Latest news with #AntonyVillain
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Alpine still working on large electric SUVs despite shelving US launch
Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed "we are working on [the large vehicle family] today". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have "something in the D- or E-segment" if the company is to "expand more globally". Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric "coupe" SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain "there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars". Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine Content originally sourced from: Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed "we are working on [the large vehicle family] today". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have "something in the D- or E-segment" if the company is to "expand more globally". Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric "coupe" SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain "there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars". Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine Content originally sourced from: Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed "we are working on [the large vehicle family] today". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have "something in the D- or E-segment" if the company is to "expand more globally". Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric "coupe" SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain "there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars". Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine Content originally sourced from: Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed "we are working on [the large vehicle family] today". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have "something in the D- or E-segment" if the company is to "expand more globally". Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric "coupe" SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain "there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars". Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine Content originally sourced from:
7NEWS
6 days ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Alpine still working on large electric SUVs despite shelving US return
Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 'we are working on [the large vehicle family] today'. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have 'something in the D- or E-segment' if the company is to 'expand more globally'. Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric 'coupe' SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain 'there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars'. Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Alpine still working on large electric SUVs despite shelving US return
Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 'we are working on [the large vehicle family] today'. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Mr Villain said it was necessary to have 'something in the D- or E-segment' if the company is to 'expand more globally'. Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric 'coupe' SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. Supplied Credit: CarExpert As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain 'there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars'. Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine
Auto Car
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Alpine has postponed its US launch but still plans to launch a range of larger electric luxury cars
Alpine is still developing larger and more upmarket electric cars to crown its line-up, despite having put its plans to enter the US market on ice. The Renault-owned performance brand had planned a US launch for 2027 as part of its strategy to achieve 150,000 annual sales by 2030 but postponed the plans indefinitely after the Trump administration's imposition of a 25% import tariff on all European-built cars. Key to its success in the US were to be a range of larger models to break into the D- and E-segments. These are understood to have included a Porsche Cayenne rival to sit above the Macan-sized A390, plus a further two E-segment cars by 2030 - possibly another SUV and a saloon in the vein of the Lotus Emeya. Alpine's postponement of plans to launch in the US, the most important global market for these range-topping models, raised questions over their continued viability. But while the brand has not indicated that it is back on track for a Stateside rollout, it is still developing bigger cars as part of a push to bolster its premium positioning. Speaking to reporters at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the company's chief designer, Antony Villain, said Alpine's goal is "more and more to move up now, rather to go down", so it will not launch any models smaller or more affordable than the A290 hot hatchback. Instead, it will shift its focus to larger and more profitable models. Villain said: "We need something in the D- or E-segment, not especially for Europe, because Europe is still more a C-segment market. But if we want to expand more globally, we will need, probably, bigger cars. "The US was in our plan. Of course with the situation, we put it on hold but the US is still the biggest market for sports cars - but not only: there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars. We have to find our ways, but yes we are still working on that." Villain did not say which markets outside of the US and Europe the brand is now targeting with its new flagship models but said they will play an important role in Alpine's "emancipation" from its parent, Renault. "Five years ago, Alpine was like a 13-year-old kid – needing money from their parents, a bit joyful and not fully serious," he said. "Now it's like we are becoming 18: we will need to find a job, make our own money, develop our own network - a bit more serious. But not too much. "So it's emancipation, but still being in a group, because we have the chance to have a strong group behind us and that's something really strong. It's always playing between on which topics we need to be totally independent, and on which ones we really need to have the back office and the group behind us."
Auto Express
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Alpine's big plan for a super-SUV to rival the Porsche Cayenne
Alpine is in the middle of a significant electric car expansion after launching the A290 hot hatch and the new A390 SUV. Soon to arrive will be five other models, growing the brand's EV line-up up to seven cars by 2030, and one of those will be a flagship SUV. Advertisement - Article continues below Speaking to Auto Express at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Antony Villain, head of design for Alpine, said, 'We need something for the D and E segment', strongly suggesting a new flagship SUV will be introduced to sit above the recently revealed A390 SUV. We already know that joining Alpine's new Renault 5-based A290 and the A390 next year will be an all-electric A110; a convertible variant is coming in 2027, plus a four-seat electric sports car called the A310. One of the final two cars to come before the end of the decade will be a large SUV to fill the void above the A390. It could potentially be badged A590 to align with the brand's '90' badge for its non-sportscar models. The A590 would be either a D or E-segment SUV, as Villain said, giving Alpine a competitor for the likes of the BMW iX, Lotus Eletre and the upcoming Porsche Cayenne EV. While any official teasers remain a long way off, Alpine has said it'll commit to having a familiar design language throughout its EVs – a set of quad headlights arranged in a 'V', a curved rear window, and a rounded side profile. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below While Alpine is aiming to keep its future line-up desirable with the cars' performance and looks, ergonomics is also an important consideration for the brand. The Alpine A110, partly by virtue of being launched back in 2017, has plenty of physical buttons inside for climate functions and regularly used features – although the newer A290 hot hatch and A390 SUV have deviated from this approach with larger screens. Villain pointed out that Alpine drivers 'want to focus on driving and you don't want screens everywhere'. He also added 'buttons are important for Alpine' and said that its cars will have 'lots of physical buttons'. As with any Alpine model, the driving experience – even for a large SUV – will be important. The A390 SUV sits on the Renault Group's AmpR Medium platform, which has the capacity to underpin cars with up to seven seats, according to Renault. In the A390, there are three electric motors – one at the front and two at the rear – and the 464bhp total combines with active torque vectoring to promote 'agility and driving pleasure'. We expect to see similar technology on Alpine's future EVs, including the A590. Tell us which new car you're interested in and get the very best offers from our network of over 5,500 UK dealers to compare. Let's go… Find a car with the experts New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment BMW or Mercedes would do anything to keep the new Xiaomi YU7 from sale in the UK and Europe, and this is why The Electric Car Grant is here: Government's new £3,750 EV discount in detail The Electric Car Grant is here: Government's new £3,750 EV discount in detail The government has set out its plan to help reduce the cost of affordable EVs by introducing a new £3,750 Electric Car Grant for new EVs sold under £3… New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
