Renault Group boss François Provost has said he isn't worried by the slow sales of the Alpine A390, insisting the SUV is more important to “nurture the brand” for the long term than chase volume.
The Porsche Macan Electric rival launched late last year and, alongside the A290 hot hatch, was intended to grow Alpine from a single sports car into a performance EV brand.
But sales of the A390 currently sit at around 250 per month, which Alpine CEO Philippe Krief has admitted is behind expectations.
Provost hinted that he felt Alpine’s sales forecast was too high, saying that “we have to be a bit more humble” about the brand’s growth.
He added: “When we launched the A390, I said to Philippe ‘I think you are much too bullish, your volume will be much lower than that and you should be more reasonable, because the car is super-good’.”
Provost said that “we have a super clear genealogy” of the A390 compared with Porsche etc, and “those customers really consider the Alpine. We are in the basket, but we lose a lot from this pre-selection. Why? Because the German premium competitors of the A390 are cheaper in terms of monthly payments, most likely because they push a lot on residiual values and discounting.
“Alpine is a great brand, but compared with German premium sporty cars, if the Alpine is more expensive it’s not easy. But the people who drive A390 are super-excited. It’s why we have to be a bit humble. It’s a long journey and we have to work hard.”
Provost cited the delay to Alpine entering the US market as an example of this humility and noted that sales the A290 (pictured below) accelerated after a sluggish start.
He added that he expected A390 sales to rise, but even if volumes don't reach expectations, “I don’t care. I don’t care because this is a 20-year journey. I will not kill the brand, the DNA, the asset by being cautious or shaky.
“Maybe at the end we discover the potential of the car is one-third of what we thought. But so what? If the customer is happy, we find a good way to position the car. If this nurtures the brand, I’m fine with it.”
Asked about Provost’s comments, Krief said that he was also relaxed and noted that the A390 wasn't initially sold in every country where Alpine is present, and the GT and GTS variants weren't offered at launch.
He continued: “It’s exactly the same discussion we had two years ago when we talked about the A290’s slow ramp-up. It was exactly the same kind of start, but now it’s a big success.”
Krief also highlighted the high conquest rate of the A390 so far, adding that “80% of the customers are new to Alpine and new to the [Renault] group. So it’s a conquest car.”