Alpine could turn to Geely for the flagship SUV platform

Alpine delivered just 3,546 cars in 2022, all different versions of the A110 sports car, but the French performance brand has ambitious plans to increase numbers this decade with a redesigned electric A110 and four other model ranges, all also electric. to increase significantly.

Alpine will launch a compact crossover and hot hatch by mid-decade, followed by the redesigned A110 in 2026. It will then add two larger SUVs in the same segments as Porsche’s Macan and Cayenne. Those larger SUVs are due in 2027 and 2028 and have the potential to launch the brand in the US, Luca de Meo, CEO of Alpine’s parent company Renault, said last November.

To support the development of all of these new model ranges, Alpine plans to seek help from an outside supplier. Although Alpine is part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, its CEO Laurent Rossi told reporters this week that Geely was the “most natural” partner, Autocar reported.

In his comments, Rossi pointed out how Renault and Geely are already working together on joint vehicles for Asia and on hybrid drives. And it has already been confirmed that the redesigned A110 will share a platform with a Geely Lotus-branded sports car. Codenamed Type 135, the Lotus is rumored to be an Elise successor.

Lotus would also likely be the brand of choice for platforms for the two larger SUVs. Lotus launched the Cayenne rival Eletre SUV last year and is currently working on a Macan-sized Type 134 model. The British company, which has developed its own performance-oriented EV platforms, has said it is open to licensing the technology to other companies.