• Two small luggage areas will see you through most shopping trips
• It’s small enough to fit happily in UK parking spaces
• It’s no family car, and isn’t pretending to be

How much space is there?

Although you won’t buy an Alpine A110 primarily for its practicality, it’s good to know that if you and your partner are using it to have a weekend away, there’s more than enough luggage space for you. Being mid-engined, the A110 has luggage space under the front bonnet and a small boot behind the rear screen (that gets rather warm), and they are both suitable primarily for soft bags.

As a car for two, the Alpine A110 is roomy enough. There’s ample head- and legroom, and as previously discussed, more than enough luggage room if you favour using squashy bags rather than suitcases. Around the cabin, you’ll enjoy adequate stowage room, although a lack of door pockets and any lidded storage areas between the seats could clearly be an issue.

Clearly, the guys at Alpine understand that just because you’re buying into a sports car, it shouldn’t be impractical as well. It probably helps that the company CEO is 6ft 7in tall…

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Is it easy to park?

With a footprint smaller than most superminis, you’ll have no problem squeezing your A110 into the average UK-sized parking bay. It’s delightfully compact in comparison with all of its rivals, too, making it a car that you can park as confidently as you can attack your average B-road.

Parking sensors and a rear camera are option on the base A110. Upgrade to S and rear sensors are standard, while GT gets front sensors and a camera as standard. The R isn’t available with sensors, but does get a reversing camera as standard. That’s handy as the rear window is replaced by a slab of carbon fibre.

Safety

• There’s little chance of the A110 sitting a Euro NCAP crash test
• Lightweight, stiff structure, agile handling means good active safety
• Racing-style seats don’t come with Isofix child-seat fittings

The A110 hasn’t been – and is unlikely to be – tested by Euro NCAP. It’s fair to say that the Alpine A110 majors on active, rather than passive safety. In other words, it’s set-up, and rather good at, avoiding accidents in the first place, thanks to agile handling and lightness.

Be that as it may, there are enough safety features to pass muster as a modern car that serves all the functions it needs to. There are a couple of safety systems, which might get you out of trouble – Autonomous Emergency Braking and Hill-start Assist.

You can also adjust the driver assistance systems, limiting traction and stability systems for track use – but left on, they’re hardly intrusive, and don’t spoil your fun. In short, it’s a safe car.