Story and photos by Andreas Conradt, Automedia
Alpine Goes Back to the Future With '28 A310
French sports car manufacturer Alpine is set to make waves with its upcoming all-electric '28 A310, which promises to blend performance, innovation and eco-friendliness, marking a significant step in Alpine's future in electric sports cars.
The original Alpine A310 launched in the '70s and was celebrated for its lightweight design, agile handling and distinctive styling. The '28 model will pay homage to the original while embracing modern technology, according to the manufacturer, and is expected to retain the classic A310 silhouette while incorporating contemporary elements.
SEMA News sources recently snapped the first images of what appears to be an early test mule of the A310 in northern Scandinavia.
Based on the performance-oriented Alpine Performance Platform (APP), the architecture has been designed to be as configurable as possible and will underpin the future compact four-seater.
The decision to make the A310 a four-seater comes in line with Alpine's transformative initiative to move away from being a niche manufacturer to becoming a key volume player on the world stage, according to insiders.
Volkswagen Readies New Generation of Bestseller T-Roc
Volkswagen's commercially successful T-Roc will enter a new phase in 2025 as it prepares to debut the second generation of its best-selling model. Coming to European dealers for model-year '26, the compact crossover was recently spotted by SEMA News sources.
Camouflage replicating the first generation hides the evolutionary changes underneath, with the front of the vehicle featuring cues from the European model Tayron.
The camouflaged prototype further shows a large radiator grille with a honeycomb pattern and a light bar connecting the revised headlights. Volkswagen designers further enlarged the lower grille, but insiders do not expect it to accommodate anything larger than a four-cylinder, 2.0L engine.
An illuminated VW badge up front will be complemented by another one for the liftgate. Out back, a second light bar can be seen running across the width of the camouflaged liftgate. Similar to the outgoing model from the sides, the second generation is certain to receive small infotainment and switchgear updates.
The T-Roc is expected to be built on the MQB Evo architecture, which currently underpins the Golf and Passat, and enables a greater degree of electrification, insiders said.
A three-pedal setup is likely to continue as the standard transmission choice for the 1.0L TSI, as well as the standard 1.5L TSI and 2.0L TDI powerplants. The high-output engines are both rated at 148 hp.
Those in the market for something hotter will be hopefully offered an R performance version powered by the iron-block EA888 engine of the Golf R.