Alpine A290 hot hatch goes on sale in UK, priced from £33,500

He stressed that the new hatchback will play an important role as a conquest model for Alpine, given its entry-level billing and urban-friendly proportions. “The A290 is the first Alpine you can have in your story, because it’s a hatch, it’s a city car and it’s quite versatile, so it could be the first car of a future Alpine lover,” he said.

PERFORMANCE

As with the A110, weight-saving has been a focus of the A290’s development. As a result, the electric hot hatch tips the scales at 1479kg. That’s only around 250kg more than a Renault Clio hybrid and 126kg lighter than the similarly conceived Mini Cooper SE, which was used as a benchmark by engineers. Alpine claims the motor and gearbox weigh less than 100kg altogether.

The rear multi-link suspension from the Renault 5 has been retained for the A290, but with bespoke hydraulic bump-stops and anti-roll bars added to “ensure an excellent level of comfort” and “top-of-the-range handling”.

Larger, 288mm Brembo brake discs have also been fitted and Alpine engineers have retuned the pedal mapping to ensure greater control in all conditions, targeting a similar feel to the A110’s. The A290’s braking system is configured so that there is a “natural transition” between the by-wire system and the regenerative brakes.

Powering the A290 is a 52kWh battery – the largest unit that Renault offers with the 5. It is claimed to offer a range of up to 236 miles (226 miles with the larger 215bhp motor) in the A290 and can charge at 100kW for a 15-80% top-up in around 30 minutes.

Asked if the A290 could spawn other derivatives, as the A110 has done, ex-Ferrari and Alfa Romeo engineer Krief said the electric hatchback would evolve in a similar way, but he stopped short of confirming an R-badged dual-motor performance model.

The 215bhp front motor is carried over from the Renault Mégane E-Tech and tuned by Alpine to produce more torque. The range-topping model develops 221lb ft for a Cooper SE-baiting 0-62mph time of 6.4sec. There’s also a prominent red overtake button on the steering wheel that liberates maximum torque and power for 10 seconds.

Rather than replicate the noise of an ICE engine, Alpine collaborated with acousticians to create two bespoke driving sounds based on the “natural harmonics” of the electric motor.

“The sound is fundamental for emotion,” said Krief. “We must create a car that has an immersive experience. The steering, throttle, braking and sound are all things you feel. They create emotion and this is what we want to put into our cars.”