The first coincidence is the number plate of my randomly assigned A290 – GZ 110 SL, with a little nod to the seminal sports car that started it all. The second is the tattiest RenaultSport Megane on the Balearics. I stumble upon it in a side street after taking a wrong turn in a village, like someone or something didn’t want me to forget the long line of epic Renault hot hatches to which this A290 is the true successor.
Expectations are high as I slip through early evening traffic near Majorca’s capital. Maybe unfairly so. This electric hatchback follows in the tyre tracks of the A110 and traces its lineage back to all those brilliant Clios and Meganes that kept us amused for decades. On the freeways outside Palma the A290 feels substantial and grown-up, like it’s bigger than it really is. Its ride comfort is excellent and the cabin feels well-appointed and upmarket. There’s plenty to like already, none of which is what I’ve come looking for.
When the A110 was new and we were still trying to process just how good it really was, we all wondered what would come next. And it seemed logical that after its dust up with the Porsche 718 Cayman, the second post-revival Alpine would take aim at the 911. Instead we’ve got this, a hot hatch derived from the new Renault 5 EV.
