Alpine A110 Review | Irish Road Test
It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since the Alpine A110 first went on sale in Europe. For most of that time, Irish enthusiasts could only admire it from afar.
But that changes in 2025. Alpine now has an official presence in Ireland, coinciding with the arrival of the brand’s first electric hot hatch, the A290.
The good news? You can finally buy an A110 here. The bad news? It won’t be around for much longer. With Alpine committing fully to an all-electric future, production of this petrol-powered sports car is ending next year. And with Irish taxes pushing the price to €92,495, this really is a niche, aspirational car. But what a way to say goodbye.
To mark the occasion, I took one for a final blast through the Wicklow Gap, one of my favourite driving roads.
Styling
The A110 is simply beautiful. Its design draws heavily from the classic Alpine sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s, with distinctive twin front headlights, bonnet spine and a graceful wraparound rear screen.
Finished in signature Alpine Blue with subtle French Tricolour badges and 18-inch alloys, it’s a car that looks as special as it feels to drive.
Alpine A110 Interior
The cabin of the A110 is snug and built for drivers, not passengers. The Sabelt bucket seats are superb, providing real support without sacrificing comfort. The design is simple and unfussy, with plenty of soft leather across the dashboard, though you will find hard scratchier plastics in places.
A digital driver display provides uncomplicated graphics, while the central touchscreen (now with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) handles connectivity. It’s not the most high-tech system out there, but it’s functional and not distracting, which is exactly what you want in a driver’s car.
A few quirks remind you how single-minded this car is: you’ll need a spanner to adjust the seat height, and there’s no reversing camera. But again, that’s part of its charm.
Practicality
Let’s be honest: the Alpine A110 is not built for practicality. You’ll need to travel light, with just 96 litres of boot space behind the engine and another 100 litres under the bonnet. Packing for a weekend away requires a little creativity.
Driving the Alpine A110
The Alpine A110 has one of my all-time favourite engines. It’s the same 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol used in the last generation Renault Mégane RS and RS Trophy, which are cars that helped define the last great hot hatch era around 2017–2018.
On paper, the Alpine's 252hp and 320Nm of torque might sound modest, but this is a featherweight. The A110 tips the scales at just over 1.1 tonnes, with the engine mounted behind the seats and power sent to the rear wheels through a 7-speed, dual-clutch automatic. It sprints from 0–100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, but raw numbers only tell part of the story.
The A110 is all about purity and feel. There’s no gimmicky drive mode menu or adaptive this-and-that; just Normal and Sport modes to toggle between The chassis is 96% aluminium, which keeps things tight and communicative. You sit low, almost on the ground, with the kind of connection to the road that many modern cars just can’t replicate.
On Irish roads, it’s firm so you feel every undulation and ripple on rural roads in particular, though things smooth out as the road quality improves. Despite its performance credentials, it’s surprisingly refined when cruising. It can even return respectable fuel economy: as low as 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Motor tax is €280 per year.
Verdict
The Alpine A110 is a rare gem: light, tactile and refreshingly simple. It’s a driver’s car through and through, offering a purity and connection that’s increasingly hard to find. Yes, it’s expensive and not the most practical choice, but it’s also one of the most engaging sports cars you can buy today - and soon you won’t be able to buy one at all.
Alpine has committed to a fully electric future with the brilliant A290 soon to be joined by the A390 SUV, expanding the brand's reach even further. But it's clear racing is in Alpine's DNA and that means the future is bright.
Alpine A110 Video Review
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Written by Caroline Kidd
Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year
Alpine sports car brand launches in Ireland
The iconic Alpine car brand has arrived in Ireland and will be distributed by Cedar Motors, who already represent Renault, Dacia and Nissan here.
The first Alpine cars to go on sale here will be the glorious A110 mid-engined sports car and new A290 electric hot hatchback. They will be joined by the A390 electric SUV in 2026.
Originally founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, Alpine’s heritage is deeply rooted in motorsport, particularly rallying and Formula 1, which has shaped its identity as a performance-driven brand.
Reborn and revived under the Renault Group in 2018, Alpine has continued to focus on innovation and driver engagement, integrating advanced technologies from motorsports into its road cars.
This racing pedigree still influences its designs today as the brand aims to combine heritage, performance and cutting-edge EV technology in its future models.
The new Alpine A290 will mark the most affordable entry into Alpine's new line-up of cars with pricing starting from €36,690.
Seamus Morgan, Managing Director, Cedar Motors, said:
“This expansion reflects Cedar Motors’ commitment to broadening the Irish automotive landscape with brands that offer not only quality and reliability, but also character, excitement, and innovation."
Test drives and sales are available from Windsor Motormall in North Dublin, Alpine’s official retail and service partner in Ireland.
From July 1st, the Alpine range will be on display in the Alpine Store at Dundrum Town Centre.
Alpine A110 Review
Read Caroline's Alpine A110 review for everything you need to know about what it is like to drive a legendary Alpine sports car on Irish roads!
Alpine made a spectacular return in 2017 when it took the covers off the new A110 sports car. Inspired by the original lightweight A110 sports car of the 1960s and 1970s, the new A110 has since spawned a number of more hardcore variants including the A110 S and the A110 R. None of which are officially on sale in Ireland. Though it's likely that the Alpine brand will begin to establish a presence here soon.
That's because within the Renault Group, Alpine is set to take off where Renault Sport left off and become the French carmaker's performance brand with a range of sporty, electric models planned. Yes, that's right - the future of Alpine is electric!
But for now, Renault Ireland lent me their 2019 Alpine A110 to discover a little more about what Alpine has to offer and what the future might hold for this iconic brand.
Styling
The Alpine A110 is just gorgeous whatever way you look at it. Low and sleek, the design is very much inspired by the original A110 Berlinette with lots of nostalgic nods to its predecessor - the twin front headlights, bonnet spine, and wraparound rear screen. The silhouette is classic A110 and finished in Alpine Blue, this car commands attention wherever it goes. The French tricolour badges on each side are a neat touch. The A110 Légende GT sits on 18-inch alloy wheels with blue brake calipers. If you're bored of the Porsche Cayman or Audi TT S, then the A110 is a refreshing alternative.
Interior
Inside, the cabin of the A110 is snug and sporty There are a set of gorgeous sports seats, which have been designed to be lightweight. There's lots of nice quilting in the door panels and Alcantara that lends a luxury feel. The overall quality is no match for rivals like the Cayman or TT, but the sight of the sporty silver paddles behind the new Alpine steering wheel, big red sport button and aluminium pedals are enough to build the atmosphere before you've hit the start button. There's also a bespoke digital instrument cluster that changes the view depending on which driving mode you're in. There are also comfort features like heated seats, reversing camera and climate control. The 7-inch infotainment screen is far from impressive for a sports car like the A110, but newer versions at least come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Practicality
There's not much storage space in the cabin of the Alpine. The boot offers a very shallow 96 litres. There's an extra 100 litres under the bonnet. But overall you might struggle to pack the A110 for a weekend away!
Engine
For now, the A110 uses good, old-fashioned petrol power. The mid-engined sports car uses the same 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine as the mighty Renault Mégane RS. It's been tweaked for the Alpine and puts out 252hp and 320Nm of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels via a seven speed dual clutch transmission. There are paddles behind the steering wheel so you can shift gears manually if you wish.
Driving
The Alpine has been designed to save as much weight as possible. It's made from aluminium and weighs just 1,100kg, which is about 300kg lighter than the Porsche Cayman. On the road, it's simple and fun to drive with a tactile feeling to the controls and the way it takes on corners. The lightness is truly breath-taking and the little Alpine cuts through corners with real grace and elegance. The steering responds quickly with no artificial heaviness numbing the sensations reaching the rim. Driving the Alpine is pure joy! It's quick when you do give it full throttle, sprinting to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds. In Sport mode the engine gets a bit more vocal, with more pops and bangs to accompany your sporty driving. The A110 will cruise effortlessly on bigger roads though the suspension is quite firm over bumps and ruts in the road surface. It's quite light on fuel for a sports car too with over 40mpg possible.
Pricing
The A110 tested would retail from about €85,000 if it was officially on sale in Ireland.
Verdict
Alpine has committed to an electric future with more sporty electric models planned including an electric replacement for the epic A110. Modern-day Alpine has found an exciting niche in the Renault fold and it feels like this is a brand very much in ascent again. The Alpine A110 is a brilliant sports car that captures all the fun of a lightweight, mid-engined sports car. Alpine's impeccable racing heritage shines through in this car's emotive good looks, raspy engine note and playful handling. I can't wait to see what comes next from this brand!
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Written by Caroline Kidd
Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year
