Alpine May Seek Geely Automobile for Platform for Flagship SUV

Alpine sold just 3,546 vehicles in 2022, all of them various versions of its A110 sports car. However, the French performance brand has ambitious plans to significantly increase sales this decade with the redesigned A110 electric car and four additional model lines, all EVs.

Alpine will launch a compact crossover and hot hatch by mid-decade, followed by the redesigned A110 in 2026. It will then add two SUVs in the same segment as Porsche's Macan and Cayenne. These large SUVs will be launched in 2027 and 2028, and Luca De Meo, CEO of Alpine's parent company Renault, said last November that they could be part of the brand's introduction to the US.

To support the development of all these new model lines, Alpine will enlist the help of outside suppliers. Despite the fact that Alpine is part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, the company's CEO Laurent Rossi told journalists this week that Geely Automobile is the "most natural" partner, according to Autocar.

In his comments, Rossi noted that Renault and Geely are already working together on joint vehicles and hybrid powertrains for Asia. It has already been confirmed that the redesigned A110 will share a platform with Geely's Lotus-branded sports car. Codenamed Type 135 by Lotus, it is rumored to be the successor to the Elise.

Lotus will also likely be the brand to provide the platform for two large SUVs. Last year Lotus unveiled the Cayenne-rivaling Elétaire SUV, and is currently working on the Macan-sized Type 134. The British company, which has developed its own performance-oriented EV platform, has said it is open to licensing the technology to other companies.