· Alpine made the preshow for the A390_β show car, the second model of the fully electric Dream Garage series, following the A290.
· The A390_β, a 5-seater Coupe SUV model, became the second vehicle to take Alpine's motorsports experience into daily life.
· Mass production of the Alpine A390 will begin in 2025.
The preshow of the A390_β, the second model of the Dream Garage series symbolizing Alpine's attempt to transit to electric cars, was held in Paris. Following the Dream Garage's first model A290 was unveiled, the Coupe SUV model A390's concept car was also previewed this time. Alpine, known for its experience in motorsports, has thus taken a significant step for everyday use.
Designed as a 5-seater Coupe SUV, the A390_β represents the preview of the sport fastback approach included in Alpine's future vision. In 2025, Alpine will begin mass production of the A390_β at its historic Dieppe plant in France.
An Assertive Sporty Look
The A390_β offers a very nice design that bears many traces of Alpine's classic exterior, mirroring the spirit of the brand. Inspired by the water drop in its exterior design and the crystal shape of snowflakes in its rims, the A390_β looks eye-catching owing to the dynamism created by the Alpine Blue and the luminous effects. The illuminated triangles, called “Cosmic Dust” beneath the front and rear lighting strip, resemble a comet piercing the atmosphere.
The illuminated light strip compatible with the rear diffuser can be extended or retracted by 80 mm. Thus, it lets the A390_β transform from a "short-tailed" to a "long-tailed" design. This extension feature reduces the drag coefficient and increases the driving range of the vehicle.
Designed as a sport fastback, the model blends fluidity and sportiness with spaciousness. The silhouette featured by the plunging rear window as a continuous line improves the vehicle's aerodynamic performance. The exterior of the A390_β was designed, being 85% loyal to that of the model to be mass-produced.
A Conceptual Interior
The interior design of the A390_β stands out with contrast details and duality. The colorful exterior of the model contrasts with the monochrome interior, while the sharp black mineral deviates from the perfect snow-white color. The white interior design of the A390_β is reminiscent of an Alps-inspired mountain landscape.
In the model, whose doors open in the opposite direction and there is no B-pillar, the cockpit pledges the driver an "integration" experience. Three glass panels placed in a row right behind the steering wheel create a holographic effect for dynamic and multidimensional reading of driving information.
The design of the A390_β's steering wheel is directly inspired by Formula 1. Standing out with its compact, technical and precise design, the steering wheel enables the driver to switch between daily and sporty driving experiences. To start the A390_β's engine, an ice crystal with a key function is placed in the middle of the steering wheel. Thus, the ice crystal placed in the heart of the A390_β brings the vehicle to life.
To fully enjoy the sporty experience, the Alpine design team took inspiration from the seat of a F1 car while developing the A390_β driver's seat. This innovative seat offers two separate driving positions for either daily use or sporty use. The seat positions itself higher and the pedals are closer to the floor for daily use, the seat swifts to the F1 position while the pedals rise and the steering wheel stiffens for sporty use.
In contrast to the driver-oriented front of the interior, the rear features comfort. A memory foam was used on the rear seats to maximize on-board comfort. In the center, a hologram-shaped cube was positioned to appeal to the rear passengers. The speakers encircled by ice blocks at the top of the seat provides an immersive sound experience, allowing the sound to be reflected from the front seats to the rear. The Stratasys crystals on the rear shelf evoke the sparkle of snow under the sun's rays.
Daily Use and Sportiness Together
The A390, following the A290 model reinterpreting sportiness in the city, aims to offer the A110 driving experience in a sporty fastback with a seating capacity of 5 passengers.
The A390, Alpine's future sport fastback, will be designed as electric, based on a substantially modified version of Ampere's AmpR Medium platform. The flexibility and advantages of this platform, dedicated to electric engines, have let Alpine's engineers to make the necessary changes to develop a sporty fastback. For instance, the batteries are placed under the passenger compartment to ensure that the center of gravity is as close to the ground as possible, improving road holding. The cabin, on the other hand, is optimized with a flat floor to give passengers a greater sense of space than an internal combustion-powered model.
The sport fastback will also feature three electric motors developed by Alpine, one at the front and two at the rear, and an all-wheel drive (AWD) system. The powertrain will be managed by the “Active Torque Vectoring”, an intelligent torque management system, developed and perfected by Alpine engineers.
