By Alistair Kennedy, Marque Motoring
Renault Arkana is a stylish mid-sized SUV that arrived here in 2021 effectively replacing the short-lived Kadjar in Renault’s three-model SUV range. It sits between the compact Captur and the family-sized Koleos.
It’s slightly larger than Kadjar in all exterior dimensions but with almost identical engine outputs.
Renault Arkana comes in three variants: Zen, Intens and R.S. Line. There’s a single drivetrain combining a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive.
STYLING
Arkana joins an increasing trend in the evolutions of SUVs with a smoother sloping rear profile that emphasises styling rather than all-road performance. With this in mind Renault is marketing Arkana as an SUV Coupe.
Combining the two different components can be challenging but the Renault designers have managed to do it and have put together a very attractive vehicle. One feature is a high (200 mm) ground clearance which lifts the Arkana without making it look too gawky.
Arkana R.S. Line adds comes with a specific front bumper design with an F1-inspired aero blade, 18-inch diamond-cut alloys, , R.S. Line badging, gun metal grey door trims, and front and rear skid plates.
LED lighting is used extensively including the headlights; daytime running lights; tail lights and turn indicators.
A small powered sunroof is optional on the Intens and standard on the R.S Line.
There are seven colour options, only Blue is standard the others are cost options.
INTERIOR
Our test vehicle was the Arkana Intens with the optional sunroof which, together with the coupe-like lines, meant that entry proved a bit awkward. The driver’s seat has power adjustment but with a limited height range which, even at its lowest level, meant that my head grazed against the roof.
The R.S. Line has carbon-look interior trim, alloy sport pedals, a perforated leather steering wheel with R.S. Line badging, red and grey contrast stitching, and R.S. badging.
It has a fully digital 10.25-inch instrument cluster, a frameless auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and a sunroof.
Rear space is excellent with surprisingly good headroom given the sloping roof and, courtesy of the 2720 mm wheelbase, plenty of kneeroom.
There’s leather and suede upholstery in the Intens and R.S. Line as well as electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated seats for both driver and front passenger.
The centrepiece of the interior of the Intens is its 9.3-inch portrait shaped touchscreen which not only displays the normal infotainment features but also, through its multi-sense system, controls the pre-set Eco and Sport drive modes to adjust the powertrain and steering.
There’s also a MySense feature which allows the driver to customise these settings to suit their own individual preferences.
Directly below the touchscreen are a series of small buttons including quick access to the multi-sense system, front seat heating / cooling and door locking.
Sensibly, the air conditioning is controlled by three large knobs that are easy to reach and simple to operate. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the audio volume controls which require either a series of taps on small tabs at the bottom of the touchscreen or on small buttons on a steering column stalk behind the steering wheel.
There’s a good-sized space at the centre of the front console for storing smartphones and, in the R.S., includes a wireless charging pad. There are two adjacent USB ports directly above it as well as AUX and 12-volt power sockets.
A small storage box sits below a slide-out armrest in the centre console.
The boot features a split-level floor that can take up to 485 litres at its lower level. With the 60/40 rear seatbacks folded that can be expanded to 1268 litres. A space-saver spare wheel sits beneath the lower floor setting.
ENGINE / TRANSMISSION
Arkana has a 1.3-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol with outputs of 115 kW at 5500 rpm, and 262 Nm at 2250rpm. It drives the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
SAFETY
Renault Arkana comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating with a high level of features in all variants including six airbags; electronic stability control; adaptive cruise control with speed limiter; blind spot warning; autonomous emergency braking including pedestrian and cyclist detection; lane departure warning and lane keep assist; traffic sign recognition; front, rear and side parking sensors; rear view camera; automatic headlights and windscreen wipers; ISOFIX child seat anchorage points; and tyre pressure monitoring.
The Intens and R.S.Line add rear cross traffic alert and speed limit alert.
Renault’s Easy Park Assist is standard in all models and uses a combination of sensors and rear-mounted camera for hands-free parking.
INFOTAINMENT
Arkana uses the Renault Easy Link multimedia system through a 7.0-inch landscape touchscreen in the Zen and a 9.3-inch portrait touchscreen in the Intens and R.S.Line.
Likewise, the higher-spec variants get a 7.0-inch driver’s digital instrument cluster with the option of a full-digital 10.25-inch screen while the Zen has a 4.2-inch display.
Satellite navigation isn’t offered in the Zen but is standard in the Intens and R.S.Line.
All variants get a six-speaker Arkamys Auditorium Sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
DRIVING
Arkana uses the Renault credit card style key and includes ‘walk-away’ automatic door locking.
Although the rear window is large, its shape together with the broad C pillars do limit side and rear visibility quite significantly.
Arkana is quite sluggish off the mark with little low-down torque and a jerky dual-clutch transmission. Switching to Sport mode makes a big difference and, apart from motorway cruising, we spent most of our time with it switched on. There is a bit of torque steer to catch the unwary.
Steering is sharp and responsive with there’s only minimal body roll through corners although it is more SUV than coupe in that regard.
Ride provides a nice balance between firmness and comfort.
The extra ground clearance infers off-road capability, however that’s offset by the absence of an all-wheel drive option.
Fuel consumption is listed at 6.0 litres per 100 kilometres, we averaged a fairly good 7.2 L/100 km.
SUMMING UP
Renault Arkana is a classy looking, well-equipped and competent vehicle that’s sure to appeal to lovers of French marques and anyone else looking for something away from the mainstream.
In terms of pricing, Arkana can be assessed as either a budget-priced Euro premium SUV-Coupe competitor a la Audi Q3 Sportback and BMW X2 or as a fairly expensive offering in the congested and highly-competitive small SUV segment. The buying public will make that decision.
Renault Arkana comes with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, five years of capped price services with an impressive 30,000km service interval and five years roadside assistance when the services are done by an official Renault dealer.
