C'est bleu, c'est électrique, c'est une A390GT.
Discussion
I suspect that this one could be a little bit marmite … I hate marmite but fortunately I am enjoying the new car.
Having had a Kia Xceed PHEV as the 5 door, do everything, family type car for the last 6 years it was finally time for something new. The PHEV was bought as a potential stepping stone to full EV and, in that respect, it served its purpose well (it was also a good but ultimately dull all rounder). The longer we owned it the more I realised that I only really enjoyed driving it in EV mode and noisy engines and exhaust fumes really are undesirable. Hence, the replacement was to be full EV.
Initially I quite fancied a stupidly powerful Taycan Turbo/Turbo S but was never able to follow through with that idea due to the width and length of the things. I was then also honest enough to admit to myself that stupidly powerful no longer really works in the UK (we’d recently punted on our McLaren GT as we simply didn’t use it/it’s full performance). Macan EVs were then the next idea but discounted as I thought that the less powerful models look a bit cheap inside and are certainly not value for money. A Kia EV6 GT or a Hyundai Ioniq 5 would have been the sensible option … but then Alpine revealed the A390 and my interest was piqued.
The first demonstrators started to arrive in the UK in April and it wasn’t long before we were planning a trip up the M5 to visit Alpine Bristol. The test drive was a very relaxed affair … “Here’s the keys and a £20(iirc) voucher for the farm shop/cafe we’ve entered into Google maps. Bring it back whenever you are done”. Mrs Jerry took the wheel first and was immediately impressed, from the passenger seat I was already starting to think “I could live with this” before we even reached the cafe. Coffee and cake and then my turn to drive. First impressions … very good, that instant torque acceleration you get from an EV makes it feel quick (it is quick compared to the Kia we arrived in but not stupidly fast), very planted, good feedback through the steering. I fiddled with the various regen modes as we returned to the dealer and was quickly using the one pedal driving option which works really well. By the time we got back I’d decided we were having one and EV is the future, Mrs Jerry was equally enthusiastic so it was time to discuss options.
As part of the launch, Alpine are making 390 Premiere Edition models each being basically a GT with almost all of the options boxes ticked but a slight discount on the full price of the options if you’d ordered individually. You’d also get unique wheels and a plaque on the centre console (whoopeedoo!). Order before the end of the April and you might also get one of 50 pairs of tickets for the British GP (we were busy doing something else that weekend so this incentive didn’t bother me but there was no cash alternative). I liked the spec of the PE and therefore this is what we would have.
Delivery times were discussed and July was stated. I’m a fairly cynical person so laughed when told this and said I bet it would be more like September (more on this later). We had enough information to ponder so went home to sleep on it and then the following day ordered a PE with the Alpine Vision Bleu paint and the upgraded Devialet audio system. Deposit paid and now just wait until July.
Having heard nothing by mid June I decided to follow up and guess what … it will not be July delivery and is looking like September. Oh how I laughed again. No mention of GP tickets at this point so I just assumed we’d not been successful and, as stated earlier, wasn’t bothered as we’d not be available. However, we get to June 30th and I get an email telling me to download some tickets from the Silverstone app, 2 reserved seats in Boxpark with fast track entry! I gifted them to one of my F1 obsessed mates and his son who were able to attend on short notice and they stated that they were “mega”. Which is nice.
The delay to September brought a couple of unexpected surprises, the insurance quote dropped by maybe 20% and the WBAC valuation for the Kia increased by about £500 so all in all I cannot complain. We took the train to Bristol this time and Sam collected us in the demo A290 (a very nice hatchback) and we are soon pulling the dust sheet off this …
First impressions … Alpine Vision Bleu is absolutely stunning (it has a lovely mica fleck to it and reminds me of McLaren’s volcano paint colours), the Sabelt seats are a very nice place to be, the overtake button is a gimmick and the black wheels are so much better than I expected. As I stated on the other thread, Alpine saved me from myself by not offering an optional wheel on the PE as I would have ordered the diamond cut 21” snowflakes if available and I would have regretted it. Our resident Alpine/Renault expert HTP99 has pointed out that the locking wheel nuts are missing but I’ve not followed up on this as I think it looks cleaner/more symmetrical when all of the nuts match.
We had a quick handover of the basics, removed the rear seat middle head rest (my only complaint from the test drive was the way this interfered with the rear view) and then it was onto the M5 and home. Not surprisingly we attracted a fair bit of attention during the journey, the most inquisitive being an older gent driving a Dacia on French plates! 80ish miles of motorway driving at fairly normal British motorway speeds meant that our first full EV experience was 2.7 miles/kw which is fairly poor but my intention is to drive it no differently to any other car I have owned and just charge when required.
Pics from when we got home …
Unfortunately the new car arrival has coincided with a big DIY project I’ve got going on and I need to take advantage of my scaffolding rental and the good weather so the car has sat in the garage unused for almost the whole time since collection. However, it did get a run to Tesco where it easily consumed both our and the MIL’s weekly shop.
That is it for now. More to follow when I do finally start using it more but if you have any question, fire away.
Having had a Kia Xceed PHEV as the 5 door, do everything, family type car for the last 6 years it was finally time for something new. The PHEV was bought as a potential stepping stone to full EV and, in that respect, it served its purpose well (it was also a good but ultimately dull all rounder). The longer we owned it the more I realised that I only really enjoyed driving it in EV mode and noisy engines and exhaust fumes really are undesirable. Hence, the replacement was to be full EV.
Initially I quite fancied a stupidly powerful Taycan Turbo/Turbo S but was never able to follow through with that idea due to the width and length of the things. I was then also honest enough to admit to myself that stupidly powerful no longer really works in the UK (we’d recently punted on our McLaren GT as we simply didn’t use it/it’s full performance). Macan EVs were then the next idea but discounted as I thought that the less powerful models look a bit cheap inside and are certainly not value for money. A Kia EV6 GT or a Hyundai Ioniq 5 would have been the sensible option … but then Alpine revealed the A390 and my interest was piqued.
The first demonstrators started to arrive in the UK in April and it wasn’t long before we were planning a trip up the M5 to visit Alpine Bristol. The test drive was a very relaxed affair … “Here’s the keys and a £20(iirc) voucher for the farm shop/cafe we’ve entered into Google maps. Bring it back whenever you are done”. Mrs Jerry took the wheel first and was immediately impressed, from the passenger seat I was already starting to think “I could live with this” before we even reached the cafe. Coffee and cake and then my turn to drive. First impressions … very good, that instant torque acceleration you get from an EV makes it feel quick (it is quick compared to the Kia we arrived in but not stupidly fast), very planted, good feedback through the steering. I fiddled with the various regen modes as we returned to the dealer and was quickly using the one pedal driving option which works really well. By the time we got back I’d decided we were having one and EV is the future, Mrs Jerry was equally enthusiastic so it was time to discuss options.
As part of the launch, Alpine are making 390 Premiere Edition models each being basically a GT with almost all of the options boxes ticked but a slight discount on the full price of the options if you’d ordered individually. You’d also get unique wheels and a plaque on the centre console (whoopeedoo!). Order before the end of the April and you might also get one of 50 pairs of tickets for the British GP (we were busy doing something else that weekend so this incentive didn’t bother me but there was no cash alternative). I liked the spec of the PE and therefore this is what we would have.
Delivery times were discussed and July was stated. I’m a fairly cynical person so laughed when told this and said I bet it would be more like September (more on this later). We had enough information to ponder so went home to sleep on it and then the following day ordered a PE with the Alpine Vision Bleu paint and the upgraded Devialet audio system. Deposit paid and now just wait until July.
Having heard nothing by mid June I decided to follow up and guess what … it will not be July delivery and is looking like September. Oh how I laughed again. No mention of GP tickets at this point so I just assumed we’d not been successful and, as stated earlier, wasn’t bothered as we’d not be available. However, we get to June 30th and I get an email telling me to download some tickets from the Silverstone app, 2 reserved seats in Boxpark with fast track entry! I gifted them to one of my F1 obsessed mates and his son who were able to attend on short notice and they stated that they were “mega”. Which is nice.
The delay to September brought a couple of unexpected surprises, the insurance quote dropped by maybe 20% and the WBAC valuation for the Kia increased by about £500 so all in all I cannot complain. We took the train to Bristol this time and Sam collected us in the demo A290 (a very nice hatchback) and we are soon pulling the dust sheet off this …
First impressions … Alpine Vision Bleu is absolutely stunning (it has a lovely mica fleck to it and reminds me of McLaren’s volcano paint colours), the Sabelt seats are a very nice place to be, the overtake button is a gimmick and the black wheels are so much better than I expected. As I stated on the other thread, Alpine saved me from myself by not offering an optional wheel on the PE as I would have ordered the diamond cut 21” snowflakes if available and I would have regretted it. Our resident Alpine/Renault expert HTP99 has pointed out that the locking wheel nuts are missing but I’ve not followed up on this as I think it looks cleaner/more symmetrical when all of the nuts match.
We had a quick handover of the basics, removed the rear seat middle head rest (my only complaint from the test drive was the way this interfered with the rear view) and then it was onto the M5 and home. Not surprisingly we attracted a fair bit of attention during the journey, the most inquisitive being an older gent driving a Dacia on French plates! 80ish miles of motorway driving at fairly normal British motorway speeds meant that our first full EV experience was 2.7 miles/kw which is fairly poor but my intention is to drive it no differently to any other car I have owned and just charge when required.
Pics from when we got home …
Unfortunately the new car arrival has coincided with a big DIY project I’ve got going on and I need to take advantage of my scaffolding rental and the good weather so the car has sat in the garage unused for almost the whole time since collection. However, it did get a run to Tesco where it easily consumed both our and the MIL’s weekly shop.
That is it for now. More to follow when I do finally start using it more but if you have any question, fire away.
I assume Alpine have tried to incorporate the “A” throughout the design of the car which results in these …
The jury is still out on this, initially every time I saw them reflecting the light I thought it was damage to the car. I’ve now got used to them but cannot help but think that trim pieces without the indentation may be better.
The jury is still out on this, initially every time I saw them reflecting the light I thought it was damage to the car. I’ve now got used to them but cannot help but think that trim pieces without the indentation may be better.
Yeah ours hasn't got a plaque, TBH it looks a bit of a cheap afterthought!
I originally drove it in Nice last year; LHD, wrong side of the road (which was a first for me), meaning apart from experiencing the phenomenal handling, there were a few things I'd not noticed until driving it in the UK.
Anyhow first impressions for me:
We have been chatting at work about it and in particular the drivetrain, we do think it is a kind of test bed for new A110, in particular the torque vectoring set up.
I originally drove it in Nice last year; LHD, wrong side of the road (which was a first for me), meaning apart from experiencing the phenomenal handling, there were a few things I'd not noticed until driving it in the UK.
Anyhow first impressions for me:
- The drivers seat could go a bit lower, I feel a bit perched, I'm by no means tall; 5'10"; average height, however my driving position trends to be that of someone who's height start with a 6; long legs perhaps. It is comfortable, however the seat could go lower.
- Terrible blind spot on the passenger A pillar, from drivers side.
- View through the rear window is crap, however having said that I'm a door mirrors man, I rarely use the rear view to manoeuvre or place a car, strange though that Alpine don't offer a rear mirror camera set up like Renault do in the Scenic and Mégane.
- Rear passenger leg room is a bit compromised for the size of car, the backrests of the front seats though are very thick which doesn't help, I guess though the reason being is the massage motors.
- No rear middle armrest, seriously why not, such an oversight, the "Ingenious armrest from Scenic and Rafale have would have been perfect.
- Efficiency and range is terrible for a car of this price, currently getting 2.6 kWh per mile and I'm not driving like a dick, iX3 offers far greater range for similar money. I guess it's the tri motor set up which doesn't exactly help.
- Looks fantastic, it has unique looks, it looks expensive, lovely detailing here and there. You see E-Tron's, Taycans, all expensive cars however the exterior has cheap looking textured black plastic, the Alpine has none of this, it's all painted gloss black with little details, just little things that lift it.
- The paint finish is superb, it really pops, we also have black GTS, it just looks fantastic.
- The front seats and interior detailing look and feel amazing with genuine soft leather, aluminium and optional (very expensive) genuine carbon fibre. The GTS has an alcantara roof lining.
- The ride is fantastic, supple, well damped and not in the least bit harsh, however it doesn't wallow, it just sits very well.
- Handling is amazing for the size, push on and it just sticks through corners with very little roll, if any, it's direct and does exactly what you want it to do. It doesn't feel the size and weight that it is.
We have been chatting at work about it and in particular the drivetrain, we do think it is a kind of test bed for new A110, in particular the torque vectoring set up.
HTP99 said:
Stuff
I can relate to/agree with everything you say other than the seat height but that can be explained away by a simple difference in desired driving position. I do like to sit a little higher than some.In other news, I followed up on the locking wheel nuts and it appears these should have been fitted at the port on arrival(?). A set is being ordered for me.
JerryEXE said:
HTP99 said:
Stuff
I can relate to/agree with everything you say other than the seat height but that can be explained away by a simple difference in desired driving position. I do like to sit a little higher than some.In other news, I followed up on the locking wheel nuts and it appears these should have been fitted at the port on arrival(?). A set is being ordered for me.
t when the locking wheel bolt is black and the remaining "normal" bolts are silver and the car doesn't come with little black bolt covers.Considering these as an option to replace my EV6 when the lease runs out. The efficiency seems very poor though. We get 3.6 - 3.7 out of the Kia and it’s an older design these days. Especially when you look at the new CLA and IX3 which have really moved things on with efficiency and range.
Shame because I really like the looks and performance plus Alpine as a brand has a definite coolness factor.
Shame because I really like the looks and performance plus Alpine as a brand has a definite coolness factor.
JerryEXE said:
HTP99 said:
Lol, they are fitted at dealer, they arrive with the car in a small plastic box.
I just knew you were going to say that 
Had the A390 GT for a while. The range is just not good enough for this segment.
89 kWh usable NMC, GT 400 hp, stock 20" Michelin Pilot Sport EV. Official figure: 346 miles WLTP / 30.1 kWh/100 miles.
On a mixed road loop (40/50/70mph + villages at 30): 34.6 kWh/100 miles. Real range: 258 miles.
Motorway at a steady 70+ mph: 44.9 kWh/100 miles. Real range: 198 miles. Use only 70% of the pack between stops and you’re looking at 139 miles.
No 800V architecture, DC peak of 150 kW. 20–80% in 26 minutes is decent, but it doesn’t fix the consumption. Considering the price and the segment, that motorway range is poor.
89 kWh usable NMC, GT 400 hp, stock 20" Michelin Pilot Sport EV. Official figure: 346 miles WLTP / 30.1 kWh/100 miles.
On a mixed road loop (40/50/70mph + villages at 30): 34.6 kWh/100 miles. Real range: 258 miles.
Motorway at a steady 70+ mph: 44.9 kWh/100 miles. Real range: 198 miles. Use only 70% of the pack between stops and you’re looking at 139 miles.
No 800V architecture, DC peak of 150 kW. 20–80% in 26 minutes is decent, but it doesn’t fix the consumption. Considering the price and the segment, that motorway range is poor.
AnotherHamster said:
Considering these as an option to replace my EV6 when the lease runs out. The efficiency seems very poor though. We get 3.6 - 3.7 out of the Kia and it s an older design these days. Especially when you look at the new CLA and IX3 which have really moved things on with efficiency and range.
Shame because I really like the looks and performance plus Alpine as a brand has a definite coolness factor.
Range was less important in our decision making than the looks, performance and brand coolness factor that you mention. The new iX3 may have great range but I’d rather not be seen driving one … only joking! I’m very much part of the “I normally stop for a comfort break after 2 hours of motorway driving” camp and therefore don’t see the range as too much of an issue. The 2.7 miles/kW we achieved on the way home is very much in line with the figure Alpine quote for motorway use. If they are equally honest about the mixed driving figure (rather than the WLTP) then we’ll maybe see 3.6 miles/kW. I’ll try and keep an update on consumption on here but our approach will be drive it how we like and charge as necessary.Shame because I really like the looks and performance plus Alpine as a brand has a definite coolness factor.
HTP99 said:
JerryEXE said:
HTP99 said:
Lol, they are fitted at dealer, they arrive with the car in a small plastic box.
I just knew you were going to say that HawthornBowTie said:
Had the A390 GT for a while. The range is just not good enough for this segment.
89 kWh usable NMC, GT 400 hp, stock 20" Michelin Pilot Sport EV. Official figure: 346 miles WLTP / 30.1 kWh/100 miles.
On a mixed road loop (40/50/70mph + villages at 30): 34.6 kWh/100 miles. Real range: 258 miles.
Motorway at a steady 70+ mph: 44.9 kWh/100 miles. Real range: 198 miles. Use only 70% of the pack between stops and you re looking at 139 miles.
No 800V architecture, DC peak of 150 kW. 20 80% in 26 minutes is decent, but it doesn t fix the consumption. Considering the price and the segment, that motorway range is poor.
When did yours arrive? What specs did you go for? How many miles have you done so far to determine the consumption figures quoted?89 kWh usable NMC, GT 400 hp, stock 20" Michelin Pilot Sport EV. Official figure: 346 miles WLTP / 30.1 kWh/100 miles.
On a mixed road loop (40/50/70mph + villages at 30): 34.6 kWh/100 miles. Real range: 258 miles.
Motorway at a steady 70+ mph: 44.9 kWh/100 miles. Real range: 198 miles. Use only 70% of the pack between stops and you re looking at 139 miles.
No 800V architecture, DC peak of 150 kW. 20 80% in 26 minutes is decent, but it doesn t fix the consumption. Considering the price and the segment, that motorway range is poor.
JerryEXE said:
Range was less important in our decision making than the looks, performance and brand coolness factor that you mention. The new iX3 may have great range but I d rather not be seen driving one only joking! I m very much part of the I normally stop for a comfort break after 2 hours of motorway driving camp and therefore don t see the range as too much of an issue. The 2.7 miles/kW we achieved on the way home is very much in line with the figure Alpine quote for motorway use. If they are equally honest about the mixed driving figure (rather than the WLTP) then we ll maybe see 3.6 miles/kW. I ll try and keep an update on consumption on here but our approach will be drive it how we like and charge as necessary.
I have seen a few IX3s on the road now and they are not as bad as they look in the photos but that is not high praise. The tri motor set up is obviously a key part of the offering but not sure if they are going to add lower power models which may offer better efficiency.
Need to do a test drive and see whether the drive makes up for it. To be honest, we don’t need the long range: I have only used a public charger once in 3 years but it feels a bit of a backward step.
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