• Fuel consumption is excellent in normal driving
• Strong residuals due to high demand and limited supply
• Specialist network Alpine dealers probably won’t be cheap

What are the running costs?

All the ingredients are there for an Alpine A110 to be reasonably affordable compared to its rivals. The basic A110 costs about the same as an entry-level Porsche Cayman, and depreciation appears to be on a par. But it’s less in day-to-day costs. The 300hp models aren’t unreasonably more expensive than the less powerful models, R excluded, and the performance is the biggest selling point, so the A110S is likely to be the best value in the long run.

At the pumps and on your tax returns, at least, the A110 should score pretty highly – which will make it cheap to run. The Renault RS Sport engine previously shared with the Megane and featherweight construction result in excellent (potential) fuel consumption, with the official figures of around 35mpg being a good starting point to aim for. The CO2 emissions beat the Porsche 718 Cayman, too – a great result for Alpine.

As sports cars go, the Alpine A110 is a green option. It comes with stop-start, a low CO2 engine and is both light and efficient. It might not be designed to save the planet, but you can at least be safe in the knowledge that it’s an ethical choice.

Reliability

81

• There’s a tuned Renault engine and DCT transmission
• Hand-built in Dieppe to exacting quality standards
• Interior build feels solid and hewn from lovely materials

It’s had plenty of time on the market for problems to show up, and we’ve yet to hear of anything to suggest anything that the Alpine A110 will be anything but reliable. Although the drivetrain is a modified version of the now-discontinued Renault Sport Megane’s, the rest of it is all-new, and handmade in its own factory. Renault makes bullish promises about the A110’s quality and reliability, and given how much is riding on this car.

In terms of interior quality, the fit and finish is good and the materials used are pleasing to the touch and have been carefully considered. There are some carry-over parts from other cars (and vans) from the Renault range, and at least you’ll know it’s tried and tested.

Does it feel as high a quality item as a Porsche 718? Yes and no. There’s less solidity in the fixtures and fittings, but the materials are nicer, and better judged. Overall, an impressive result for Alpine.