FRANCE doesn’t usually do family-friendly performance SUVs with a sense of mischief.
But then Alpine isn’t your usual car manufacturer. And the A390 GTS isn’t your usual electric crossover.
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The Alpine A390 GTS isn’t your usual electric crossover Credit: Dominic Fraser
This is the spicier, more powerful sibling to last year’s A390 GT Credit: Dominic Fraser
This is the spicier, more powerful sibling to last year’s A390 GT, and it’s been built to convince you that a 2.1-tonne, five-seat electric fastback can still feel like a proper Alpine.
Three motors – one up front, two out back – combine for 470hp and a whopping 824Nm of torque.
That’s enough to fire it from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds.
The price, however, is no small ask at £70k. That’s Porsche Macan territory.
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Underneath, the GTS borrows its bones from Renault. But Alpine’s expert engineers have gone to town with bespoke suspension, a clever torque-vectoring system that shoots power independently to each rear wheel, and that all-important short steering ratio to chase the sharpness of the legendary little A110.
So does it? Well, the extra punch over the GT is worth the price hike, with sharper responses and proper shove from any speed.
It can fire from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds but the price will set you back £70k Credit: Supplied
It is dripping in alternative French character that no amount of German efficiency can quite replicate Credit: Dominic Fraser
There’s a daft red F1-style ‘overtake’ button on the steering wheel that unleashes a temporary power boost for up to ten seconds.
It’s pure showroom theatre, but good fun all the same.
Otherwise the rest of the cabin is classy.
Two-tone Nappa leather Sabelt sport seats, an Alcantara headliner, a thumping Devialet sound system and twin digital screens make the cabin feel a cut above your average family EV.
Boot space is a useful 532 litres too, so it’ll swallow the school run and the half-term holiday luggage.
But it’s not all rosy. The dynamic appeal is there.
But it doesn’t quite deliver that A110-style agility the badge promises.
With rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 6N and Polestar 4 nipping at its heels on price and pace, the badge alone might not be enough to seal the deal.
Range is also a sticking point.
The real-world data suggests 249 miles between charges – which is some way shy of the official 312-mile WLTP figures.
Still, for all its compromises, the GTS is a properly enjoyable thing to drive, built in Alpine’s spiritual home of Dieppe, and dripping in alternative French character that no amount of German efficiency can quite replicate.
While it’s not quite the class leader in an already small class, it will definitely have you grinning hard on a twisty back road and showing everyone you appreciate the avant-garde over the de rigueur.
ALPINE A390 GTS
Key Facts
Price: £69,390
Battery: 89kWh
Power: 470hp
0-62mph: 3.9 secs
Top speed: 137mph
Range: 312 miles
CO2: 0g/km
Out: Now
