The Franco Colapinto phenomenon: which Alpine cars Renault wants to sell in Argentina?
Franco Colapinto 's arrival in Formula 1 was a huge phenomenon. And specifically, his arrival this year with the Alpine team is set to have a significant impact on the Argentine automotive market, as this company, which belongs to the Renault Group, manufactures and sells road cars in Europe, and there's now a high probability that they will also be available in Argentina.
"We are seriously considering bringing the Alpine brand to Argentina," Pablo Sibilla, president of Renault Argentina, told Clarín during this weekend's British Grand Prix at the famous Silverstone circuit.
"The truth is that the idea of bringing Alpine to Argentina has been on our minds for a while because it has always had a history with these small series of sports vehicles, from the Clio Williams to the first versions of the Megane RS," the brand's head explained.
Sibilla believes that "there is a market for this type of vehicle," although he clarified that "of course, we're talking about small volumes." For now, the idea is to launch with an initial offering of two models.
The Alpine A 290, the compact electric car with a sporty setup, was voted European Car of the Year 2025.
Alpine is a French brand that became famous for the sporty performance of its cars and gained notoriety in Europe back in the 1960s thanks to its strong results in rally and hillclimb competitions. In 2017, the company experienced a renaissance that continues to be relevant today.
With the decision to establish Alpine as the sporting head of the Renault Group and rename the Formula 1 team after it, the brand with the A logo is undergoing a period of expansion. Argentina is also part of those plans, even more so with the arrival of Colapinto to the French team.
“Franco's confirmation at Alpine accelerated everything. We'd been thinking about it before, but Franco's arrival... it's like we said: it's now or now. The opportunity is the present, now is the time,” Sibilla confessed.
Regarding the models that could be arriving, there are two. "We want to see if we can do a limited series of A110 units," explained the company's head in the country. This is a modern reinterpretation of the original A110 from the 1960s, which earned the company a reputation throughout Europe.
Alpine A390, the electric fastback sounds like a future possibility.
And although it's a model that's already a few years old (it was introduced in 2017), Sibilla clarifies that it would be "a limited series, like a collectible car. It's a model that was born as a collector's car, and in Argentina, we believe it will be a great seller. If you look at it in Europe today, a used Alpine A110 has a very high price, which shows that it's a very collectible car."
Renault's president announced that "later, the idea is to continue with the A290 . And why not, with the A390 later on," referring to the French brand's new 100% electric range.
The A290 is a compact model that shares the platform, design, and components with the new Renault R5 , and both jointly won the 2025 European Car of the Year award. The A390, on the other hand, is a midsize crossover launched this year to coincide with the French company's 70th anniversary.
“The idea is to connect and work cross-functionally between Alpine and this crossover brand with Renault. People will understand this much more starting in the second half of the year, because we'll have a new Renault Koleos, with the Alpine Spirit finish. And on top of that, the arrival of the brand means that people there will truly understand the crossover brand issue, that both companies are part of the Renault Group.”
Clarin
