We’re still in the early throws of Alpine’s resurgence, now fully under the control of fellow French marque Renault. Their new mid-engine sports car, the A110, has been revealed and has been on the receiving end of a lot of positive hype with early pundits beginning to believe its lofty ambition of gunning down the Porsche 718 Cayman is actually within reach.
In spite of their relatively healthy flow of finances, benefitting from the solid mass market foundation that both Renault and their Japanese counterparts Nissan have cultivated, Alpine’s plans stretch further than merely focusing on fast, fun machines.
According to AutoExpress, a new second model is already some way into its development. But it won’t be a more powerful A110. Rather, they’re following the money, taking a path that Porsche originally did in the early 2000s with the original Cayenne and appealing to a base with practicality on their mind.
This new Alpine model will be an SUV of the near future that will eventually provide the brand with a higher-volume source of reliable revenue to fund its proper sports car endeavours. Renault-Nissan already have extensive experience with these kinds of vehicles, giving Alpine a huge leg up over other makes that would otherwise need to start from scratch, and should make this quite a natural move.
In terms of direct competitors, this new Alpine SUV will be up against the obvious contenders such as the Porsche Macan, Audi SQ5, Jaguar F-Pace, and Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Alpine’s lightweight ethos will still apply here, though, with the engineers surely to be occupied with shaving as much weight as possible without sacrificing too much by way of refinement and comfort.
The Renault Sport-derived 1.8-litre, 224kW turbocharged four-cylinder petrol that’s to be slotted into the production A110 is rumoured to be carried over to this mystery SUV, albeit with an altered engine tune and possibly with some form of hybrid assist to help it stay competitive with the performance high-riders out there.
Renault’s EDC dual-clutch transmission would be the most fitting dance partner to a zingy motor like that, but Alpine could opt instead for a conventional torque converter automatic for its improved reliability and smoother operation being more congruent with the expected behaviour of an SUV.
Drive will reportedly be sent to either the rear wheels or to all four corners, with Alpine’s electronic rear differential being another possible carry-over from the A110. Another option will be with regard to the seats. While two front occupants will receive their own supportive leather buckets, the buyer can specify whether the rear passengers will get either a more conventional bench that can seat three abreast or their own bolstered semi-buckets, fitting four in total.
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