Alpine's Forthcoming A390 Crossover Shows Fastback Silhouette, Hidden Rear Door Handles

In the first instance, Renault's Alpine division will show us a concept dubbed A390_ β at the 2024 Paris Motor Show. The carparazzi have recently spied the real deal under camouflage wrap. Standing out from the vast majority of crossovers with its fastback silhouette, the newcomer dons Michelin rubber and multi-spoke alloys that frame vented brake discs.

While it's hard to determine what kind of Michelins are featured, we do know that Alpine worked together with the French tire manufacturer to develop three A29-marked tires for the A290 electric hatchback: Pilot Sport EV for summer driving, Pilot Alpin 5 for winter driving, and Pilot Sport S5 for maximum performance. Given that it's also electric, the A390 is expected to ship with the low rolling resistance compound by default.

To be previewed by the A390_ β on October 11, 2024, the zero-emission crossover flaunts a plunging hood line that reminds us of the internal combustion A110. Speaking of which, that fellow is going electric as well, with Alpine expected to start production sometime in 2026. Needless to say, it will face off against the likes of the Porsche 718 Cayman Electric and 718 Boxster Electric, with Alpine planning both a coupe and a roadster version of the A110's next iteration.

The front door handles appear to be flush, and the rears appear to hidden door handles made of unpainted black plastic. Quite cheap for a premium-oriented vehicle, let alone from a brand whose only series-production model available today competes against Porsche's more commercially successful 718 series.

Up front, you will notice a unique daytime-running light signature that helps the A390 stand out from its platform siblings. Out back, an LED strip joins a steeply-raked window. But alas, the camouflage makes it impossible to tell if we're looking at a five-door setup or if that's a proper trunk lid.

Having mentioned platform siblings, the A390 is based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's AmpR Medium architecture. Previously known as CMF-EV for Common Module Family – Electric Vehicle, the AmpR Medium designation refers to the Ampere electric vehicle and software division and the vehicle segment.

Medium by Renault standards, that is, for this platform currently underpins compact-sized crossovers in the form of the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, Renault Scenic E-Tech, and Nissan Ariya. Care to guess which one of them is the most powerful of the bunch?

That would be the Ariya in NISMO B9 e-4ORCE flavor, with Nissan quoting 429 horsepower and 442 pound-feet (600 Nm) of torque. Don't ask about 0-60/0-100 figures because they're rubbish compared to the Tesla Model 3 Performance. If you insist, Nissan claims the Ariya NISMO B9 e-4ORCE hits 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in a pedestrian 5 seconds.

Hearsay suggests a dual-motor setup for the A390 as well, albeit with a bit more power. 600 metric ponies are rumored, but only time will tell if this platform is actually capable of that kind of power. For reference, the single-motor Alpine A290 develops up to 218 ps (215 hp) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of twist.