Look out Cupra! Renault's performance brand to return to Australia after four years with a sporty tri-motor Tesla Model Y, Cupra Tavascan, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.5 electric SUV rival

After a four-year hiatus, Renault Group has confirmed the Alpine brand will be returning to Australian shores.

Its first model since the A110 sports car that was sold locally from 2018 to 2022, will be the new A390 electric ‘coupe’ SUV that was revealed overnight in France.

Alpine has confirmed the A390 will debut the return of the brand locally, it hasn’t confirmed when this will actually happen.

“We are proud to announce the return of the iconic Alpine performance brand to Australia,” said Alpine Australia General Manager Glen Sealey.

“We appreciate there is a lot of interest in this vehicle and Alpine’s future plans in Australia. However pricing, timing and specifications will be announced closer to local arrivals.”

At this stage orders will open in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Claimed to reinvent the spirit of the A110 sports car in a five-seat electric fastback form, the Alpine A390 is the second model in its current all-electric line-up.

It follows the A290, which is a hotted-up version of the Renault 5 E-Tech, and precedes the forthcoming A110 electric sports car.

Built on the AmpR electric platform, the A390 features a tri-motor setup with one electric motor on the front axle and two on the rear. It also has an active torque vectoring system.

In entry-level GT form it has total system outputs of 295kW and 650Nm, however, in flagship GTS form it has total system outputs of 345kW and 808Nm.

For context, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N can produce more peak power (478kW), but doesn’t produce as much peak torque (770Nm).

Alpine claims the A390 GT can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.8 seconds and has a top speed of 200km/h, whereas the A390 GTS can do the 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 220km/h.

The Ioniq 5 N is claimed to be able to do the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 260km/h.

Feeding the three electric motors is an 89kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Alpine claims the A390 has a range of up to 520-555km, depending on the tyres, according to WLTP testing.

This battery pack can be DC fast-charged at rates up to 190kW, and AC charged at 11kW as standard or 22kW as an option. It also offers bi-directional charging with vehicle-to-grid support in France.

The Alpine A390 measures in at 4615mm long, 1885mm wide, and 1532mm tall, with a 2708mm wheelbase. This makes it around the same size as a Cupra Tavascan.

It also weighs 2121kg, which is around 160kg lighter than the flagship Tavascan VZ, and has a claimed boot capacity of 532 litres.

A few other unique features of the A390 is it has specially designed Michelin tyres to enhance its dynamics, and is available with a Devialet premium sound system.

As mentioned above, while it is confirmed the Alpine A390 will be coming to Australia, it’s currently unclear when exactly.