Alpine A390: Why the electric crossover’s failure was predictable

Alpine’s SUV isn’t selling well. No surprise to our chief grumbler, who thinks it’s too expensive and technologically outdated compared to the premium electric vehicle market.

January 28, 2022. Alpine announced its choice of the Dieppe factory to produce a crossover. Although the plant’s future had been threatened at one point despite the success of the A110 revival, the announcement was carefully staged with the presence of Luca de Meo, then CEO of Renault Group, and Bruno Le Maire, then Minister of Economy.

Almost five years later, and just a few months after the A390 model was launched, the Normandy plant is facing serious problems. A few days ago, Les Échos reported that production rates would be slowed for the second time in weeks. First reduced from 30 to 16 aircraft at the beginning of September, it was further cut to just 7 by mid-October. Worse still, the factory will be shut down for several weeks in November and December. This is a disaster for a vehicle that is still so new.

While the production of the A110 came to an end, the A390 was supposed to take over in Dieppe and become a key element of the company’s expansion strategy, for which Luca de Meo had high ambitions. The reality is undeniable: the A390 is a complete failure. From January to September, only 1,780 units were delivered in Europe, of which 1,003 were in France. During the same period, BMW sold over 43,000 units of the new iX3. Even the Porsche Macan is far ahead, with 17,000 units sold, including 900 in France.

In response to the very slow start, the brand cited supply chain difficulties with batteries due to failures by the French supplier Verkor, which notably delayed the launch of the GTS version. But this time, there is no longer any excuse to hide behind easy justifications. Demand is lacking, and the executives at Renault and Alpine began to acknowledge this at the World Motor Show.

François Provost, Luca de Meo’s successor, criticized the unfavorable pricing of vehicle monthly payments compared to German competitors, noting that the main market for such vehicles is corporate leasing. While emphasizing that he did not want to panic and make hasty decisions, he reiterated that Alpine is a long-term project and that the product still needs a chance. Undoubtedly, the fate of the Dieppe factory, once again in trouble, should prompt him to exercise diplomacy, as this issue could turn into a social crisis in France.

He was known to be less cautious on other matters, such as the abrupt end of Mobilize at the end of 2025, which halted production of the Duo and was replaced by the Twizy just a few weeks later. But that happened in Morocco. If the project had been revised (perhaps by turning it into a Dacia), it could have been easily saved, especially since the surge in fuel prices would certainly have boosted sales.

For the A390, however, the failure was entirely predictable. Not because customers weren’t expecting an electric SUV from Alpine—Porsche is doing well with that—but because the design of the vehicle has so many flawed elements that it could only lead to this outcome.

I should set design aside, as tastes vary, but it’s clear this is already a point of contention. For this vehicle, the brand decided to go for a more angular, futuristic look, refusing to create the A110 SUV that one might imagine. The nods to the Berlinette are very subtle. Still, without the logo, it’s hard for those unfamiliar with it to identify the vehicle, who might think it’s a Chinese-made product...

And then, by insisting on making a vehicle that isn’t actually a SUV and using overly fancy terminology to obscure the truth, what results is an awkward, unclassifiable silhouette—an odd impression of something almost like a lifted sedan. It’s that famous French tendency to reinvent luxury, as seen with the DS N°8. Yet, wealthy customers prefer products that are easily recognizable to give them a sense of reassurance.

The worst comes when you open the door. You’re then faced with a Renault Scénic dashboard, a poor choice made to keep costs down. This practice can be seen even among premium brands, yet within the same brand lineup. When you buy an A390 for 70,000 euros, what do you say to your brother-in-law who points out that his Scénic, costing 40,000 euros, has almost the same interior design...

The money was invested in developing a technical specification that is quite different from the Scénic and tailored to Alpine’s standards. Indeed, the manufacturer paid close attention to details with a three-motor configuration, delivering power outputs ranging from 400 to 470 horsepower, along with a suite of technologies that make the A390 one of the most enjoyable electric SUVs to drive. The brand aimed to honor its heritage, the DNA of the A110, through an agile A390. But do customers of this type of vehicle really care about such things?

While an A110 was meant to be perfect on the road, and it indeed was, this aspect is clearly less important here. You don’t really take your crossover to twist and turn on small roads on Sundays. A customer willing to spend 70,000 euros on an electric SUV, or at least pay a comparable monthly rent, is primarily focused on the features associated with electric vehicles, such as range and charging speed. The issue is that for 78,000 euros, you get an A390 GTS with a range of 502 km and a DC charging speed of 190 kW. For 74,050 euros, the iX3 50 xDrive offers 800 km of range and 400 kW of charging speed...

François Provost said that A390 customers loved its road handling and weren’t bothered by the lack of an 800V architecture. Those who adore pineapple pizza would say they’re not bothered by pineapple on their pizza. But like the A390 customers, they are few in number.

There could easily be more of them. The A390 has its flaws, but it’s not a bad car to consider. Almost anything could fix things and make people forget about its shortcomings: lowering the price to keep it competitive against more formidable rivals. François Provost reminded that capturing the premium market is a long-term goal. But to achieve that, it’s better not to skip essential steps by listing prices without having all the necessary qualities. First, sell the products at a good price to the right customers with solid selling points.