The mid-sized coupe-SUV market has been populated by premium brands like the Peugeot 3008, Mini Countryman, Nissan Juke, etc making Arkana’s arrival so pronounce as the competition has already been spike up.
The Renault Arkana comes with its latest hybrid technology for both the mild hybrid and full-hybrid petrol powerplants.
The interior conveys the efforts made to imbue recent smaller models with extra cabin quality have paid off, enabling Renault to push up-market using the same interior technology.
The result is a surprisingly polished proposition.
Background Check
Renault over the years thrives and was best known for developing an existing idea. Their work on Clio, Scenic, and Captur clearly shows their professionalism.
This means that Arkana was with the right croup at the right time as It hails from an existing but relatively undeveloped market niche, that for the mid-sized coupe-SUV – which is the sort of thing that Renault’s design department thrives on.
European premium brands dominate this segment with their exquisite models looking at BMW X4, Audi Q5 Sportback, and Mercedes GLC Coupe.
Renault is bringing in the Arkana to bridge the gap between these brands as the only volume brand model that is a truly affordable entry in this segment. Skoda and Kia are both planning coupe-SUVs, but these will be of the pricey all-electric sort.
Exterior Design
Arkana silhouette is offering a balance between the elegance of a saloon and the powerful stance of an SUV’. Still, there’s certainly nothing else in the segment with a rear-end quite like this one.
SUV credentials are endorsed by 190mm of ground clearance, plus rugged front and rear skid plates and wheel arches.
The five-door bodyshell measures 4,568mm in length and 1,571mm in height and it’s screwed together, not in France but in Renault’s factory in Busan, South Korea.
Interior Design
In Balancing the elegance of a saloon and that of a super SUV, the Arkana interior strives for a premium feel, which to some extent has been achieved superficially.
Digitalization sets the stage straight with a digital instrument cluster of either 4.2, 7.0 or 10.2-inches in size and a central touchscreen that can be either 7.0 or 9.3-inches, depending on trim.
It’s a practical cabin too, with useful touches like large front door pockets which can accommodate 1.5-liter water bottles.
Thanks to a relatively lengthy 2,720mm wheelbase, the rear seat has legroom that’s close to what you’d get in a much pricier Q5 or X4. And there’s a 513-liter boot (122-litres bigger than that of a Clio), which falls to 438-litres in the hybrid model.
Engine and Performance
Coming from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-B compact car platform, an alliance that has to produce groundbreaking performance. The Arkana uses engines from Clio and Captur being their successor from the mother company as Both units develop 140hp and are petrol-powered but each is very different.
With a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder 12v TCe 140 mild-hybrid petrol unit, which sends drive to the front wheels via a dual-clutch auto gearbox. It makes 62mph from rest in 9.8s en route to 127mph.
If you grave for more performance and with some cash to spend, you will have the option to install either of its 1.6-liter E-Tech full-electrified powerplants, either the self-charging Prius-like one from the Clio or the PHEV plug-in one from the Captur.
It’s opted for Clio’s self-charging unit, which has two electric motors and a 1.2 kWh lithium-ion battery.
It sends drive through a clever F1-derived clutch-less dog box auto transmission, which Renault reckons is more efficient and smoother than a conventional automatic. 62mph from rest takes 10.8s en route to 107mph.
The auto-powertrain format tells you most of what you need to know about the emphasis on comfort rather than drive dynamics here – but virtually all models in this segment are sold with auto transmission.
A nod to autonomous drive technology is delivered by the availability of Renault’s ‘Motorway and Traffic Jam Companion’ – an autonomous drive setting that can assume control of the car’s throttle, brakes, and steering on the motorway.
Affordability and Model
The Renault Arkana comes with an asking price of about £25,000 and runs up to just over £30,000. The Arkana comes in three trim levels ‘Iconic’, ‘S Edition’, and ‘R.S. Line’.
There’s a £1,300 premium to go from the TCe 140 engine to the E-Tech hybrid unit.
Irrespective of the version you get, you are sure of Apple CarPlay’ and ‘Android Auto smartphone-mirroring systems, plus over-the-air infotainment screen updates and live traffic updates.
Other standard features include adaptive cruise control, an active emergency braking system, lane-keeping assist, and a traffic sign recognition system as these are the standard features that come with it.
The sporty ‘R.S. Line’ trim-level sits on top of the range as Renault thinks a lot of Arkana customers will prefer it.
A front splitter, red coach lines, black alloy wheels, and a more aggressive rear bumper that incorporates a pair of chrome exhaust outlets come with variants trimmed.
The Arkana ‘R.S. Line’ models get contrasting red stitching on the seats and steering wheel, a black headliner, aluminum pedals, special red-striped seat belts, and carbon-effect coverings for the dashboard and door cards.
With various cosmetic extras, such as a contrasting black roof, three alloy wheel designs in either 17-inch or 18-inch rim sizes, and seven body colors – including an ‘R.S. Line’-exclusive ‘Valencia Orange’ paint finishes Arkana costumes can choose from across the range.