The Renault chief unveils the secret formula behind the new Alpine. – Teknomers

On May 27, Luca de Meo expressed both pride and ambition: “The  Alpine A390  shows that the Renault Group is capable of designing an electric vehicle that is more agile and enjoyable than a traditional combustion engine.” This is a calm declaration of war against those who believed that Alpine’s sporting DNA would not survive the transition to electric.

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According to de Meo, the shift to electric is game-changing. “Switching to electric  levels the playing field  by eliminating the historical advantages held by premium manufacturers with their big multi-cylinder engines,” he stated in an interview with  Les Echos .

There’s no need to roar a flat-six to make a driver thrill — if you know how to master the new codes of driving pleasure. This is where Alpine’s recipe differs: a sharp chassis, three motors for ultra-precise torque vectoring on the rear axle, and a truck-like  808 Nm of torque .

Boasting a  0 to 100 km/h  sprint in under 4 seconds for the GTS version (470 hp), the  Alpine A390  skims the performance levels of a  Porsche Macan . However, where others rely on technological demonstrations or horsepower increases, Alpine emphasizes  balance and agility . For the brand’s engineers, pleasure trumps sheer performance.

A Design That Divides… and That’s Okay

To captivate beyond die-hard fans, it was essential to  break the mold . Once again, de Meo adopts an unconventional stance for a group head. Rather than calming his team, he encourages excess. “Go for it! Unleash yourselves!” he urged  Antony Villain , the design director at Alpine, as the first sketches of the A390 came to life. The result? A silhouette that won’t appeal to everyone, but that’s precisely the point.

This is not just another  rebadged SUV . De Meo wanted a crossover “like no other,” a “race car in a tuxedo,” as the now-famous phrase goes. It’s not some pumped-up A110; rather, it’s an electric reinterpretation, stately and provocative, of French sportsmanship.

Admittedly polarizing, the design holds its own, showcasing a distinctive visual identity, almost Italian in some aspects. Its ambition is clear: to establish Alpine’s identity, far beyond being the heir of the A110. De Meo knows that to captivate is first to assert, even at the risk of alienation.

The Price of Ambition

At a minimum price of  €65,000  and going up to  €76,000  for the higher-end model, Alpine is aiming high. It may not have the network or marketing muscle of a German group, but it focuses on a rare value:  coherence . Produced in France with  Verkor batteries , engines from  Cléon , and an assembly line in  Dieppe , the A390 stands as an industrial showcase, promising mastery from start to finish. More importantly, it’s a symbol.

Beneath this reality-turned-show-car lies the entire strategy of Renault’s CEO: “We know how to create premium products without high sales volumes.” In other words, Alpine doesn’t need to win everyone over; instead, it must intensely attract those seeking something alternative — a credible, French, electric, and passionate option.

Luca de Meo has put everything on the line with this A390, but it’s a  calculated risk . In a market that is still hesitant about sporty electric vehicles, he proposes a sharpened response, designed for drivers rather than numbers. This is a passionate and strategic answer, perhaps from a designer frustrated by usual creations.

However, the ultimate test lies in the upcoming delivery dates and customer reactions. Only time will tell how this ambitious approach holds up. For us, the anticipation is palpable; we are eager to test this vehicle on both roads and race circuits to verify if the marketing claims really hold water.

To delve deeper
What’s wrong with the Alpine A390, the new electric vehicle from the French brand

Moreover, to cut costs, the Renault group had to make concessions, as we explain in our article on the subject.