One thing that remains constant in the automotive industry is change, and there’s been a lot of it over the past few years. Tariffs, Chinese electric vehicles, and government regulations have made long-term planning difficult, prompting many automakers to alter their plans on the fly. But not every company has gone off so easily. Of all the brands, Alpine may still launch in the United States.
The French performance brand first hinted at selling its cars in the US a few years ago. Alpine aims to expand its lineup to seven models and its new markets, such as the U.S., are on the table, according to Alpine CEO Philip Kerf.
That said, Cruff admits the brand will need more than its A110 on the showroom floor. He told Auto Express:
‘We need to go to America with the A110 because it’s the heart of the Alpine. But in the US, perhaps, it won’t be enough for dealers and our partners to sell. And maybe we need to get something else. The idea we had a year ago was a big SUV. Now we are back in the phase of thinking about what we need for the US market. ‘
Photo by: Alpine
Cruff added that Alpine will need a high-volume model to sell alongside its sports car, but the company “doesn’t want to make the mistake of going to the U.S. with a big car that’s out of the brand’s DNA.”
Part of the brand’s expanded lineup includes a larger D/E segment model, with the company’s Alpine Performance Platform architecture reducing the range. The D/E segment model will serve as a rival to the speculative Porsche Cayenne, which will likely bring the Alpine here.
Americans love their crossovers and SUVs, so it makes sense that Alpine would consider selling an SUV here as well. A small sports car like the A110 might excite enthusiasts like us, but they’re not profitable enough to sustain an automaker – they have to appeal to the masses, and that means it has to offer an SUV.
Alpine didn’t provide a timeline for when we might see the brand selling cars in the U.S. It originally planned to begin its global expansion in 2027, but we expect that may not happen until the end of the decade.
