Alpine A290_β unveiled - EV hot hatch with central driver seat

Alpine has showcased a very exciting and near future in the form of the Alpine A290_β EV concept car.

This particular EV hot hatch is said to carry a harmonious blend of futuristic and retro elements whilst drawing a majority of the inspiration from the Renault 5 Prototype concept unveiled back in 2021.

Taking notes from the already popular and proven Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Alpine A290_β portrays an exterior facade that's wide, low, and muscular. It's also seen as an homage to the legendary Renault 5 Alpine, one of the OGs in the hot hatch segment, and blending it with 21st-century wizardry.

The end result is a modern-retro hot hatch with racing-inspired features blasting out from its body kit, central-locking wheels with one hell of a funky design, added front lights, and many more. What's even more amazing is the fact that Alpine believes that this very concept car will be quite close to the production model targeted to arrive at showrooms sometime in 2024.

Another eye-catching feature of the Alpine A290_β can be found on the inside - a central driver's seat that we can immediately relate to the likes of one of the biggest GOATs of all time, the McLaren F1. Paired with aviation-style details, the interior also comes with a futuristic three-spoke steering wheel and a compact driver's display, but we're probably guessing that the production version won't be anywhere near this.

Alpine has not shared any details in terms of performance figures, apart from a dual-electric motor setup that powers the front wheels. Other specs listed are selectable driving modes, ABS settings, torque vectoring, and a multi-link rear suspension just to name a few.

As stated above, the Alpine A290_β is set to arrive in showrooms in 2024, which will also coincide with the production version release of the Renault 5 Prototype. Hopefully, we might just see one or two here in Malaysia like the Alpine A110 thanks to Malaysia's Renault distributor, TC Euro Cars.