Image Credit: Captain Electro.
I admire the French. When they aren't busy fermenting grapes or going on strike because the wind changed direction, they are building cars that are brilliant and confusing - all at the same time. They see the automobile as an art piece that happens to move. And now, the folks at Alpine - Renault's sporty cousin that usually makes light, nimble things - have decided to pick a fight with the biggest kid on the playground: Porsche.
Right then, let's get down to business. Alpine has launched a new electric crossover called the A390. It looks like a spaceship, presumably, and it is apparently aimed at buyers who, until now, liked the Porsche Macan Electric. Normally, when a French manufacturer says they are targeting Porsche, we all have a polite chuckle, pat them on the head, and go back to buying our German tanks.
Image Credit: Alpine.
But this time, Alpine has done something very un-French. They haven't skimped on style, and somehow they have managed to focus on the one thing that Americans understand better than anyone else: value for money.
Alpine has started a price war. It is a bold strategy, mostly because Porsche doesn't really "do" discounts. Porsche charges you extra for the air inside the tires if they think they can get away with it. But here comes the A390, swinging a baguette of savings right at Stuttgart's face.
Image Credit: Alpine.
In the UK, where this thing has just landed, the base model A390 starts at around $76,700 (converted from £61,390). That sounds like a lot of money for a car that sounds like a flight number, until you look at the competition. The absolute cheapest, bargain-basement Porsche Macan Electric costs roughly $85,700 in the UK (or $78,000 if you buy it here in the States).
It gets even worse for the Germans. That entry-level Porsche? It only drives the rear wheels. It has 355 horsepower. It is, for all intents and purposes, a badge with a battery attached. The "base" Alpine, on the other hand, comes with all-wheel drive as standard, and it delivers 394 horsepower. So, you are paying about nine grand less and getting nearly 40 extra horsepower and two more driven wheels. That is simple math, which is usually the Germans' strong suit, so they must be absolutely furious.
Image Credit: Alpine.
If you want to go faster - and who doesn't? - you can step up to the A390 GTS. This is where things get properly nutty. It uses a tri-motor setup - one for each wheel at the back and one for the front axle. This version cranks out a healthy 464 horsepower. And the price? About $86,700.
Let's look at the Porsche equivalent. To get close to that performance, you'd need the Macan 4, which has around 400 horsepower and costs a lot more. If you want to beat the Alpine, you have to stretch to the Macan 4S, which delivers 509 horsepower but costs $88,000 in the US (and much, much more in the UK). Essentially, Alpine is offering you champagne performance for sparkling water prices.
Image Credit: Alpine.
Both versions of this French fancy come with an 89 kWh battery. In the GT trim, Alpine claims you can get 345 miles of range on the WLTP cycle. We all know WLTP stands for "Optimistic Guesswork," but it's a solid number. The faster GTS model drops that range to 312 miles - that's the price you pay for having a lead foot.
When the electrons run dry, the A390 can suck up juice at a peak rate of 190 kW. That's enough to get you from 15 percent to 80 percent in about 25 minutes. It's decent, but not really earth-shattering, considering the Porsche can inhale electricity at 270 kW, but 25 minutes is just enough time to drink a coffee and complain about the weather, so it works out.
Image Credit: Alpine.
There is also a "Premiere Edition" that sits in the middle of the lineup. It's basically the entry-level mechanical package but dressed up for a night out. You get a black roof, fancy 20-inch wheels with a black finish, and Sabelt sports seats. They also slap a French flag on the rear quarter, just in case you forgot where the car came from, and paint the brake calipers with the Alpine logo. It's jewelry, really, but people love jewelry.
Of course, there is a giant catch hiding in plain sight. The brand. Porsche sells cars, yes, but mostly they sell the feeling of being a Porsche owner. They sell the crest. Alpine is a historic brand with a massive racing pedigree, but to the average crossover buyer in suburbia, "Alpine" sounds like a brand of bottled water or a ski lodge. Breaking into that market is harder than teaching a cat to fetch.
Image Credit: Alpine.
And then there is the politics. The source material tells us that Alpine wants to bring this car to America. It makes sense; we buy crossovers like they are going out of style. However, the company decided in 2025 to postpone the US launch indefinitely. Why? Tariffs. The current political climate and potential trade barriers have made the French pause. They are worried about the cost.
It is a crying shame, really. If the A390 did make it across the Atlantic, it would force Porsche to actually compete on value, something they haven't had to do in decades. The Macan 4S is a lovely car, but is it $10,000 better than a tri-motor French spaceship? I'm not so sure.
Image Credit: Alpine.
For now, the A390 is a forbidden fruit. A powerful, reasonably priced, all-wheel-drive fruit that we can't taste. We are left with the expensive German option, which is very good, but lacks that certain je ne sais quoi - and by that, I mean a price tag that doesn't make you weep.
Enjoyed the article? Give us a LIKE and FOLLOW Captain Electro! We're tracking the electric future... even if it's still buffering.
