Five alive

Alpine has plans to transform the upcoming electric Renault 5 into a thrilling hot hatch called the A290. This concept gives a tantalising taste of what we can expect

- YOUSUF ASHRAF

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TAUTER, T meaner version of the reborn Renault 5 is no secret, with Alpine having absorbed Renault Sport and taking the retro EV as the basis for a hot hatch. But the end result, if this A290 concept is anything to go by, might have caught you off guard - particularly if you were expecting a subtle visual enhancement in the mould of the mid-'70s Renault 5 Alpine. The A290 is extreme. A hunkered-down, bewinged creation with muscle bursting through its bodywork, and according to Alpine's designers, 85 per cent of what you see here will make it to showrooms in 2024.

The A290 will form part of a three-EV range that will also include an SUV. But with a battery-powered sports car - a joint project with Lotus - completing the set, Alpine clearly isn't planning on abandoning its core customer base of driving enthusiasts in the electric age. Whether said enthusiasts will join Alpine on its EV journey is another matter...

Dubbed the A290_ß, or 'beta', signifying that the car is very a much work in progress, the concept sits on a bespoke platform with dual front motors that bears no resemblance to what the final production car will receive. And while it may look much more A110 R than A110, the message is clear - Alpine's trademark liveability and dynamic bandwidth has been the primary focus. The A290 is intended for daily road use rather than the track, say its engineers, but whether this is by design or forced by the cooling and energy demands of its electric powertrain remains to be seen.