Alpine A290 Collection shows sophisticated side of the French hot hatch

For those after a more elegant iteration of the chunky Alpine A290 there’s a new Collection package available that tones down the sporty vibes without losing any of the car’s on-road bite. Alpine has a history of making elegant versions of its sporty models, such as the former A110 GT, but this is the first time an electric model has been given the treatment. 

The Collection package largely affects the extended wheelarches, which on normal A290s are in a contrasting high-gloss black finish. The change helps them blend into the main body, and also makes the A290 stand out even more from the closely related Renault 5, which also has contrasting arches. 

There are only two colour options, one of which is unique to the Collection package: a matte-finish grey-blue paired with a gloss-black roof and diamond-cut ‘Snowflake’ wheels. The existing metallic white is the other option, with the same roof and wheel choices, and all feature silver-finish brake calipers in place of the standard car’s red or blue items. 

The Collection treatment is available on all three existing trim levels – the GT, GT Performance and GTS – with each retaining its existing specification. 

Inside, the blue and white colour theme has been tweaked with a new colour split in fabric and coated faux leather, but this is limited to the GT and GT Performance models; the GTS retains its existing leather finishes. The Collection models also get a black steering wheel – the first time this has been offered on the A290; until now, every model has been fitted with a blue leather wheel.

No timing has yet been announced for UK-market cars, but expect a small rise in price compared with the existing A290 models that start at around £30,000.

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