Innovative power management software, in the form of active torque vectoring, will also be used to give the “driving dynamic of a lightweight car” and counteract the dynamic penalty of a several-hundred-kilogram weight gain, said Alpine CEO Philippe Krief.
The Frenchman, known for his work as an engineer on such acclaimed sports cars as the Ferrari 458 and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, said Alpine is committed to the A310 and its sporting rangemates remaining true to the dynamic principles that have defined the brand and the four-cylinder A110, such as agility.
Pillard said these measures are necessary to make the A310 “an icon of future sports cars” and a “true Alpine”.
Outright performance will be another key pillar of the A310’s positioning. It will adopt the same tri-motor set-up – one at the front and two at the rear – as the forthcoming A390 SUV.
Alpine’s most powerful car to date is the 345bhp limited-run track-focused A110 R Ultime but its upcoming electric sports cars are likely to surpass that and be capable of far quicker 0-62mph times.
However, design boss Antony Villain said recently that Alpine’s future models aren’t “about just driving straight”, so the A310 is unlikely to be endowed with full-bore supercar levels of power, at least in its standard form.
Visually, the rakish A310 will adopt a similar front end to the A390. Previewed in concept form, the SUV ushers in a new era of Alpine design language, with a distinctive wraparound light bar, a sharply pointed nose and a Le Mans-inspired central fin at its rear.
Notably, the A390 also has wheels that light up blue when the car’s torque vectoring is activated – a feature that could also make its way onto the A310 as Alpine seeks to explore ways of making muted electric car driving more exciting for onlookers.
However, unlike other driver-focused EVs such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the A310 won’t emit artificial engine noises or simulate gearchanges. Krief has previously told Autocar that Alpine’s EVs should not sound like they have a combustion engine. He added: “This is fake. This is really fake. I don’t like fake things like that.”