Alpine feels growing wings. The Renault group brand, whose sales increased by 33% in 2022, no longer wants to stick to an image of a manufacturer with confidential distribution, a survival of a glorious past on rally tracks and the Le Mans circuit. but whose aura cannot extend beyond a Franco-French circle of nostalgic boomers. Relaunched in 2017 (on the initiative in particular of Carlos Tavares, current boss of Stellantis and at the time number two of Renault), following having remained dormant for more than twenty years, Alpine wishes to become a full-fledged player on the very profitable global market for sports models.
Considered more as a trial balloon than as the first stone of a long-term project, the A110 coupe (from 65,000 to 110,000 euros, depending on the version) does not show its age. After five years of career, its sales have increased by 33% in 2022 and, if its distribution remains modest (3,546 units last year), it is above forecasts.
It was not these commercial performances that led Renault to change its view of the brand, but the conviction, reiterated by Luca de Meo, the group’s general manager, that Alpine has real development potential, provided dedicate the necessary resources to it. Since the summer of 2020 and the arrival of the new Italian boss, an expert in the launch of sports ranges, he has put Abarth into orbit at Fiat and created Cupra within the Volkswagen group. The product plan of the international firm has expanded.
“Painful Experiences”
No more sticking to a single model; the future is all-electric, with a catalog of six vehicles. In 2024, Alpine, which is betting on its presence in Formula 1 to boost its notoriety, will launch a muscular adaptation of the electric Renault R5 which will take over from the supercharged versions (RS) of the Clio and Mégane then, the following year, a crossover sporty 430 horsepower, potential rival of the electric Porsche Macan, developed on a Renault-Nissan platform. In 2026, the next generation of the A110 coupé will see the light of day, also available as a convertible.
In 2027, two large SUV-coupes will appear, mainly intended for the American market. More than thirty-five years following leaving the United States, Renault is once once more trying to establish itself there, this time with Alpine. “The group has had painful experiences, but we cannot ignore this market, which represents half of the world’s sales of sports cars”, argues Laurent Rossi, general manager of the brand, who confirms that negotiations are underway with distribution networks. If all goes well, Alpine also plans to be distributed in China.
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