Alpine, the French manufacturer of sports cars that celebrated 70 years last year, has a reputation for lightness and the marque has enjoyed a successful renaissance since the reboot of the A110 model in 2017, widely regarded as one of the best sports cars in the world.

This was followed by the co-winner of the European Car of the Year award, the Alpine A290 – reviewed by Monaco Life – last year. And now Alpine is keen to expand its range into the lucrative SUV segment of the market, even if there are some significant challenges to overcome, such as how to make a large all-electric SUV light.

A different approach to weight

In truth, it isn’t possible, so Alpine has chosen a different route. The A390 aims to mimic, rather than replicate, the dynamic driving abilities of the featherweight A110 sports car. Like all SUVs, it is quite large, in order to accommodate passengers and luggage (in contrast, the A110 doesn’t even have cupholders) and an EV also has to haul a heavy battery around.

But the first thing you notice when you see it in the flesh is how low the roofline is: 9cms lower than a Porsche Macan, its more expensive rival, but also 10cms shorter. Alpine knows that a smaller vehicle weighs less and handles better. That was the recipe for the A110 and here it also gives the A390 an advantage over its competitors.

On the road

The ride is firm (blame those striking 21 inch ‘snowflake’ wheels, a 1,800€ option) but always reasonably comfortable. The steering is true to Alpine form and is very light but accurate, encouraging you to push harder in the corners than you might in an ordinary SUV. There is a small amount of roll, and the high driving position always reminds you that you are not in a low-slung sports car, but it does manage to feel sporty and to be fun on all different types of road.

It is a pleasure to drive briskly, which is exactly what purists would hope for from this marque, and also very comfortable at normal urban driving speeds. Power delivery is smooth but it doesn’t snap your neck like some electric vehicles. We tested the lower power GT version (400hp) and the weight does sap some of the acceleration but on paper it will still do 0-100kms in 4.8 seconds (the 470hp GTS variant brings that down to 3.9 seconds). Alpine can’t claim to have designed a lightweight EV but at 2,199kg it handily beats the 2,405kg weight of the electric Porsche Macan and it’s quicker.

Torque vectoring technology

The A390 has another trick up its sleeve. It benefits from four-wheel drive and has three separate electric motors, two at the rear and one at the front, that are powered by a 400-volt, 89kWh battery. This setup enables the car to use torque vectoring, which adjusts how much power is sent to each rear wheel, helping improve agility in corners and acceleration.

The result is a car that drives better than most SUVs when you hit a winding road and confidence levels are boosted by the relatively communicative steering. There are five different driving modes that can be selected and, as on the A290, there is a beautifully finished red ‘boost’ button on the steering wheel that you can press to get a shot of maximum power when overtaking. The car begs to be driven playfully and I could happily have spent all day testing its abilities, especially as it has a claimed range of 557 kms, which is not class-leading but is sufficient to allay range anxiety for most trips.

Interior and practicality

The interior will look familiar to anyone who has already been in an Alpine, with the same distinctive three gear selection buttons in the centre console and a nice flat-bottomed steering wheel. Build quality is good, as you’d hope in this price range (from 67,500 euros), the materials are of a decent standard and the driving position is correct. The only letdown is in the rear seats where space for passengers is rather cramped, a reminder that this vehicle is ultimately more focused on being sporty than being practical.

Our test car came in the traditional Alpine blue colour, which everyone seems to love, and you can option some matching flashes of the same colour on the steering wheel and the alloy wheels. The French tricolore badges also serve as a reminder that this isn’t a common or garden German or Korean EV.

The verdict

Should you buy one? If you are in the market for an upmarket electric SUV that stands out from the crowd, this could be for you. It is stylish, it has a quality interior and it is a pleasure to drive at all speeds. It may not be the most practical model in its class but it would still fit the bill as a perfectly usable everyday car, something that you can’t say about its two-seater sibling, the A110.

Overall, the whole package is very attractive – the looks, the driving ability and the Alpine badge combine to make the A390 a car that stands out from the crowd and leaves you with the feeling that this is something a bit special.

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Main photo credit: Richard McCreery, Monaco Life