Alpine A390 Review & Prices

The Alpine A390 is the sensible electric family car of the Alpine range, following on from the brilliant A110 two-seater and the nippy A290 hot hatchback. It looks brilliant and hides high-performance driving tech under that streamlined body, but alternatives offer superior electric credentials.

Still, few look as good as the A390 does. With more than a handful of styling cues to the A110 sports car in a larger, more chiseled package, it’s a bit like a slender A-list movie star that’s hit the gym and become a bit of a hunk for an all-new role. It’s not alone, though, with other heavy hitters on the scene such as Porsche Macan Electric, BMW iX3 and the Audi Q4 e-tron in Quattro guise.

From the sleek silhouette to the razor-thin headlights inspired by an Alpine concept hypercar, the outlandish wheel patterns and two-tone colour options, this is about as beautiful a five-door ‘SUV’ as you can get.

The interior has some striking features, too, but overall isn’t quite as stylish as the exterior design. There’s a slender, upholstered dashboard with bright accents and - chintzy - ‘forged’ carbon fibre trim, as well as intricate door cards.

Unfortunately, the infotainment and driver display setup has been lifted straight out of a Renault Austral or Rafale, and while the Google-based system is good to use, it ultimately looks cheap in the expensive A390. A BMW iX3’s infotainment is far more premium in appearance, as is a Porsche Macan’s.

Storage space looks generous enough, with cubbies beneath the centre console and armrest, deep door bins and a phone charging pad - though the single cup holder is an oversight in what’s supposed to be a practical car.

The rakish roofline does appear to limit space in the back, while the shallow windows, bulky front seats and (largely) sombre upholstery colour options mean the rear seats look particularly dark compared to a Porsche Macan or Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron. At least there’s a 530-litre boot which appears usefully square, with under-floor storage for hiding cables away.

There’s a single battery option for the A390, an 89kWh unit that offers around 345 miles of claimed range to a charge. That’s over 50 miles down on the Porsche Macan Electric’s 399-mile figure in upper trim levels, while a Polestar 4 claims up to 385 miles.

We’ll update this review with our full driving impressions once we get behind the wheel of the A390 in the UK. With triple electric motor tech and the engineering team behind the phenomenal A110 and impressive A290, it’s safe to say that we expect great things here.

Staring at just over £61,000 in entry-level GT guise, the A390 isn’t a cheap car. The larger BMW iX3 and Polestar 4 are noticeably cheaper, but compared to the £69,000 Porsche Macan Electric, however the sporty Alpine looks like a bit of a bargain.

It comes as standard on 20-inch wheels with surround-view cameras, a heat pump to aid winter efficiency, tinted rear glass, heated front seats and steering wheel. Premiere Edition models are a touch more expensive at over £65,000, but add sportier Sabelt bucket seats trimmed in nappa leather, two-tone exterior paint, black exterior accents and advanced driver assistance systems - including a self-park function.