- Alpine, the sports-car brand owned by Renault, officially announced its global plans for the coming decade, including entry into the American market.
- The first Alpines will reach our shores in 2027 and will take the shape of mid-size and large crossovers.
- The automaker also confirmed an electric roadster based on the next generation A110 coupe, as well as a four-seat sports car that will bear the A310 badge.
UDPATE 7/21/23: According to new information released by Automotive News, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo told investors and journalists at an event at Alpine’s Formula One center in Enstone, England, that the company’s recently announced Alpine Performance Platform (APP) will underpin future models. According to the report, the APP platform features a bonded-aluminum chassis that can accept various battery and electric motor configurations. The next generation A110 as well as the revived A310 will be built on the new platform when they begin production in the coming years.
Earlier this year, French automaker Renault revealed interest in bringing its Alpine sports-car brand to the United States, with two new EVs being developed specifically for American tastes. Alpine also opened discussions with AutoNation, among the biggest automotive retailers in the nation, about setting up a dealer network. Now Alpine has reiterated its plans to enter the U.S. market starting in 2027, announcing several new models that will comprise the lineup by the end of this decade.
The first fully electric Alpines will arrive next year, starting with the A290. This hot hatch will be based on the upcoming Renault 5 and was previewed by the A290_β concept, which was revealed last month with a snazzy, motorsports-inspired design. Next comes a compact SUV in 2025 that Alpine is currently calling a “Crossover GT,” followed by a new all-electric version of the A110 sports car by the end of 2026. It’s unclear if any of these will eventually reach the U.S., but we’re fairly confident the A290 will remain exclusive to Europe.
2027 will mark the start of what Alpine calls its “world expansion phase” that will see the lineup grow to include cars targeting new markets like the U.S. So far, Alpine has announced a mid-size electric crossover and a large EV SUV that are expected to be the brand’s first cars sold in America.
Many of these EVs will be underpinned by a new dedicated flexible EV platform. Alpine also said that it will do a roadster based on the next-generation A110, as well as reviving the A310 nameplate from the 1970s for a new four-seat coupe. The company is also exploring alternative technologies for its sports cars such as hydrogen combustion engines.
Alpine’s EV plans are supposed to bring higher revenues, with the aim of breaking even starting in 2026. 2022 was a record year for Alpine, with revenue up 33 percent over 2021, an impressive increase for a brand with just one model that has been available since 2017. Alpine hopes the influx of new sheetmetal will secure the brand’s future, and if the automaker can inject its EVs with the same playful attitude that has made the A110 a success, then the future looks bright.
This story was originally published June 26, 2023.
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Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
