Renault's Alpine Brand Seeking Partnership with AutoNation Dealerships

• Alpine, which was revived by Renault in 2017, is aiming to launch a pair of electric crossovers in the United States in 2027 or 2028. (Pictured above is the Alpine Alpenglow concept from the 2022 Paris auto show.)

• CEO Laurent Rossi compared the crossovers to the Porsche Macan and Cayenne Coupe, and said that they will be a significant part of Alpine's goals of reaching 150,000 sales by 2030.

• Alpine is also launching three cars in the coming years for Europe, including an electric version of the A110 sports car and a performance variant of the upcoming electric Renault 5 hatch.

UPDATE 2/17/23: Alpine appears serious about its expansion plans into the United States, with a Automotive News reporting that the French sports car brand is in talks with AutoNation, one of the country's largest automotive retailers. The partnership would see the brand's upcoming EV's sold at AutoNation dealers, with Renault CEO Luca de Meo suggesting the relationship could go even further, although no specific details were provided.

Alpine was founded in 1955 and rose to prominence in the 1970s after being acquired by Renault, scooping up rally victories with its A110 sports car and triumphing at Le Mans in 1978. Renault revived the brand, now part of Groupe Renault, in 2017 with a new lightweight A110. The nimble sports car has remained forbidden fruit in the United States, but now it appears that Alpine may be coming to the U.S. within the decade. According to a report today by Automotive News, CEO Laurent Rossi revealed in a recent call that two new models are being developed with the American market in mind.

Unfortunately, the future U.S.-bound Alpines do not include a low-slung sports car. Instead, they will be a mid-size electric crossover and a larger EV SUV, targeted for 2027 or 2028. Rossi explained that "the U.S. is the main destination for these cars" and compared the crossovers to the Porsche Macan and Cayenne coupe in terms of how they are positioned in the market.

Rossi said he sees the U.S. as crucial for boosting Alpine's volume. Right now Alpine only sells the A110, with 3546 total sales in 2022. The goal is to surpass 150,000 annual sales by 2030, and Rossi said that entering the U.S market "will create the bulk of the extra volume." He said Alpine is still debating what platforms the EV crossovers will ride on; along with Renault's partner Nissan, the company is considering using platforms from Geely's premium brands, which include Volvo, Polestar, and Zeekr.