Alpine A290: Renault to launch electric hatchback in Indian market

To stave off competition from Chinese manufacturers and get a larger market share while boosting profit  margins, Renault is all set to introduce a planned line of seven automobiles in the luxury electric class. Within this decade, the company will launch the planned seven vehicles including an electric variant of the legendary Alpine A110 sports car. The first of these seven vehicles, the front-wheel drive Alpine A290 electric hot hatch based on the new Renault 5 E-Tech, was unveiled by the French automaker on Thursday.

The A290 features a strikingly different Alpine style sheet. The ride comes with a X-shaped auxiliary headlights, which draw inspiration from a rally car's fog lamps. A low-mounted air intake with vertical vents on either side gives the front end a cunning smile. The A290 will have a two-tone exterior with a blue window border and a black roof. Wide fender flares that protrude from the side panels give the car an aggressive attitude and help it stick out even more from the side.

Four trim options are available for the A290 from Alpine, which are divided into two distinct power brackets. The vehicle's electric motor produces 284 Nm of torque and 174 horsepower in the GT and GT Premium. With 215 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque, the GTS and GT Performance can reach 100 kmph in 6.4 seconds. The less potent versions accelerate by one second, with a top speed that consistently ranges from 160 to 170 kmph. According to Alpine, the A290 has a 52 kWh battery thanks to which the vehicle can travel about 380 kilometers.

A few intriguing design elements from the Alpine concept car for the A290 that was unveiled last year were left out of the final production model. One such option was to place the driver's seat in the middle, emulating the Mclaren F1 of the early 2000s. Although it is the best driving posture in theory, the commercialization of the concept was not the most practical option.

Covered in Nappa leather, the interior is in double tone. Sporty bucket seats in the Alpine A290 help to secure the occupants in position when negotiating steep turns. Positioned between the driver's digital gauge cluster and the center console is a 10-inch infotainment screen.

The center console of the ride is fixed at the right side of the user’s footwell. In front of it, the rider will have a convenient wireless charging slot that can hold user's phone while connected to the infotainment screen which offers multiple Google services. 

The interior is manufactured to be completely driver-focused with every single button and display facing towards them. Moreover, the ride’s cockpit features a flat-bottom steering wheel that comes with a 'Recharge' knob that can adjust the level of regenerative braking and an 'Overtake' button.