Secret Alpine A390 electric sports SUV on track for Australia

Alpine is plotting a high-performance version of the inbound Renault Megane E-Tech, with Australian and international trademark filings suggesting the all-new GT crossover will be called the Alpine A390.

Set to rival the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N and Kia EV6 GT, the 2025 Alpine A390 will reportedly feature a circa-90kWh battery pack and develop more than 300kW from a dual-motor powertrain.

That’s the word from French media outlets citing company insiders, who also claim the small-medium “Crossover GT” (as Alpine has already described the still-secret new model) will be underpinned by the same CMF-EV platform as the Megane E-Tech and Nissan Ariya.

The A390 nameplate was submitted for trademark protection in Europe in late May before the nomenclature appeared in the IP Australia database in the second week of June, suggesting Renault Australia has the high-performance EV on its radar.

As carsales has reported, Renault’s local importer is keen to revive Alpine in Australia but is waiting for new-generation models to become available – such as the seven all-new sporty EVs coming from the brand by 2030.

As well as the A390, the 2024 Alpine A290 hot hatch will be among the first wave.

Others include the Alpine A310 2+2 coupe and the related second-generation A110 sports car – the long-awaited EV replacement for the two-seater sports car that was removed from sale in Australia in 2021.

Both electric sports cars are expected to launch internationally by 2026.

Significantly, the A310 nameplate has also just received local trademark approval for our market (alongside the A390), while Renault Group has previously moved to protect the A290 moniker.

That means all three models and the next-generation A110 are well and truly on the agenda for sale Down Under.

Renault announced in 2021 that Alpine would take over from Renault Sport as the company’s in-house performance division, leaving only the new Megane E-Tech – which is about to launch in Australia – as its sports flagship.

More Renault secrets to be told

There’s also one more twist in the tale of Renault’s latest trademark filings in Australia.

The French car-maker has applied to protect ‘Symbioz’ – the name bestowed upon a 2017 concept car blending EV performance with Level 4 autonomous driving technology and vehicle-to-home integration.

Renault never declared if the original concept would spawn a production model, but the trademark filing suggests the Symbioz could be one of several high-end sports-luxury SUVs and crossovers being developed by Alpine to help it break into the lucrative North American market.

The Symbioz concept packed a 500kW/660Nm dual-motor powertrain, could reportedly cruise for up to 500km before needing to recharge, and packed in more futuristic innovations than an aspiring tech company – all key attributes of a future flagship luxury EV.

Other Renault-owned nameplates pending with IP Australia include Napurna, Duster and Renault Nevada, the latter steeped in history having once adorned the back of a large family wagon.

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