Review: Alpine XEF A110 (2018-on)

Overview

Commencing production in November 2017 and to be released in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Alpine XEF A110 is a two-seat, mid-engined coupe. Manufactured in Dieppe, France, the rear-wheel drive Alpine A110 is powered by Renault’s 1.8-litre M5PT turbocharged petrol engine which is mated to a seven-speed wet double clutch transmission (DCT) produced by Getrag. The Alpine A110 can accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

For Australia, the Alpine A110 range will initially consist of Premiere Editions, with Pure and Legende editions following in the first quarter of 2019.

Alpine A110: M5PT engine

Developed by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the transversely-mounted M5PT engine has 79.7 mm bores and a stroke of 90.1 mm for a capacity of 1798 cc. Other features of the M5PT engine include its aluminium alloy block and cylinder head, double overhead camshafts (chain driven), four valves per cylinder, variable intake and exhaust valve timing, twin-scroll turbocharger, electronically controlled wastegate and direct fuel injection. Although shared with the Renault BFB Megane RS , the M5PT engine for the Alpine A110 has a unique air intake, turbocharger, exhaust system and engine tune.

AustralianCar.Reviews understands that the M5PT engine is produced in the Renault Samsung Motors plant in Busan, South Korea.

Body and dimensions

The Alpine A110 was designed in Renault’s Technocentre in Guyancourt and in Renault Sport’s engineering centre in Les Ulis (both in France). Significantly, 96 per cent of the Alpine A110’s body is produced from aluminium which is bonded, riveted and welded to provide a rigid yet light structure. AustralianCar.Reviews understands that the body of the Alpine A110 weighs around 340 kg.

Within the body, the engine is positioned ahead of the rear axle and the fuel tank is located behind the rear axle – these design attributes contribute to a 44:56 front:rear weight distribution, while unladen kerb weight is 1094 kg. The Alpine A110 effectively has two boots: a 96 litre front boot and a 100 litre rear boot. An optional lightweight version of the Alpine A110, however, will be available which omits the front luggage compartment for a mass reduction of 6 kilograms.

The Alpine A110 is 4180 mm long, 1798 mm wide, 1248 mm tall and has a 2420 mm long wheelbase. According to Renault, the Alpine A110 has a ‘completely flat floor’ and a functional diffuser under the rear bumper to generate downforce; its drag co-efficient is 0.32 Cd.

Suspension and steering

The Alpine A110 has double wishbone suspension front and rear with hollow anti-roll bars.

The Alpine A110 has rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assistance; its steering ratio is 13.0:1 (2.2 turns from lock-to-lock), while its minimum turning circle is 11.64 metres.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Alpine A110 includes dual front airbags, ABS, brake assist, electronic stability control and traction control.

Wheels, tyres and brakes

For Australia, the Alpine A110 has 7.5J x 18-inch front wheels and 8.0J or 8.5J x 18-inch rear wheels, matched to 205/40 R18 front and 235/40 R18 rear tyres.

The standard braking package for the Alpine A110 consists of 296 mm by 26 mm ventilated front brake discs with four-piston aluminium Brembo brake callipers and 296 mm by 26 mm ventilated rear discs with single-piston floating callipers. According to Alpine, the rear braking system is the first in the world to have an integrated parking brake actuator, a design which achieves a mass reduction of 2.5 kilograms.

The Alpine A110 Premiere, however, has 320 mm by 28 mm front brake discs and 320 mm by 26 mm rear discs.

Features: Alpine A110 Pure

Standard features for the Alpine A110 Pure include 18-inch dark grey diamond-turned ‘Serac’ wheels, multimedia system with a seven-inch touchscreen and satellite navigation, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, ‘MySpin’ smartphone mirroring, two USB ports, Sabelt bucket seats (that weigh 13.1 kg each) with black leather and micro-fibre upholstery, climate control air conditioning, cruise control, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, steering column gearshift paddles, a leather-wrapped steering wheel (height and reach adjustable), remote central locking, power adjustable and heated door mirrors, power windows, push-button start, electronic parking brake, ‘follow me home’ headlights, tyre pressure monitoring, black and matte charcoal interior trim, aluminium pedals and an immobiliser.

Features: Alpine A110 Legende

Compared to the Alpine A110 Pure, the A110 Legende has 18-inch ‘Legende’ wheels with a black diamond-turned finish, Focal audio system with four speakers, front parking sensors, a rear view camera, folding door mirrors with anti-glare system and floor mats. Unique within the range, the A110 Legende also has Sabelt ‘Comfort’ seats (with six-way adjustment and leather upholstery) and black and gloss carbon fibre interior trim.

Features: Alpine A110 Premiere

Relative to the Alpine A110 Legende, the A110 Premiere is distinguished by its 18-inch Otto Fuchs forged aluminium wheels, active lightweight sports exhaust, Alpine Blue metallic paint finish and anthracite-painted brake callipers. Australian deliveries of the Alpine A110 Premiere Edition are limited to sixty (60) vehicles.

Specifications

• Features: Alpine XEF A110 (June 2018)
• Technical Specifications: Alpine XEF A110 (June 2018)