Alpine eyes Lotus tech for crossovers

The upcoming flagship electric models from French performance brand Alpine will be crossover rivals to the Porsche Macan and Porsche Cayenne – and they could be built on a Lotus platform.

The two models will further expand the Renault-owned sporting brand’s electric range after the launch of the Alpine R5 hot hatch and the GT X-Over sports crossover.

The new flagship pair, due in 2027 and 2028, are crossovers “in the segment of Porsche Macan and Cayenne, more or less”, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi told journalists.

Alpine will have to look beyond the Renault Group for a platform, said Rossi, with Lotus owner Geely the “most natural” partner, given the current projects between Renault and the Chinese company.

Alpine is currently working with Lotus on an electric replacement for the A110 and Renault and Geely last October agreed a 50:50 partnership to build internal combustion powertrains. Lotus has said it’s happy to work with partners wanting to re-use the platform from its new Eletre SUV, as well as a new platform that will underpin the smaller Lotus Type 134 crossover, which is due to arrive in 2024.

Nissan is also in the frame to supply Alpine with a platform, given that it plays in the larger D/E-segments in the US. However, the Japanese brand isn’t a logical partner, said Rossi. The two Alpine models will be in the “lifestyle branch” of the brand’s line-up, rather than outright sports cars. However, they are still designed to deliver the sensation of a performance machine.

The big Alpine crossovers are intended to give the brand a fighting chance in the US, where it plans to launch in the near future. Alpine aims to grow annual global sales to 150,000 by 2030 – up from 3546 last year, achieved solely by its A110 sports car.

New Alpine crossovers may be underpinned by Lotus’s chassis