Alpine A110 Review 2023

If Monte Carlo is about rallying to you and not casinos, then why aren’t you already out driving your Alpine A110? If you're a car enthusiast and a keen driver, but you don’t want a Porsche Cayman – because that’s what everyone buys. You’d consider an Audi TT as too blunt a driving tool and a Lotus Elise too hardcore and basic. 

The A110 is fairly singular in its intent; it’s a car to enjoy driving in. You’ll not have the space or any of the practicality of something like a Ford Fiesta that it weighs less than, but you’ll happily put up with some compromises for the utter joy it brings. All that sound familiar? Then there’s an Alpine salesman who wants to meet you, desperately.    

The Alpine A110 operates in a relatively narrow bandwidth, its focus on driver appeal. At one extreme end of the spectrum you could suggest very pure cars like Caterhams, Ariel Atoms and suchlike, even if the Alpine isn’t quite so extreme in its compromises.

It'll cruise pretty quietly and comfortably, for one, and although it isn't practical it could easily be a daily driver. In reality it probably sits between something like a Lotus Elise and a Porsche Cayman, erring closer to the Porsche in concept, but more like the Lotus in execution.

Indeed, the A110 is a pretty difficult car to categorise, largely because it’s not directly comparable to anything else, even if its price and performance do make it sit alongside things like that Porsche, however comfortably or not. 

The Alpine A110’s chief, and most unforgivable, failing is its interior. Looking in from outside it all superficially looks good, with a flying centre console, nicely designed steering wheel and instrument cowl behind it and deeply bolstered sports seats. 

Getting in reveals some of the subterfuge, with many of the materials falling significantly short of expectations of a car with a price tag, which in 2022 starts at just under £50,000 and can be specced up to over £70,000.

We’re used to parts sharing in sports cars, as even Aston Martin borrows bits from Mercedes-Benz. But here, and unsurprisingly, the Alpine borrows a lot of its interior bits from its Renault parent company. 

The stalks and switches from a £10,000 Twingo city car really aren’t befitting in something commanding the price the Alpine does. Consider, too, that it’s in a class that sees it line up alongside with a car like the Audi TT, with its beautifully designed and executed interior, or indeed the granite-hewn Porsche Cayman.

Even the people at Toyota realising in its joint venture with the BMW’s Z4 to produce its Supra, that Toyota should use the premium maker’s interior parts. Experience of Renault interiors does suggest that some of those materials might look even less impressive in a few years time, let alone a decade or two.  

Like all the interior switches, dials and stalks, the infotainment is a version of something that could be found across Renault’s model range a few years ago. 

It’s wasn't a particularly impressive system to feature in a mainstream, volume car line-up back then. Even re-branded to suit the Alpine, when it’s placed in a car that counts rivals from Porsche, Audi and BMW, it falls significantly short of expectations. 

The navigation mapping lacks the clarity and detail of the best systems out there, or indeed what you’ll find in your pocket on your smartphone, the operation of the Alpine’s infotainment feeling particularly clunky and slow. 

There’s connectivity on offer, but it’s last generation levels of it, the Alpine doing without either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which are a specification given among its rivals in this class. What should be simple tasks like adjusting the navigation or changing radio stations needs practice and patience.

Likewise, the digital instrumentation lacks the sharp looks of things like Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, and the inability to have the A110 in Sport mode without its instrument dials changing to a fussy layout is a frustration. 

The A110 is light in weight and clear in focus, but that focus does not relate to practicality. Indeed, Alpine makes the A110’s compact dimensions a virtue in its goal to create an entertaining driver’s car. 

The Alpine A110's dimensions make it pretty compact, with a length of 4181mm, a width of 1798mm and a height of just 1248mm. That's the same width as a Clio and a noticeably shorter length than a Golf. 

Despite the modest external size the cockpit is decently accommodating, with drivers of 6ft and over able to get comfortable behind the wheel. The steering column moving for rake and reach helps here, as does the low position of the seat in the cockpit. 

If the driver and passenger are decently accommodated it’s at the expense of space for much else. No small rear seats in here like the Audi TT - the A110 a strict two-seater. There’s actually next to no stowage in the interior either, the cabin’s width not intruded into by anything as useful as a door bin.

Likewise, reach under the dashboard in front of the passenger and you’ll not find a glovebox. Keep your phone, keys etc in your pockets then, as the only solution Alpine offers is an optional cargo net and interior storage case which cost £460 when new. Most buyers didn’t bother.

For more substantial luggage you’ve a choice of boots, the A110’s mid-engined layout meaning there’s one up front and another in the back. Don’t think that means you can be wanton with your packing, as stuff for more than a weekend away, packed in soft bags will fill the combined 196 litres of boot capacity offered by the front (96 litre) and rear (come on, you can do the maths here) boots.

Forget trips to the cash and carry to stockpile bog roll, flour and yeast the next time there’s the suggestion of a pandemic as you’ll be doing well to get a week’s worth of shopping in. And give up golf, as you’ll not get your clubs in the boot.

It’s a sports car, so to criticise it too much for being impractical is perhaps unfair, but an Audi TT will feel like an estate car in comparison (712 litres if you fold its rear ‘seats’), while that oft mentioned Porsche Cayman’s similarly combined front and rear boots is over double that of the A110 at 435 litres.   

One engine powers the Alpine A110, a four-cylinder turbocharged 1.8-litre unit that also sees service in a number of RenaultSport’s hot Clio and Megane models. 

In the Pure and Legende power output is 252PS with torque of 320Nm, while the A110S, introduced in late 2019, gets a modified version of the same 1.8-litre turbocharged engine with its output increased to 292PS. 

Torque stays the same with the A110S, at 320Nm, produced from 2000rpm to 6000rpm, which gives the engine great low-rev flexibility. There’s reward if you rev it out though, with peak power in each developed in at 6000rpm, giving the incentive to run it up to its redline.

Do that and the paddle-shifted seven-speed twin clutch automatic transmission reacts quickly, changing the driving modes through from Normal through Sport and onto Track.

This changes the mapping of the engine and transmission, as well as slightly raising thresholds for the stability and traction controls to allow you to revel in its performance more. And hear more evocative notes from the sports exhaust if you’ve optioned it. It's got to be one of the most engaging soundtracks of any modern four-cylinder - trust us, you won't miss the five or six-cylinder units of rivals.

However impressive the paddle-shifted automatic proves, it’s a real shame that Alpine doesn’t offer such an analogue, engaging and purist driver's car with a manual transmission and a third pedal, particularly as it would have been true to the original car it apes.

The Alpine A110 might not be practical as such, but that’s not to say it couldn’t be used on longer journeys. The suspension’s supple ride and the comfortable, supportive sports seats make it a surprisingly able long-distance cruiser, while the fine economy on sustained cruising speed is useful.

Refinement when doing so is admirable, there’s not much in the way of wind noise, being low and slippery in its shape, while there’s not a great deal of tyre on the road so, consequently, there’s not a great deal of road noise. What engine sounds there are aren’t entirely unwelcome, indeed, most of the time they’re enjoyable. 

We’re not suggesting you pick an A110 for a lengthy daily commute, but should you have one and need to do the occasional longer journey, or drive it not just for the sheer joy of doing so, then it’s not out of its depth. In fact it’s actually quite adept, so long as you can accept its other compromises of no luggage space and the frustrating infotainment. 

There’s no Euro NCAP, or other, independent crash tests for the tiny volume Alpine, but Renault’s track record for passenger safety is admirable, so it’s safe to assume that the A110 will have been built along similar principles. 

There’s emergency brake assist, driver and passenger airbags, traction and stability control systems, while its agility and those strong brakes should help it avoid an accident in the first place. There’s no spare wheel, a victim of Alpine’s obsessive weight saving, instead you get an inflation kit and some gloop to fix punctures. 

The entry Pure model does without parking sensors front or rear,  as these are a cost option. The next model, the A110 Legende gains front and rear parking sensors, as well as a reversing camera. Oddly, the highest price model, the A110S loses the reversing camera from its specification. 

All can be fitted with the higher performance braking system from the A110S, though it’s an expensive option at over £2,000. There’s no option for Isofix on the passenger seat, either. 

Alpine doesn't feature in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index as it's a new, niche brand. And with a relatively small number of A110s sold we don't have an accurate read on reliability.

Its Renault sister company doesn't have the finest reputation for reliability, finishing a lacklustre 27th out of 30th in the latest Satisfaction Index. The good news, though, is A110s are likely to be looked after by enthusiast owners fastidious with maintenance.

The Alpine A110’s insurance groupings of 44 and above is comparable to its rivals. Keep it garaged, perhaps even put it on a limited mileage policy if it’s an occasional plaything and you’ll save some money. All come with a three year, 60,000 mile warranty, with the first two years being unlimited in miles. 

With a price tag well north of £40k, the Alpine A110 is hit with the extra £355 a year showroom tax for the first five years. Combine that with a hefty £585 first-year VED (road tax) rate due to its emissions and it's a big hit, but the same compares to rivals. Happily the main road tax rate reduces to £165 after the first year. 

The Alpine A110 Pure is arguably the perfect basic specification if you’re really committed to Alpine’s purist philosophy, but it’s difficult not to be seduced by the Legende above it, as it adds a few desirable things to the standard equipment. 

The Alpine A110 Legende gains useful front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, aluminium pedals, an improved audio system and larger 18-inch alloy wheels (over the 17-inch wheels of the Pure). The Alpine A110S gets the sports exhaust (an option on both the Pure and Legende which is worth looking for) as standard, it also gets a higher performance braking system among its range-topping specification. 

As easy as it is to be seduced by the promise of the A110S’s greater power, the performance differential is smaller in reality than you’d thin. Indeed, the A110S’s changes to the chassis actually lessen the appeal of the A110. 

Occasionally there are special models, the A110 was introduced with the Premiere edition, while Alpine is offering a Color (sic) Edition based on the A110S throughout 2020. Expect more specials in time as Alpine attempts to maintain interest in its small volume, niche model.