brand itself says that this car will "reinvent the concept of sportiness" and, in turn, that it will anticipate the future of the company's urban, sports, and electric vehicles.
To this we must add that Alpine is going to create three show car style cars, this A290 being the first of them, within what they call “Dream Garage”.
The Alpine A290 evokes the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo of the 80s
But details aside, let's get down to the Alpine A290. The first thing to highlight is its aesthetics, which undeniably reminds us of a racing car from the future. Of course, the main features are clearly inherited from the Renault 5 Electric shown by the diamond brand a few months ago.
The whole set is really eye-catching. On the front, the main headlights and the simulation of the high-beam headlights typical of rally cars stand out. Also look at the bumper, with those huge air intakes and marked shapes, not to mention the lighting work.
From the side, we can mention above all the curious style of the 20-inch tricolor wheels, the floating mirrors, and those rear hips that directly evoke the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo from the 80s. It is also easy for the rear to capture our attention with that diffuser marking, the vertical LED pilot lights, and the roof spoiler.
Interior focused on
driving, never better said
The exterior combines futurism and the retro touch of the legendary Renault 5, something that does not happen inside, where it seems that we are facing the future of rally cars. What first focuses our attention is the central driving position, with two seats further back and at the ends. It may look very cool and be ideal for circuit driving, but I don't think it's the best option for road sections with a co-driver.
Speaking of competition, it has a console installed on the roof to quickly access various functions: power cut, turn signals, light adjustment, etc. This shows the car has the particularity of not having any screen inside, with the intention that the driver can concentrate solely on driving. Alpine says the production car will also be designed around the driving experience.
Overtake button,
Brembo brakes, and Torque Vectoring
Unfortunately, the Alpine A290_B has not yet published technical details such as the power of its drive system or the capacity of the battery. However, it has left some other touches, such as that it has an "Overtake" button for overtaking that gives extra energy for 10 seconds, as well as a Torque Vectoring system to improve traction.
In the same way, Alpine has communicated that it has a multi-link rear suspension and, according to them, playful behavior at low and medium speeds, with great stability at high speeds. The shock absorbers, suspension springs, and front and rear anti-roll bars have been optimized to create a vehicle that is fun to drive on any road.
In fact, it incorporates a high-performance Brembo braking system and 4-piston calipers, like the one used on the A110. There is no lack of various driving modes, which are called "wet", "dry" and "full" and an ABS adjustable at various levels of intensity.
If you are wondering about the arrival of the final version on the market, the truth is that it seems that there is not much time left, since the first information affirms that it will be available sometime next year 2024. Honestly, there is already a lot of desire to see this car in its production variant.
0 Comments