The Alpine A290 is set to be officially unveiled tomorrow, during the lead-up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, as is often the case with a new model, the fast Renault 5 couldn’t keep it under wraps. It has been leaked.
When we visited Alpine in Dieppe last year, the marketing people were very mysterious. ‘No, the A290 is definitely not a fast version of the Renault 5,’ was the official story. They would say something else too…
Alpine A290 and Renault 5
In reality, the Alpine A290 is indeed related to the Renault 5. Just look at the leaked photos, because the similarities are clear. Of course, there are differences: the extra lights on the front, the more aggressive bumper work, but not much else.
At least, not at first glance. Because Alpine has managed to keep the specifications of the A290 under wraps. We can expect a power output of around 200 hp on the front axle. The Renault 5 reaches a maximum of 150 hp.
Furthermore, the Alpine A290 likely has the 52 kWh battery from the top five, which should give it a range of around 400 kilometers. Expect a firmer suspension and possibly a more direct steering.
Previous Autovisie videos
Tomorrow, we will have more information when the cover is officially taken off the A290. We already got to know the Renault 5 at the end of February. You can watch colleague Stijn Kuster’s video below.
Autovisie editor-in-chief Jaco Bijlsma also drove a camouflaged prototype of the Alpine A290 on a frozen lake near the Arctic Circle. You can see his experiences in the accompanying video, which is also available on the Autovisie YouTube channel.