Alpine’s new electric crossover coupé, the A390, is a genuine corner-carver. It might not match the razor-sharp agility of a Porsche Macan 4, but it delivers serious driving pleasure — at a considerably lower price.
Ever heard of a “blue banana”? No, it’s not some psychedelic fruit or the result of a botanical experiment gone wrong. It’s a feeling — the grin that spreads across your face when you’re driving the Alpine A390. Alpine cars are often painted in blue, and this one wears its grin up front, too. The blue banana, it turns out, comes as a double act.
Underneath, the A390 rides on the AmpR Medium platform also used by the Renault Mégane, Renault Scénic, and Nissan Ariya. Where Renault typically fits a single motor, and Nissan employs one per axle, the A390 uses a three-motor setup: a 115 kW (156 PS) EESM up front, and two identical PSMs at the rear to handle torque vectoring. “We started with a four-motor prototype, tested different configurations and software maps — the three-motor solution turned out to be the best,” explains chief engineer Robert Benetto.
It wasn’t a cheap solution, and Alpine’s dynamics engineers had to persuade upper management to greenlight it. In the end, former Renault CEO Luca de Meo gave the thumbs up. “The Alpine A390 can absolutely hold its own against the Porsche Macan Electric,” says product manager Fabrice Izzillo. It’s a bold claim, but there’s logic behind it. With 345 kW (470 PS), the French machine outmuscles the entry-level Macan 4 by 45 kW. It does 0–100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and tops out at 220 km/h.
But Alpine isn’t about brute force. Its reputation rests on dynamic finesse through twisty roads. So the A390 features a sports suspension with coil springs and hydraulic bump stops, just like the A110. Stiffer anti-roll bars and bespoke dampers set it apart from its Renault-Nissan siblings. Forged aluminium double wishbones up front and a bespoke aluminium frame to cradle the twin rear motors sharpen response and add rigidity.
All that engineering work pays off. At 2,121 kg, the A390 is no lightweight, yet it feels playful and composed through corners. The front end is eager, and torque vectoring at the rear allows you to steer the car with the throttle. In Sport or Track mode, the system sends more torque to the outer rear wheel, tightening the car’s line. Even in Eco or Normal mode, it remains lively. The 824 Nm of torque certainly helps.
There are two fun toys at the steering wheel: a red Boost button for ten seconds of extra power, and a blue dial to adjust regenerative braking across three levels, including full one-pedal drive. The ride is firm but not harsh — just right, really. It may not quite reach the Macan 4’s apex precision, but with more power and around €6,000 less to pay, it’s a compelling offer. Go for the A390 GT (295 kW, €67,500) and you’re saving €17,100.
We recorded an average consumption of 24.8 kWh/100 km — 4.4 kWh more than claimed. The usable battery capacity is 89 kWh, offering up to 503 km on the GTS with 21-inch wheels. Max DC charging is a decent 190 kW; thanks to a standard heat pump, you can go from 15% to 80% in 25 minutes. At 11 kW AC, 20–80% takes 5 hours 20 minutes. With optional 22 kW AC, that drops to 2 hours 40.
Inside, the A390 GTS has two screens: a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 12-inch vertical touchscreen running Android Automotive. The interface is intuitive, and there’s some typically French drama in the sportier drive modes — G-force displays included. Why is there still a bulky physical volume knob? “We spent the budget on chassis dynamics,” says Benetto. Fair enough.
The A390 measures 4.62 metres in length and goes on sale in January. Rear-seat headroom is tight for those over 1.85 metres tall, due to the sloping roof. Boot space is 532 litres, or 1,643 litres with the seats folded — although a step in the load floor and a high lip make for awkward loading. Still, that’s a small price to pay for a car that puts such a huge grin on your face. Or as they say in Dieppe: the blue banana effect.
