Renault performance brand Alpine has unveiled its latest electric vehicle (EV) concept as part of the French carmaker’s transition to an all-electric future, this time taking the form of a “sport fastback” SUV.
Featuring a bold exterior design and a futuristic interior that preview its next generation of cars, the Alpine A390_β concept follows the new Alpine A290 electric hot hatch, precedes the battery-electric replacement for the A110 sports car and will form a trio of performance models to complete the brand’s transition to EVs.
Alpine is calling the concept a sport fastback, though its proportions appear similar to a mid-sized crossover SUV. It has supposedly been designed to be an A110 with five seats, combining both sportiness and practicality.
The French brand says the car’s exterior is “85 per cent true to that of the future production model”, and claims its body shape combines “fluidity and sportiness with spaciousness”, with aerodynamic efficiency in mind.
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The car’s exterior features the latest step in Alpine’s design language, primarily in the form of the “Cosmic Dust” lighting signature on its front and rear.
There are vehicle-wide light bars at both ends, while unique aerodynamic elements around the car help make up its sporty and futuristic proportions.
That includes a shark fin at the rear, which Alpine says is a reference to its Le Mans endurance race cars. The car’s tail-lights and rear diffuser can also extend by 80mm, forming either a short- or long-tail design that alters aerodynamic drag.
Its wheel design was inspired by a snowflake, with 22-inch and 23-inch wheels fitted at the front and rear respectively. Lastly, the A390_β is said to feature an active torque vectoring function, as reflected by part of the design of the wheels.
The car’s interior is the largest departure from typical design convention. Atop the three-dimensional floor pattern are two-tone white-and-black sports bucket seats, adorned with Sabelt seatbelt harnesses.
Ahead of the driver is a race-inspired steering wheel and unique instrument display, while the driver’s seat can be adjusted into either a typical upright position or a Formula 1-style reclined position. The pedals and steering wheel can also adjust accordingly.
Rear passengers also get white contoured bucket seats, while above the cabin is a full-glass roof that forms a sharply sloped roofline towards the rear of the car.
The concept features rear-hinged back doors, and there’s no B-pillar to create a wide opening on either side of the car. Given the safety implications of such a design, that’s likely to change for the actual production version.
This latest concept follows Alpine’s naming convention, in which the ‘3’ refers to the size of the vehicle and the ’90’ to the brand’s “multi-purpose, everyday vehicles”.
The addition of the Greek letter beta is in reference to the car’s “intermediate stage of development” ahead of the production version’s official launch.
The unveiling of the concept comes after the debut of the A290 in June this year, mark’s Alpine’s first entry in the brand’s new ‘dream garage’.
An electric A110 sports car successor is also expected to follow in the coming years.
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