Alpine A390 review

A racing car in a suit. That’s how Alpine describes its new A390 electric sports SUV, and while you won’t need a flame-retardant Hugo Boss or Gucci arrangement to drive it, the aim is to mix family friendly practicality with grin-inducing performance.

Counting the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Porsche Macan Electric among its key rivals, the Alpine A390 comes with three powerful electric motors and, in top-spec GTS form, a 0-62mph sprint that’ll match even the track-focused Alpine A110 R. Sounds like it has the performance angle sorted, doesn’t it? 

But how well does it fare when it comes to practicality, especially against the likes of the BMW iX2 and Tesla Model Y? Well, it’s longer than an Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and has boot space to rival most of its competitors, so things seem promising. 

What's new

- December 2025: We drive the less powerful Alpine A390 GT  in Malaga, Spain
- November 2025: We publish our first review of the Alpine A390 GTS
- May 2025: Production Alpine A390 unveiled in 395bhp GT and 463bhp GTS forms. Both have 89kWh battery and can charge at up to 190kW
- October 2024: Alpine A390_β concept shown at Paris motor show, previewing production A390

How fast is it and which motor is best?

There are two different versions of the Alpine A390 to choose from, both of which have three electric motors, two at the rear and one at the front, but the entry-level GT produces 396bhp and the top-spec GTS 463bhp. 

The GT version is very quick, with 0-62mph taking just 4.8sec. It’s a touch faster than the Porsche Macan Electric 4. 

If you want even more pace, the GTS cuts the 0-62mph sprint to 3.9sec officially, which is about the same as the Macan Electric GTS and only half a second off the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N hot hatch.

There’s even a red overtake button on the steering wheel, which gives you ten seconds of additional power, making sudden overtaking even easier.  

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Given that the A390 is an electric SUV that weighs just over two tonnes, you probably wouldn’t think it’s the kind of car to feel nimble. It does, though, hiding its weight really well and feeling far more agile than you’d expect. 

The steering has a lot to do with that. You see, it's light, especially as you initially turn into a corner, but is so direct and feelsome that you have a great idea of what the front end is up to. What’s more, the nose dives into corners with such urgency that it makes the A390 feel like a much smaller car. 

You can certainly feel the influence that Alpine’s multiple ex-Ferrari engineers have had on the way that the car steers. 

There’s a lot of grip, too. Even on the super wet roads we experienced on some of our test drive, we still had the confidence to push on, with the A390’s torque vectoring system – which relies on adding more power to the outside wheel, rather than braking the inside wheel – helping to maximise grip through corners while feeling a little smoother than other systems. It’s a clever system that, when combined with the A390’s communicative steering and rapid performance, makes for a fun and enjoyable driving experience overall, especially on a twisty back road. 

As you might expect, given the A390’s sporty bias, its suspension is on the firmer side. That helps to keep body lean to a minimum through fast corners, but isn’t so firm that mid-corner bumps upset the balance of the car. 

For the most part, the firm suspension doesn’t come at the expense of comfort. You see, it stays upright on undulating roads and soaks up all but the largest imperfections with ease. It’s only through larger potholes and on particularly bad stretches of road that the A390 starts to feel as firm as it is, moving you around in your seat more than a Porsche Macan Electric with air suspension would. While we’ve only driven cars with the largest 21in alloys, we suspect the 20in wheels will be more comfortable, thanks to their thicker sidewalls.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

Using the F1-inspired RCH button on the steering wheel gives you access to five different levels of regenerative braking, with the fifth being a one-pedal driving mode. No matter which mode you decide to use, they feel well-judged and make slowing smoothly to a stop easy. 

Likewise, when you do need to use the brake pedal, it gives you lots of feedback and makes smooth stops an absolute doddle. 

Like the Macan Electric, you’ll hear some tyre noise at motorway speeds, but wind noise is well contained. As mentioned, you’ll also only start to hear suspension noise as you drive along particularly bad surfaces. Sure, it isn’t as quiet overall as the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, but it’s far from uncouth, especially for a sports SUV.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

Every Alpine A390 comes with an 89kWh (usable capacity) battery but range depends on whether you go for the 20in or 21in alloys, with each managing around 345 miles and 323 miles respectively. That isn’t as far as the entry-level Porsche Macan Electric or Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, but further than the Audi Q4 Sportback Sport 55 e-tron and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.   

With a maximum charging rate of 190kW, the A390 can officially charge from 15-80% in around 25 minutes. That isn’t as fast as either the Model Y or Macan Electric, which can both charge at 250kW or over and manage a 10-80% charge in around the same time. 

All A390s come with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging as standard, which allows you to charge items (such as an e-bike) off the car’s battery. You’ll need to pay for an optional adaptor to enable this, though.

“It’s truly impressive how well the A390 hides its weight, I found myself forgetting it was an electric sports SUV and thinking it was more like a sports car.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

Sitting inside the Alpine A390, you can see an instant family resemblance to the Alpine A110, with the centre console lifted straight out of that sports car, much like it was in the Alpine A290.

Elsewhere, the A390 feels similar to current Renault models, with your main focal point being a crisp 12.3in digital driver display and a portrait-orientated 12.0in infotainment system – the same setup that you’ll find in the Renault Scenic. 

Luckily, to make up for the enhanced price tag, the A390 has nicer materials spread across its interior, compared with any of Renault’s products. The GT has Nappa leather seats and the GTS gets leather and Alcantara bucket seats. Both versions come with both Nappa and normal leathers covering all the important areas, too.

Build quality is generally good, with a solid feel to the stalks, switches and buttons. However, a lot of the leather-covered surfaces aren’t as soft to the touch as in rivals, ultimately making the A390 feel less plush than the likes of the Porsche Macan Electric. The doors don’t close with quite the reassuring thud you expect at this price point, either. 

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

If you’re after a lofty SUV driving position, then the A390 will disappoint because it sits you closer to the road than many rivals, just like the Macan Electric. That affords you a much sportier-feeling, though, and is much more aligned with the aim of the A390. 

Taking a seat inside, you’re lined up perfectly with the steering wheel and pedals. To help tailor the driving position to your liking, both the steering wheel and seat have plenty of adjustment. The standard seats in the GT are comfortable and supportive too, but if you want to stay firmly in place on sharp bends, the heavily bolstered bucket seats in GTS are better. 

Despite the low driving position, forward visibility is good and you’ll have no issues seeing out over the A390’s bonnet. Things aren’t quite as good when it comes to seeing out at junctions, though, with the A390’s fairly thick and heavily angled front pillars sometimes limiting your view. 

Likewise, the rear pillars are also quite thick, but the large rear windows help to negate any issues that you’ll have when you look over your shoulder and into your blindspot. The rear window is fairly small, limiting your view out the back, but parking is still a doddle thanks to the standard-fit front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

As mentioned, the infotainment system has been taken straight from some of Renault’s models, and that’s not a bad thing. For starters, it means that you’ll find physical climate control buttons at the bottom of the central infotainment screen, making changes on the move far less distracting than in the Tesla Model Y, which relies on you using its touchscreen instead. 

When it comes to infotainment, the A390 uses the same Google-based software that we’ve previously praised in the Renault 5 – it’s really intuitive, the graphics are sharp and it responds quickly to your prods. 

True, it might lack the sheer breadth of features that you’ll find in the Model Y (which has everything from Netflix to a fireplace function) but every A390 still comes with built-in Google Maps as its sat-nav and Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto smartphone mirroring. The built-in voice assistant is also among the best, usually understanding your requests more reliably than in many rivals.

“I can see why lots of SUV fans might not like the A390’s driving position but, as someone that values sportiness, I really enjoyed it.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much space does it have for people?

There’s loads of space in the front of the Alpine A390, so even a pair of six footers won’t find themselves wanting when it comes to head or leg room. The width of the interior also means that you won’t be rubbing shoulders with your front seat passenger. 

It’s in the rear where things start to go wrong for the A390. A six-footer sitting behind a similarly tall driver will find their knees pushed up against the front seat, while foot space underneath the front seat is minimal. 

Unfortunately, head room isn’t great, either. Indeed, that stylish sloping roofline means taller passengers will likely find their head is rubbing against the headlining. Overall, the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and Tesla Model Y are better for carrying passengers in the back. 

If you need to fit three people across the A390’s rear bench, space will be very tight. The middle seat is slightly raised, limiting head room even further. Better news is that there’s only a small central tunnel to straddle, so the middle seat occupant will have a reasonable amount of space for their feet.

How much room does it have for luggage?

With 532 litres of boot space, the A390 gives you slightly more room than the Q4 Sportback e-tron and BMW iX2, but around 10 litres less space than the Porsche Macan Electric and lots less than the Model Y. 

Even so, there’s more than enough space for a big food shop or five people’s luggage for a short break. Better still, there isn’t much of a drop down to the boot floor (if you have the optional two-stage floor equipped), the boot is a good square shape and the opening is nice and big, making loading items easy. 

Should you need to load longer items into the A390, its rear seats fold in a 60/40 configuration and you don’t get a ski hatch, making the 40/20/40 split that you’ll find in many rivals, including the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, BMW iX2, Porsche Macan Electric and Tesla Model Y, far more versatile. 

“It’s a bit of a shame that the A390 doesn’t come with a frunk under its bonnet, especially when you consider that almost all of its rivals do.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews editor

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

Official UK pricing is yet to be announced for the Alpine A390, but we estimate that the GT will cost around £62,000, more than any BMW iX2, around the same as the Audi Q4 Sportback S Line 55 e-tron and Tesla Model Y Performance AWD, but less than the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and entry-level Porsche Macan Electric. 

The GT comes with plenty of standard equipment, including 20in alloys, dual-zone climate control, Matrix LED headlights, Nappa leather and Alcantara upholstery, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, a 13-speaker Devialet stereo and adaptive cruise control. It also comes with Alpine Telemetrics, which can display live performance data (such as G-force) on the infotainment screen. 

Top-spec GTS is likely to push the price up to around £70,000, around the same as the Macan 4 Electric. It adds some extra kit, including larger 21in wheels (which can be swapped for the 20s), full Nappa leather upholstery, upgraded front bucket sports seats with a massage function, an upgraded Devialet stereo and hands-free parking. The Alpine Telemetrics system gets more features, too, including an active animation for the torque vectoring system and temperature gauges for the brakes.

While the A390’s list price sounds like it’ll be pretty high, being electric means that it should keep benefit-in-kind (BIK) down. That’s quite an appealing concept, giving company car drivers the option of a great sports SUV at a fairly low price.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

As you might expect, the A390 being brand new means that it wasn’t included in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey. 

Alpine also didn’t appear as a brand, but Renault (Alpine’s parent company) managed to claim 20th place out of the 30 manufacturers, way below BMW (6th) and one place below Porsche, although above Audi in 22nd. 

The A390 comes with a fairly standard three-year/60,000-mile standard warranty. 

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The safety experts at Euro NCAP have yet to test the A390, but it comes with a good amount of standard safety features. 

That list includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, six airbags and fatigue detection. 

“I really like that the A390 comes with the handy My Perso button, because it allows you to turn off your chosen safety aids at the press of a button.” – Jack Mortimer, Content editor

Buy it if...

-You’re after an electric sports SUV that’s really agile

-Having a great infotainment system is important

-You want something a bit different to the usual electric SUVs

Don’t buy it if…

-You want an electric SUV with a really plush interior

-Having the fastest charging time is important to you

-You need lots of rear space

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