Currently reading: Alpine boss: future models must be lightweight, sporty

Standalone brand could develop a diverse portfolio, but agility and lightness will remain core values

More Alpine models will be developed in order to grow the marque into a bona fide brand, but only if they remain true to its core values of being lightweight and sporty, according to the firm’s CEO, Thierry Bolloré.

Speaking at the Frankfurt motor show, Bolloré did not put a timeline on plans, but he said: “Yes, there will be other cars.”

“I will not offer details today,” he said, “but we have been honoured and excited by the success of the Alpine A110, especially as it is sold in the premium sports market.

“The feedback from customers means we want to enrich the offering to other areas in that sector, but only if the concepts we come up with remain true to the unique Alpine tradition of being lightweight and sporty and having some kind of competition angle.”

Rumours following the launch of the reborn A110 in 2017 suggested that the brand was looking to develop open-top and more powerful versions of the sports car, as well as creating a family of SUVs in order to generate significant profits in the manner that Porsche achieves with the Macan and Cayenne.

However, more recently it was reported that those plans were put on hold as parent company Renault evaluated whether the capital required to develop the vehicles was best spent at a time of significant challenges.

In particular, it was said to be concerned about developing all-new models to sell over the next 10 years, lest their appeal be dented by the shift towards electrification.

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Andy_Cowe 10 September 2019

Something more practical please

I think the A110 is a great car, but not for me at the moment. Lightness and sportiness are a bit daft in SUVs which compromise those qualities by their very format. I'd love to see a small hatchback given the Alpine approach, something the French manufacturers have always been best suited to.