Porsche Macan vs Alpine A390: sportiest EV SUVs go head-to-head

They say racing improves the breed, but does that still apply when it comes to electrification? After all, the majority of top-tier motorsport classes are still combustion based. That hasn’t stopped car makers introducing sporty electric cars, though.

Even more of an enigma is the performance SUV. But the Alpine A390 is trying to nail the brief of a practical family EV that also offers an enjoyable driving experience courtesy of the French firm’s motorsport heritage. It certainly has the figures to help. There’s four-wheel drive from a tri-motor set-up, while Alpine’s engineers have endeavoured to give the car the same involving handling as the now-legendary A110 petrol sports car.

If there’s one car maker that can go toe-to-toe with Alpine when it comes to building engaging electric SUVs, it’s Porsche. We were impressed recently by the new Cayenne Electric, but here we’re lining up the smaller Macan Electric, because it’s closer to the A390 in terms of price and performance.

While performance EVs are often fast, it’s in the corners where they can fall short. Can our contenders deliver the kind of engaging handling that can win buyers over?

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Alpine A390

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While the Alpine A390 uses the same basic platform as the Renault Scenic and Nissan Ariya, it gets a unique triple-motor configuration, with one motor on the front axle and another two at the rear. The car uses an 89kWh battery, and all versions come with dramatic fastback-style bodywork to stand out from the crowd.

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There are just two models in the line-up, with the GT version featuring a 395bhp powertrain and a starting price of £61,390. The GTS has 464bhp and costs £69,390.

Tester’s notes

You expect parts sharing between different brands that live under the same umbrella, but the Alpine is somewhat disappointing in places. The flush-fitting handles on the front doors (the rears are hidden in the C-pillars) are the same as a Renault Scenic’s, but that means they’re fiddly to pop out due to the way the mechanism works.

One of the biggest gripes we have is with the A390’s keycard. Aside from an Alpine-branded panel on the back, it looks exactly the same as the one used in decades of Dacias and Renaults.

Want an idea of how tight space is in the back of the A390? The outer rear headrests are L-shaped so that they can fit between the tops of the seats and the sloping roof. Yet you don’t really notice the shortage of headroom most of the time, unless you’re tall and being driven down a particularly bumpy B-road, when you might hit your head on the thick, sloping roof above the door.

But when I had the driver’s seat in a comfortable position, there was a touch more legroom in the Alpine than I found in the Macan.

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Porsche Macan

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As with the Alpine, the Macan shares a platform with other models, such as the Audi Q6 e-tron, but Porsche has put its own engineering into it. There’s more variety across the line-up, and the base rear-wheel-drive Macan starts from £69,865.

The Macan 4 costs £3,300 extra, while the 4S model tested here starts from £78,365 and the GTS costs from £90,865. At the top of the range, the Macan Turbo is £99,365, and has a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds. All versions come with a 100kWh battery.

Tester’s notes

Towing preparation comes as standard on the Macan Electric, but you’ll have to pay extra for the towbar. Have one fitted, and the Macan 4S is rated to tow up to 2,500kg. That’s pretty good; the Audi Q6 e-tron manages 2,400kg. The Tesla Model Y, meanwhile, can only tow up to 1,600kg. 

The Macan Electric was named as the best model in the 1,800-2,000kg category in the 2025 Towcar of the Year awards, due to its long range and strong powertrain, which has no trouble pulling a caravan around.

The standard audio system is a 150-watt, 10-speaker set-up, but you can upgrade that to a 710-watt, 14-speaker Bose sound system for £963 or as part of the £5,000 Luxury pack on rear-wheel-drive and 4 models (GTS and Turbo models get the Bose system fitted as standard). 

You could also really push the boat out and spend nearly £4,000 on the 1,470-watt, 21-speaker Burmester system instead. Its subwoofer takes up some boot space, but audiophiles might think that’s a sacrifice worth making.

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Head-to-head

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On the road

The Alpine rides surprisingly well on its 21-inch wheels, while the Macan’s optional air suspension lets you choose between comfort and control.

The A390’s triple-motor configuration helps it feel lively in corners, but the brakes rely on regenerative power to boost their effectiveness. The Macan’s handling, steering and brakes make it feel like a Porsche that’s been electrified, where the Alpine is an EV with a sporty edge.

Tech highlights

Alpine’s Formula One-style multifunction steering wheel has a button to adjust drive modes and a rotary dial that changes energy recovery, while the red OV button offers 10 seconds of full power for overtaking.

The Macan’s touchscreen-based system takes a bit of learning, but is easy enough once you’re accustomed to it. The steering wheel houses a rotary dial to switch between drive modes.

Price and running

A long kit list and a lower price make the Alpine attractive next to the Macan, but in our hands the A390 didn’t prove to be particularly efficient, so you might struggle to match its maker’s official range target.

You can spend thousands upgrading the Macan, although the base model is just as enjoyable to drive. It’s also reasonably efficient when you consider the performance the car has to offer.

Practicality

The Alpine’s fastback body compromises space inside, but it’s pretty much only rear headroom that’s affected by the swooping roofline. There’s no storage in the nose, but the boot has a wide opening and a square floor to boost practicality.

The Porsche has a narrow back seat, so sitting three abreast will be tight. Its 540-litre boot is augmented by an 84-litre cargo area in the nose.

Safety

Two presses of the A390’s My Safety button on the dash sets up the safety systems as you like them; it’s a very effective system to use. 

In the Porsche, you can set up a shortcut on the steering wheel to deactivate the speed-limit warning, otherwise you have to dip into the menu system. Both cars have lots of safety kit, but the Alpine has a four-star Euro NCAP rating, compared with the Macan’s five-star score.

Ownership

Stronger residuals mean that the Macan is a better long-term purchase, while two-year service intervals should help take the sting out of main dealer servicing costs.

The Alpine’s £864 bill for four years of servicing seems high for an EV, while a three-year warranty is fairly standard for a premium car. At least Porsche has no mileage limit with its three-year cover; extended cover can last 15 years.

Verdict

Winner: Porsche Macan

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One of the main reasons why the Porsche Macan is so appealing is because it’s a Porsche first, an EV second. The model has perfectly weighted steering and throttle and brake responses that make it engaging to drive in all conditions. The electric powertrain delivers quick responses that suit the Macan’s character.

Prices are on the high side, but even the base model is attractive, while the 4S that we tested delivers more than enough performance for most needs. Practicality is decent rather than outstanding, but overall the Macan Electric is a great all-rounder.

Runner-up: Alpine A390

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If you want something different from your electric SUV, then the Alpine A390 is well worth a look. The French machine has a dramatic shape, while the tri-motor set-up and chassis settings help it to deliver quick responses and agile handling that belie the car’s size and weight.

There are a few too many signs of parts sharing with the Renault Scenic for a car that costs nearly £70,000, but if you’re willing to overlook that, as well as the A390’s slightly confined back seats, then you’re left with a sporting electric SUV that is good to drive and packed with technology.

Prices and specs

What we would choose

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Alpine A390

Most of the options on the A390 are aesthetic, but a 13-speaker Devialet sound system is £1,000. You can add forged carbon seat shells (£1,200) and dash trim (£500), while smaller 20-inch alloys start from £500.

Porsche Macan

Useful kit includes a rear wiper (£200) and rear-wheel steering (£1,516). The £1,778 head-up display looks great, and the £3,879 Burmester surround-sound audio system is fantastic; a Bose set-up costs £963.

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