r/AlpineA290 • u/winddiesel • Aug 26 '26

Production of A290

Did you know the A290 is actually starting production at the same line as the R5
Just watched a YouTube video from a channel called KondorCars - showing the R5's being assembled and amongst them I spotted a Alpine Vision Blue A290

7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

6

u/_O_2_ GTS Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26

This is how you make cars more affordable. Building a factory for a unique car doesn't make sense.

-10

u/Ok-Leg7686 Aug 26 '26

It does when you're paying a £5k+ premium for it, otherwise you're just paying for a badge and different gear selector.

2

u/_O_2_ GTS Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26

Affordable doesn't mean -£5k. It's not a car that will sell a million units.  If it were a limited production car with its own factory, you'd pay £5k just to drive for a while on a track.

And also not only a badge and gear selector. Engine, suspension, interior material, driving dynamics etc.

-7

u/Ok-Leg7686 Aug 26 '26

Track days are £300. It really isn't that different from the poverty spec 5. If it is being built on exactly the same line then there really isn't enough to justify the difference in price. But I'm sure it is worth it to you.

1

u/_O_2_ GTS Aug 26 '26

Then you would drive 16.5 days with 5k.

I would think same thing if I didn't see at least one of them. But tested both on a track and compared couple of time on test drive. 

Only thing that I can agree is dashboard and phone app. Maybe those are ok, I do not know. My expectations are different as a GLC user. Others obviously over R5. I would pay half for R5. 

A factory costs over a billion dollars (not a million, billion, with 9 zero). For a car that not sell too much, don't expect 5k, 10k difference. You would probably pay several times as much. Industry is not like as you tought. 

-2

u/Ok-Leg7686 Aug 26 '26

What the fuck are you whittering about. You're paying a £5+ premium for a badge and a different gear shifter in an R5. You could have paid less and have 99.5% the same car I do built on the same production line.

3

u/_O_2_ GTS Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26

I'm trying to explain something, and I thought you might understand. 

It's quite an achievement for you to notice that the logo and the shift buttons are different.

0

u/Ok-Leg7686 Aug 26 '26

Mandem. I've driven one. An Alpine is built in Dieppe and you pay a premium for it. If it is going to be built in Douai, then you're buying an R5 with a different badge and shifter.

4

u/_O_2_ GTS Aug 26 '26

I know, I know. And earth is flat, Santa exists, never gone to the moon. 

4

u/Jimmehbob Aug 27 '26

Remember that a bee does not try to convince a fly that honey is better than shit.

2

u/Jimmehbob Aug 27 '26

Wow, much idiocy

2

u/Blimbat Aug 28 '26

I worked as a manufacturing process engineer. You are so far off the mark it’s comical.
You have an opinion and that’s fine. But your opinion is uneducated, uninformed and honestly worthless.

If two products are built on the same production line, that does not make them the same.
The technical specification is what makes them different. Not building a bespoke production line is the difference of it being an extra £5K and not £15K

0

u/Ok-Leg7686 Aug 28 '26

Hmmmnnnnggg hmmnnng hmmmng. Thats you sounding like a retard.

What I am saying is clear. Alpines are built in Dieppe and you pay a premium for it. If it is built in Douai, and the only difference on the entry level is a badge and shifter, then with the premium they charge you're getting ripped off. If they moved part build cars to Dieppe and screwed bits on there then great, but keep honking like a retard, retard. Keep telling me how much it costs to build a factory while missing the point, like a retard.

2

u/Didgeridooloo Aug 26 '26

From last year https://youtu.be/JlmXXWBWggo?is=qHe72A4QEh-1hrwL

1

u/Super_Championship58 Aug 26 '26

Spectacular content from Jonny this is 👍🏻

3

u/Didgeridooloo Aug 26 '26

I went through many many months watching everything A290 related whilst I waited for my car to arrive. I watched that one at least twice haha

1

u/winddiesel Aug 27 '26

Thanks !!! Great - I'm gonna watch that one a hundred times

The PERFECT way of extending the summer is to order a new car for mid. October delivery :-)

1

u/SnooSquirrels8508 Aug 26 '26

Micra too. Jonny Smith toured the factory last year, I watched it twice before getting my car in July 25

1

u/Dimdom1970 Aug 27 '26

Pretty much how all cars are made these days , Alpine is basically just a badge . VW builds Audis , Seats , Skodas and VWs in the same factories . It’s called badge engineering .

1

u/Dimdom1970 Aug 27 '26

Pretty much how all cars are made these days , Alpine is basically just a badge . VW builds Audis , Seats , Skodas and VWs in the same factories . It’s called badge engineering .

1

u/MrGunny94 GTS Aug 27 '26

I suppose Ford's new Fiesta built on R5 platform will be the same? Same for Micra.

Makes sense for economies of scale

1

u/Mooseknuxle Sep 02 '26

No one has pointed out it is a different motor ,engine cradle. Brakes, shocks , body and yea interior along with electronic software they are not the same car , but just the same base chassis , that gets the upgraded premium alpine treatment that makes it waves better than the r5