Alpine’s first ever SUV – the all-electric GT X-Over – has broken cover in heavily disguised mule form while testing in snowy conditions. As these new spy shots show, the newcomer’s underpinnings are covered in heavily modified Dacia Duster body, but look closely and there are a few prominent features that are key giveaways.
Large 19-inch wheels taken from Renault’s former Megane Trophy cover huge Brembo brakes at the front, balancing the Alpine’s power. The test car’s ride height shows us the deeper sills, which have likely been added to accommodate the battery that will be housed in an underfloor skateboard layout.
Massive flared arches house a widened track and there’s also large skid plates front and rear. Instead of the Duster’s usual five-door hatch arrangement there’s a huge rear clamshell design.
The finished GT X-Over will look wildly different to the car in our pictures, but it does give a clue as to what phase development Alpine’s SUV is in.
Alpine has already provided a teaser image of the GT X-Over, which reveals a sloping roofline and classic Alpine cues, such as a distinctive quad-headlight arrangement.
Alpine engineering boss Gilles le Borgne told Auto Express last year that the GT X-Over is likely to feature a triple-motor configuration to deliver more agile handling. “For the CMF-EV platform we will keep the 215bhp e-motor in the front,” he said, “and in the rear we will have a big surprise. We want to do torque vectoring, have really amazing handling and performance – as you can imagine for an Alpine. We are working on that.” With a 215bhp front motor coupled with a pair of rear drive units, we expect a total power output of around 450bhp – making it a rival for the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT and Tesla Model Y.
As part of the company’s ‘dream garage’ EV line-up, Alpine will also launch a new A110 coupe developed with Lotus, a hot hatch version of the new all-electric Renault 5 and the GT X-Over. All three models will arrive by 2026.
The French firm claims the GT X-Over will exhibit “the excellence in sports vehicles” that the brand is known for, while utilising components from parent-company Renault. Production of the GT X-Over will start in 2025 at the firm’s Dieppe plant (where it already produces the A110 sports car), which is being adapted to produce the Renault CMF-EV platform that will underpin the SUV.
Now read about the new facelift for the Alpine A110 here…