2025 Alpine A290 GT | UK Review

Unless you’ve been lucky enough to be living under a rock these past few months, you’ll know that the Alpine A290 GTS is very good. You’ll also know that it’s quite expensive. Even with the UK’s new EV grant applied, the GTS is not only a £36,000 option that measures in at under four metres long, it’s also six grand pricier than the similarly brisk Mini Cooper SE, and it sits dangerously close to the more spacious and more powerful Abarth 600E. There’s a lot to love in the A290 GTS, but in the harsh blue light of a price comparison spreadsheet, you can see why some people might look elsewhere.

Step forward the A290 GT, the entry-level version of Alpine’s compact performance EV that even to the trained eye looks nigh on identical to its more senior sibling. Only on closer inspection will you spot 19-inch alloys wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber instead of Pilot Sport S 5s, unbranded Brembo brake calipers and, at the back, a letter missing. Otherwise, the two bookend variants – along with the GT Premium and GT Performance models ranked between them – look fundamentally the same.

Of course, underneath the bonnet in the GT (and also the second rank GT Premium) there’s a lower performance electric motor, providing the front wheels with 180hp, 40hp less than the GT Performance and GTS, which get the same 220hp output. Range is up as a result from the 52kWh battery, with 236 miles on offer, 11 more than the higher powered models. On the base GT, you also lose a handful of niceties like Nappa leather, a higher-spec infotainment system and a track-focused telemetry menu, and (no less important this time of year) a heated steering wheel. But the saving is significant; with the UK grant, the GT costs £32,000.

Perhaps the swapping of GTS rims for simpler (but still cool-looking) 19s gives the GT a subtler look than the GTS, but it still has that invitingly optimistic face, complete with day running lights that mimic rally fogs, and a squat, raked stance, helped by those added arch extensions. I love the exterior styling – and thankfully, nothing here kills the A290’s vibe inside. The wraparound dash and three-spoke wheel look the part as you sit in hip-hugging chairs, which in the GT, come clad in part cloth, part leather. First impressions are identical to the GTS. It feels special.

It feels pretty nippy, too. On paper, the 180hp GT setup is a full second slower to 62mph than the 220hp GTS, but it has an identical 221lb ft of torque, so rolling acceleration feels – at least at road speeds – identical. It’s only when you’re nudging past the national speed limit that the base car’s weaker delivery is noticeable. It does without the GTS’s shove, and instead builds speed in a more linear fashion. That trait alone means anyone serious about headline performance will find justification enough for opting for the more senior A290, though of course there is still much more to Alpine’s EV than straight-line pace.

Our drive in the GT is on damp, crumbling British tarmac, a stark contrast to the smooth asphalt of continental Europe that Matt sampled the A290 GTS on this time last year. This added challenge allows the Alpine’s excellent ride quality to shine through, because everything from speed humps to two-inch-deep potholes are dealt with without fuss. Even if you catch a bump or crack mid corner with an outside wheel that’s loaded at pace, the A290, riding on standard-fit hydraulic bump stops, remains composed. On a damp road, Michelin’s EV-spec tyres don’t feel as big of a step down from its summer-focused performance alternatives as you might expect, meaning the same mild playfulness can be exploited from the A290’s chassis. Although even on slippy tarmac, there’s room for more.

I half expected the A290 to come alive on a greasy road surface, but like the more mechanically gripped-up GTS, the base model is still remarkably stable unless you provoke it with a heavily trailed brake. The same rear-brake-pinching tech as the GTS is aboard here, though it doesn’t send the A290 into Clio 182 levels of lift-off lairiness. I should know. Instead, it just slightly tightens your line. And without a limited-slip differential option (for now at least – I’d put money on one coming at the first update) and just 180hp to play with, there’s no hauling of A290 from bend to bend. Pace is brisk and torque vectoring ensures traction is good. But it’s warm, not hot, hatch fun.

Perhaps that’s all it needs to be, because the underlying traits that make all versions of the A290 – and indeed the Renault 5 beneath them – so very likeable, all remain on show here. There’s not much in the way of steering feel, but the rack is quick and the car’s compact footprint means you’ve room to play even on a narrow B road. Plus, the four-stage regenerative braking – adjusted via the blue knob on the steering wheel – means the A290 feels as efficient as it is effortless. Sure, the red overtake button remains a bit of a gimmick, but it’s a fun one to show off to your mates.

So while most white-knuckled PHers might ultimately be better served by the chunkier A290 variants, the GT (or slightly better-specced GT Premium) is arguably all that’s needed. The entry-level derivative is as likeable in design and character, is no more difficult to live with, and is just as fun at normal road speeds as a GTS – all for four grand less. That entry price is notable because it leaves the GT enough space to not be directly compared to the 280hp, limited-slip differential-equipped Abarth 600E, nor its incoming group sibling, the Peugeot E-208 GTI.

You might therefore argue that the biggest rival for this lower-spec A290 is actually a high-spec Renault 5, which lacks the Alpine’s sporty finish but has 150hp and comes in more vibrant colours. But you hardly need me to tell you that Alpine’s version comes with an allure all of its own, aided and abetted by its 30hp bragging rights. Assuming you’re happy to pay the premium for both, the GT makes a great case for itself. 

Engine: 52kWh battery, single electric motor
Transmission: Single-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 180
Torque (lb ft): 221
0-62mph: 7.4 seconds
Top speed: 99mph
Weight: 1,479kg
MPG: 236 miles WLTP range, 100kW max charge rate
CO2: 0g/km (driving), 3.91mi/kWh efficiency
Price: £32,000 (including £1,500 UK EV grant)