Renault Arkana - presence and style

Road Test

by Mark Slack

ITS looks more coupe crossover, think slimmed down BMW X6, and Re ­ nault’s Arkana certainly adds a dash of style with my test model looking particularly stylish thanks to its splendid Zanzibar Blue paint finish. Although it adds €747/£650 to the car’s price tag, it’s a stand out colour for all the right reasons.

Prices start at €32,630/£28,395 for the lead­in Evolution model, with three further trim levels and full hy brid powertrains. The 1.6 ­ litre petrol full hybrid unit devel ops 142hp and has a six speed clutchless automatic.

Standard equipment is good with all models having automatic lights and wipers, climate control, front and rear parking sensors and rear view camera. My test model was the Techno model starting at €34,928/£30,395, including adaptive cruise control, high beam assist, LED lights, keyless entry and start, navigation, privacy glass and auto dimming rear view mirror plus a host of safety and other kit. Oddly there’s no rear wiper, although it doesn’t seem to obstruct vision in wet weather, but still a strange omission.

The Arkana’s full hybrid system allows the car to sort out when to go electric, petrol or both, and to manually select pure electric for short distances. It makes for a very easy drive with smooth transitions between electric and combustion power. This smooth and refined drive is audibly interrupted if you opt for sudden, hard acceleration, as the engine revs rise and wait for everything else to catch up. It’s a trait that isn’t unique to Renault transmissions of this type, and to be fair this is one of the better systems in this regard. Go for smooth, progressive acceleration and the Arkana will power itself away with a delightfully unruffled air.

With a 107 mph top speed and 62 mph passed in 10.8 seconds it’s by no means pedestrian. Despite a taller stance the Arkana handles well and rough roads do not upset the car’s comfortable ride.

Inside there’s a nicely laid out, modern looking dash with buttons (hurrah!) and sensible touchscreen operations. The central touchscreen is portrait orientated, rather than the more usual landscape, and works better for it in my view.

The Arkana’s style won’t be to everyone’s taste but it has real presence without the compromised looks of similar coupe crossovers. There’s a feel of quality along with decent levels of interior space. It’s definitely one that should be high on the buying hit list for those seeking something a little different to the conventional norm.