Alpine A390 electric crossover spied testing in Lapland

The all-electric Alpine A390 crossover has been pictured winter testing in northern Sweden, ahead of its official launch on May 27 this year.

The shots supplied by the French performance car maker show how the production version of its Porsche Macan Electric rival has changed since the car it was based on – the Alpine A390_B concept – debuted at the 2024 Paris Motor Show.

The Alpine A390 seen in Lapland appears to ride taller than the car shown in the French capital, but it keeps the concept’s prominent coast-to-coast light bar across the front, ‘cosmic dust’ triangular lighting, and an airflow-improving fin inspired by Alpine’s WEC prototype running the length of its body.

The rear end of the test car spied in Lapland also appears to be more subtle than the concept vehicle with a thinner light bar and less prominent diffuser. Unlike the four-seater concept, the production Alpine A390 will accomodate five.

The brand confirmed that the A390 will be based on the Renault Group’s bespoke Ampr Medium EV architecture, making it a relation of the award-winning Renault Scenic E-Tech. The Alpine A390 will measure 4.62m long, 1.53m tall, and 1.89 wide.

The spy shots gave little away about the A390’s interior during the test. Yet Alpine confirmed that it will have a Nappa leather steering wheel with a flat centre inspired by the Alpine Formula 1 car. The three buttons on the wheel OV (Overtake), RCH (Recharge), and Drive are also inspired by the brand’s F1 involvement.

Alpine chose Lapland’s low-grip conditions to test the A390’s stability and torque vectoring systems. When paired with its tri-motor powertrain, Alpine claims that the torque vectoring will give the A390 the feel of driving a lightweight car akin to its highly-acclaimed A110 sports car. When the torque vectoring is active, the car’s ‘snowflake’-pattern wheels will light up blue.

The Alpine A390 is the second vehicle to come from the brand’s Alpine Dream Garage. The first was the Renault 5-derived A290 hot hatch, which debuted earlier this year. Alpine has not confirmed any details about the production A390’s range, battery, or power. Reports suggest that it is expected to cost less than £100,000.