- Alpine, revived by Renault in 2017, aims to launch a pair of electric crossovers in the United States in 2027 or 2028. (Image above is Alpine Alpenlow concept from the 2022 Paris auto show.)
- CEO Laurent Rossi compared the crossover to the Porsche Macan and Cayenne Coupe, and said they would be an important part of Alpine’s goal of reaching 150,000 sales by 2030.
- Alpine is also launching three cars in the coming years for Europe, including an electric version of the A110 sports car and a performance variant of the upcoming Renault 5 electric car.
Alpine was founded in 1955 and rose to prominence in the 1970s following its acquisition by Renault, racking up rally wins with the A110 sports car and victory at Le Mans in 1978. Renault revived the brand, now part of Groupe Renault, in 1970. 2017 with the new lightweight A110. The agile sports car remains the forbidden fruit in the United States, but now it seems that Alpine may be coming to the US within this decade. According to today’s report by Automotive NewsCEO Laurent Rossi revealed in a recent call that two new models are being developed with the American market in mind.
Unfortunately, Alpines’ future US destination doesn’t include a low-slung sports car. Instead, they will be a mid-size electric crossover and larger EV SUV, targeted for 2027 or 2028. Rossi explained that “the US is the main destination for these cars” and compared the crossover to the Porsche Macan and Cayenne coupes in terms of how they are positioned in the market.
Rossi said he sees the US as very important for increasing Alpine volumes. Alpine currently sells only A110s, with a total of 3,546 sold in 2022. The target is to surpass 150,000 annual sales by 2030, and Rossi says that entering the US market “will create the bulk of the additional volume.” He said Alpine was still debating what platform the crossover EV would go with; along with partner Renault Nissan, the company is considering using platforms from premium brand Geely, which includes Volvo, Polestar and Zeekr.
Before the Alps reach US shores, the French automaker will launch three exciting EVs for the European market. First will be the performance version of the upcoming Renault 5 electric hatchback. This will be followed by a sporty compact crossover, currently referred to as the GT, which will feature torque vectoring, more powerful motors and unique battery chemistry to set it apart from the more mainstream Renault. Finally, an electric successor to the A110 is coming in 2027, developed in collaboration with Lotus.
It will be several years before Alpine’s American expansion kicks off, and promises of a return to the US by other French automakers have yet to materialize. But if Alpine meets the 2027 timeline, it will mark the first time since the early 1990s that Renault will have a presence in the United States. And even though the dynamic A110 never made it to our shores, we’re still excited to see what Alpine can deliver in the late 2020s.
