Alpine announces major model offensive, confirms American entry

Renault-owned Alpine announced a major model offensive that will allow it to step into mainstream segments for the first time in its 68-year history. The sub-brand will release seven new cars by 2030, and it confirmed that some of these will be sold in the united States.

Alpine's range expansion will begin in 2024, though the new cars will initially be sold primarily in Europe; its foray into overseas markets won't start until 2027. First, the company will launch its own variant of the upcoming Renault 5 hatchback called A290. Previewed by a concept earlier in 2023, the hot hatch will ride on the modular CMFB-EV platform and will be exclusively offered with an electric powertrain.

Due out in 2025, a year after the A290, the first Alpine crossover will be positioned in Europe's crowded C-segment to compete against the BMW X2 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA, among other models. The A110's successor will make its debut by the end of 2026 with an electric drivetrain, and its modular platform will also under pin an A110-based convertible and a four-seater coupe that will revive the A310 name.

The plan's final chapter will open in 2027 with two models positioned in the D and E segments, respectively. Alpine hasn't revealed what either car will look like, but we're guessing they'll be crossovers — nothing suggests that a big sport sedan is in the pipeline. If we're right, the D-segment model will be aimed at the Porsche Macan while the E-segment crossover will compete in the same ring as the Porsche Cayenne. These two yet-unnamed soft-roaders will play a significant role in helping Alpine gain a secure foothold in the American market.

While electrification remains Alpine's focus, largely due to European regulations that will ban the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars in 2035, the brand is open to exploring other powertrain technologies. It's notably developing what it calls a "hydrogen internal combustion engine," though details about it haven't been released. Similarly, details about how Alpine will sell cars in the United States remain murky. All we know at this stage is that, as previously reported, it inked a distribution deal with Florida-based retailer AutoNation.

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