The Alpine A290 GTS review that matters most is the one conducted on a damp, winding B road somewhere between nowhere and the next village, front tyres hunting for the apex, the torque arriving in a single, uninterrupted rush. It is on roads like that where Alpine has always made its argument, and the A290 GTS makes it more convincingly than anything the brand has produced in recent memory.
Alpine A290 GTS review: power, torque and what the numbers actually mean
The headline figure is 220hp, a gain of 40hp over the standard A290, enough to push the car from standstill to 60mph in 6.4 seconds. But the number that tells you more about the driving character is 300 Nm of peak torque, available the moment your right foot asks for it, with none of the lag that a petrol engine needs revs to build. According to Alpine’s official specification, that torque figure is what turns a brisk family hatchback into something that genuinely startles you on a roundabout exit. At the top end, evo records a top speed of 106 mph, which is honest for the class and frankly more than most B roads will ever allow you to explore.
The car weighs 1,479 kg, which is inevitable given the battery, but Alpine’s engineers have worked hard to make that mass feel smaller than it is. The wheels are pushed as far into the corners of the body as packaging allows, the centre of gravity sits low, and the result is a car that changes direction with a crispness that belies its kerb weight. On fast country roads, where the car settles into a rhythm and lets you use the power in short, confident bursts, the A290 GTS feels genuinely planted, even when the road surface deteriorates.
Design, interior and the Renault 5 beneath the bodywork
Alpine has never pretended that the A290 is anything other than a Renault 5 EV with its attitude significantly dialled up. The relationship is visible if you look for it, but the beefy wheel arches, side skirts, rally-homage headlights and purposeful body lines do enough to make the GTS look like its own thing rather than a cosmetic exercise. There is a version of this approach that tips into pastiche, but Alpine has stayed on the right side of it, probably because the motorsport history gives the design language something genuine to reference.
Inside, the layout is oriented towards the driver: controls and dials angled inward, metal pedals underfoot, racing-inspired switches on the steering wheel, and nappa leather on the seats. The cockpit framing is intentional and it works, because it makes even a short commute feel like something worth paying attention to. Five seats and a usable boot mean that practicality is not sacrificed for the sake of the sporting brief.
The 52kWh battery offers a maximum range of 210 miles, and the 100kW fast-charging capability brings the battery from 15% to 80% in 30 minutes. For a weekend away in the country, or a longer run with one planned stop, those figures are more than adequate.
Verdict on the Alpine A290 GTS
The Alpine A290 GTS is a rare thing in the current EV landscape: a car that has been engineered to be driven rather than merely operated. The 300 Nm of instant torque, the composed handling and the 106 mph ceiling are not numbers assembled for a specification sheet; they describe a car that is coherent and genuinely enjoyable in the way that Alpine’s best cars have always been. With pricing starting from £34,245 including the Electric Car Grant, the A290 GTS makes a compelling case for anyone who thought the electric hot hatch had yet to arrive properly. It has now.