I’ve driven Formula One team Alpine’s A390 family SUV – here’s my honest verdict

There’s something quietly intriguing about the new Alpine A390. This is a brand that has built its modern reputation on lightness, delicacy and driving feel, is competing on the world stage in Formula One, and is suddenly stepping into the world of five-seat electric family cars.

Spend any time with the A390 and it becomes clear this isn’t Alpine chasing volume or trying to out-Tesla Tesla. Instead, it feels like a very Alpine interpretation of what a sporty electric family car should be.

On paper, the A390 is pitched as an electric SUV, but it doesn’t feel like one. It sits lower than most rivals, has a sleek fastback profile and a stance that’s much closer to something like a performance saloon on stilts than a traditional high-riding family car.

In fact, it feels less like a rival to the Porsche Macan Electric and more like it’s been aimed somewhere between the Tesla Model Y Performance and the lower Tesla Model 3 Performance. That positioning defines much of what the A390 does well – and where it slightly misses the mark.

Pricing is in the Tesla ballpark, too. You’ll pay £61,390 for the GT version, with the better-equipped but mechanically identical Premiere Edition costing £65,390. The car I tested, the GTS, gets a power upgrade (and range downgrade) for £69,390.

This is the second car in Alpine’s electric era after the impressive Alpine A290 and one that leans heavily on the brand’s F1 credibility. It promises agility, steering feel and engagement, wrapped up in a practical-looking five-door body. The question is whether that focus on driving pleasure can coexist with the everyday demands of family life.

How we tested

I gave the new Alpine A390 a thorough test of its handling abilities on some twisty roads that I know well, while also taking the car over some less well made surfaces to really test the ride comfort. I also checked on the tech, sat in the back to test practicality in the rear and played around in the boot to see how much space is back there. Then I compared the Alpine with other comparative models that I’ve tested.

Independent rating: 8/10

Tesla Model Y Standard specs

Battery, range, charging, performance and drive

All versions of the A390 use an 89kWh battery, with outputs ranging from 395bhp in the GT and Premiere Edition to a full 464bhp in the GTS tested here. The flagship model sprints from 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds, which puts it firmly into supercar performance territory, even if it doesn’t quite chase the neck-snapping acceleration of some rivals.

Out on the road, though, the numbers matter less than how the car feels. And this is where the A390 really shines. With its clever tri-motor setup and active torque vectoring system, grip levels are exceptional. Even on slippery roads, the car feels secure and composed, shuffling power around seamlessly to give you confidence rather than intimidation. It’s quick, but in a measured, usable way.

That’s the same with the acceleration. A prod of the metallic overtake button on the steering wheel will release maximum power for a short burst, but for the rest of the time the A390 feels quick yet controlled.

The steering is a particular highlight. It’s lighter than you might expect, even in Sport mode, but that actually enhances the sense of delicacy and precision. Rather than artificially weighting the wheel, Alpine has focused on feel, and the result is a front end that responds instantly and intuitively to inputs. Body control is equally impressive. Thanks to the relatively low centre of gravity and the car’s lower stance compared with taller SUVs, it changes direction eagerly and without fuss.

Ride quality is another pleasant surprise. Sitting on large 21-inch wheels, you might expect a firm, brittle edge, but the A390 rides nicely. You can feel what’s happening beneath you – it’s certainly on the firmer side – yet it never becomes uncomfortable. For a car with this level of agility and grip, that balance between control and comfort is genuinely impressive.

Range is quoted at up to 345 miles, which is perfectly acceptable rather than class-leading, and fast charging peaks at 190kW. Opt for the higher-performance GTS model, though, and that range figure drops to a maximum claim of 312 miles. That’s fine, but it no longer feels especially special in this sector, particularly at this price point.

Interior, practicality and boot space

Inside, the A390 is a bit of a mixed bag. Build quality is strong throughout, with high-class materials and a reassuring sense that everything has been screwed together properly. The overall cabin design is attractive and clearly Alpine-flavoured, but it’s impossible to ignore the fact that much of the dashboard and infotainment hardware has been lifted directly from the latest Renault models.

That’s not a bad starting point – Renault’s interiors are among the better ones in the mainstream EV world – but in a £60,000-plus Alpine, you might reasonably expect more bespoke drama. The driver’s display does at least get Alpine-specific graphics, which help lift the experience, but it still feels just a little too Renault underneath.

The front seats are excellent. They’re comfortable, supportive and hold you in place nicely when you start exploring the car’s impressive handling. The steering wheel is also a joy to hold, with a great shape and thickness. Less impressive are some of the interior details, like the plasticky start and drive mode buttons (the former hidden frustratingly behind the steering wheel), while the flecked plastic pattern on the seat backs and centre console feels oddly out of step with the rest of the cabin.

The standout is the metallic blue rotary dial controlling brake regeneration levels, which feels properly special and makes one-pedal driving easy to use. The overtake button on the steering wheel is also a neat touch, delivering an extra surge of power and a red ‘warp speed’ effect on the display.

Rear-seat accommodation is where compromises really show. The hard-backed front seats are uncompromising if you’re sitting behind them, and rear legroom isn’t especially generous. There’s very little foot space under the front seats if they’re set low, which is a familiar issue in many Renault Group EVs. Headroom is better than you might expect given the sloping roofline, but it’s still not a spacious-feeling back seat.

Fitting a child seat could be tricky. The low roofline makes loading awkward, and there’s limited room for children’s feet once a seat is installed. Visibility out of the back isn’t great either, thanks to a shallow rear window and the absence of a rear wiper.

The boot, though, is genuinely large, with 532 litres of space and some useful under-floor storage. For luggage, buggies or everyday family clutter, it’s more than up to the job.

Technology, stereo and infotainment

The centrepiece of Alpine A390’s cabin tech is the 12-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen paired with a 12.3-inch driver display. The layout is familiar to anyone who’s spent time in recent Renault EVs, and that’s no bad thing: menus and interfaces are logically ordered, touch responses are sharp, and the inclusion of physical buttons for functions like climate control makes everyday use less distracting than in cars that rely entirely on a touchscreen.

However, it’s disappointing that Alpine hasn’t given its £60,000-plus model a more bespoke looking system, even if the software is superb.

Standard across the range is Google Built-In navigation and connected services, which means you get real-time traffic, EV route planning and seamless Android / Google-centric integration without having to mess about with boxed-in manufacturer nav systems. Alpine also adds its own graphics and themes to personalise the experience, though the underlying Renault software still shouts through the whole interface.

On the audio front, you get a 13-speaker Devialet stereo system, while there are plenty of driver aids. A 360-degree camera system, adaptive cruise control and a suite of safety assists including lane-keeping and blind-spot alert are on offer, giving you the sort of semi-autonomous support you’d expect from a premium SUV. Higher trims like the limited Premiere Edition and GTS add even more kit, such as Matrix LED headlights, larger wheels and more extensive use of leather and Alcantara in the cabin.

Where the A390 splits from the crowd is in its bespoke driving tech, especially Alpine’s telemetrics display showing live performance data like G-force and torque distribution. In short, the technology package here is functional, intuitive and even a little bit fun – although it does occasionally feel like a high-end Renault underneath the Alpine veneer rather than a wholly bespoke system.

Prices and running costs

With prices starting at £61,390 and rising to nearly £70,000 for the GTS, the A390 firmly plants itself in premium territory. Running costs should be reasonable thanks to decent efficiency and strong performance, but it’s not the bargain choice in this class. You’re paying for the driving experience, the design and the Alpine badge, rather than outright practicality.

That said, quality is impressive, as are the materials used throughout the cabin. With the exception of some of the same switchgear that you’ll find in a Renault Scenic, the A390 feels like a premium model.

Alpine A390 rivals

FAQs

How long does it take to charge?

The Alpine A390 features a heat pump and standard and promises improved thermal efficiency. Rapid DC charging of up to 190kW enables two hours of motorway driving after less than 20 minutes of charging, filling from 15 80 per cent in under 25 minutes.

How much does it cost – is it worth it?

If you value driving enjoyment, distinctive design and something a bit different from the usual electric SUVs, absolutely – although with prices between £61,390 and £69,390 the Alpine is in rarified company. Just be aware that you’re trading some family-friendly practicality for that rewarding driving experience.

Does Alpine replace batteries for free?

Alpine offers an eight-year warranty on the batteries plus three-years or 60,000-miles on the rest of the car.

Why trust us

Our team of motoring experts have decades of experience driving, reviewing and reporting on the latest EV cars, and our verdicts are reached with every kind of driver in mind. We thoroughly test drive every car we recommend, so you can be sure our verdicts are honest, unbiased and authentic.

The verdict: Alpine A390

The Alpine A390 makes a strong emotional case for itself. It’s fantastic to drive, beautifully judged in terms of steering and body control, and it looks genuinely special. As a driver-focused electric performance car with a bit of added space for passengers and a big boot, it really works.

As a family car, though, it’s less convincing. Rear-seat space and comfort fall short of what you might expect at this price, and rivals do a better job of catering for kids and everyday practicality. If driving pleasure matters most, the A390 will put a smile on your face every time you get behind the wheel. If family friendliness is the priority, there are better options elsewhere.