Arkana is the first SUV Coupe from Renault, which certainly did not want to annoy the “premium” brands but on the contrary has decided to bring an increasingly fashionable type of car to the C segment that is also increasingly popular with Italians. First they developed it for the Asian market and for Russia, almost three years ago, and then it came to us in 2021. (SUV is abbreviation of “Sports Utility Vehicle)
But it is not the same: the original project has been evolved, it includes many elements derived from the most recent by Renault, for example the more modern and lighter CMF-B platform (that of Clio and Captur) which allows it to house electrified engines.
Luigi had tried the TCe 140 EDC version , the less powerful mild hybrid. Then Filippo had a first contact with this E-TECH Hybrid 145 , the full hybrid, by carrying out a consumption test. Instead, I had the opportunity to try the electrified version in every context, from the city to the highway.
Renault Arkana Design AND DIMENSIONS
On many occasions in its history, Renault has proposed cars with a truly original style and it is nice to see that here it has dared a little with decidedly particular shapes. Arkana is a design that divides but stands out, it has a striking style, and I like it more in the RS Line version : those who follow me and know me know that I usually prefer sports equipment: it is certainly not a true sports car, however, so and with the black color it looks much better.
Distinctive features: on the front the rather large grille surrounded by a chrome line; the Full LED headlights with the unmistakable C-Shape light signature, which now distinguishes all the cars of the transalpine brand, and which we also find at the rear; raised waistline, rather generous sides, almost muscular, especially behind, with marked wheel arch protectors. The 18 ” alloy wheels with red finishes are the Silverstones intended for this version. The only way to distinguish the full hybrid from the others? The E-Tech badge .
Already with the “cousins” Clio and Captur, Renault has clearly improved the build quality. Even in the Arkana, taking a closer look, the paintwork looks neat and well stretched and even the combination of the various parts of the bodywork presents only minimal inaccuracies.
It is long, yet it would not seem like it, it seems more compact. And the height is also not exaggerated: practically like the smaller Captur. The only measure that stands out is the height from the ground: 19.9 cm. In sharp contrast to most of the more recent crossovers in the B and C segments.
Here are the dimensions : length 4,568 mm, width 1,820 mm, height 1,571 mm, with a wheelbase of 2,720 mm
HABITABILITY AND INTERIORS
If they dared a little in the external design , inside they did it much less: the passenger compartment, however, proposes the characteristic features of the most recent stylistic course of the French brand. The dashboard and controls reveal the evident kinship with the Captur.
Even within the style of the RS Line version convinces me more: the perforated leather steering wheel with the Renault Sport badge, the mixed Alcantara leather upholstery with red stitching, the carbon look upholstery on the dashboard, with the red profile at the top, and in the doors. The black headliner, the aluminum pedals, the Renault Sport door sills. Honestly, I would have avoided the seat belts with the red stripe …
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The perceived quality is not bad: the dashboard and controls seem to be made with care and enriched by small details such as the satin and knurled frame of the starter button. The seats are well made, with uniform upholstery and stitching. The climate knobs are also pleasing to the eye and are also comfortable to operate.
The climate is automatic, effective, but you can not have two zones, it is not even included in the options. If you want to be picky, the vents do not have independent adjustment of the air flow rate and flow. Unfortunately, the anti-noise coating is only in the central cup holder.
Frankly speaking, four people travel comfortably in Renault Arkana: front and rear, where there is also good space for the legs and the head, despite the coupé line. Maybe the shape of the rear doors makes it a little more uncomfortable to get on board, but once seated you are comfortable and you can count on good comfort: a large central armrest, climate vents, 2 USB sockets
The trunk ? One might think that the Arkana line will end up penalizing its capacity and instead there are only 26 liters less for our E-Tech, which must house the lithium-ion battery down there, but we are still at 492. The rear sofa can also be folded down in 1/3 or 2/3 configuration; unfortunately there is no central hatch, or if you prefer to call it through load. You can go up to an altitude of 1278 to take advantage of the long and regular-shaped compartment.
Too bad they have saved a little too much here: there are no hooks, rubber bands and eyelets to secure the load, and not even charging sockets. The loading sill is 76 cm high from the ground, and loading heavy objects becomes more tiring; the rear gate is a bit heavy to close.
Arkana E-Tech Hybrid 145 Specification
- Engine type: self-loading hybrid
- Displacement: 1,598 cc
- Number of cylinders / valves: 4/16
- Maximum power: 69 kW at 5 600 rpm
- Maximum torque: 148 Nm at 3600 rpm
- Gearbox type: automatic multi-mode
- Batteries: Lithium-ion type
- Voltage: 230V
- Capacity: 1.2 kWh
- Transmission: front wheel drive
- Front suspension: Pseudo McPherson
- Rear suspension: Semi-rigid axle
- Top speed: 172 km / h
- Acceleration 0 – 100 km / h: 10.8 s
- Acceleration from 80 km / h to 120 km / h: 8.5 s
- Mixed cycle consumption: 4.9 – 5.1 l / 100 km
- Mass in running order: 1,435 kg
- Fuel tank capacity: 50 l
- Tires: 215/55 R18 95H
TRY Arkana E-Tech Hybrid 145
Let ‘s start with the driver’s seat : it’s not bad. The seat is high, comfortable, let’s say that for those XXL like me it would take a greater travel in depth of the steering wheel and the seat should be able to lower a little, but for all the others it is just fine.
Ergonomics are also good: everything is where it needs to be; perhaps the climate panel is a little too low though. Visibility is good at the front; behind it is not the same: however the rear window, despite being very angled, does not create major problems. The tail, on the other hand, does not help: fortunately, the camera and parking sensors are standard on every set-up.
The powertrain of our E-Tech consists of a 230 Volt, 1.2 kWh capacity lithium-ion battery, a quiet 1.6 aspirated petrol engine with 69 kW FAP and two electric motors for a combined output of up to 145 hp.
As for the electric engines, they work together and alternate according to the situation: a main one, traction, from 36 kW is used to start, recharge and move our SUV, it alone manages to provide traction to the front wheels up to at 70/75 km per hour.
The other, the 15 kW HSG, is connected to the first, acts as a starter and generator, and unlike the first it is not able to move the Arkana, except in combination with the petrol engine and also has the role of stabilizer in gear shifting. It also takes care of the start / stop anticipating the shutdown several meters before stopping.
The gearbox is the Multi-mode automatic , already tested on the Clio and Megane: it has no clutch and synchronizer, and offers the solution of the tooth engagement; its task is to combine and optimize the performance of the petrol engine and the two electric ones to obtain the lowest possible fuel consumption. And does it succeed? I would say yes.
In the city , despite being a bit long, the Arkana is comfortable even in the heaviest traffic. The steering is light, the Multimode gearbox offers good ride comfort and good fluidity, and with the Brake mode not only is it possible to recover as much energy as possible in release but you can often avoid using the brake pedal.
With the battery fully charged, Renault says it can travel at least 3 km in fully electric mode; but apart from that, by making the most of its potential you can drive most of the time in urban traffic by electric. Renault claims up to 80%: not so much but the hybrid system works well and offers its best in the city. It consumes little: I have reached an average of 5 liters per 100 km .
On country roads it is pleasant to drive but don’t ask too much because it wasn’t born to run: from 0 to 100 in 10.8 seconds and a top speed of 172 km per hour. It should be guided in relaxation, its purpose is another. There are the 3 driving modes of the now famous Renault Multi-Sense , which acts on the mapping of the engine and on the steering, but even if you put it in Sport it doesn’t really have a great temperament.
If you try to push a little more, the limits of this transmission come out and it becomes a bit uncertain and, frequently, does not change at the right time. In normal driving, on the other hand, there is practically never the “scooterone” effect. When the battery charge begins to run out, the aspirated thousand-six loses reactivity and becomes a bit slow.
The steering is quite light and certainly not sporty. Whereas, given that it is so high from the ground, to reduce the roll and make it a little more precise they have chosen a slightly stiff set -up: this means to feel the roughness of the asphalt more and with the 18-inch wheels it suffers a little on the deepest holes. However, I do not find it uncomfortable, but a lot depends on the sensitivity of each of us. In order not to have these problems, it would be necessary to resort to more sophisticated adaptive suspension, but the price would change a lot.
But I must admit that between the curves the front is more precise than I expected and instills confidence; it turns out to be easy and intuitive to drive, holds the road well, and is more agile than I imagined. The curb weight of our full hybrid is 1,435 kg, not too much. Of course it would take a little more engine, but it is useless to look for it here…. Outside the city it is always possible to do an average of at least 18 kilometers per liter.
The braking system is also good: the four disc brakes are always ready; you just have to get used to modulating the pedal a little bit: a few kilometers and that’s no longer a problem. Traveling on the motorway is quite comfortable. You hardly feel the thermal engine; there are just a few aerodynamic hisses generated by the rear view mirrors, but not too much, while you hear the rolling sound of the tires. However, it should be noted that our Arkana still has winter tires, which are a bit noisier.
The French SUV suffers a little from any disconnections, slightly sacrificing comfort but, and this is a point in its favor, in the faster corners it proved to be very stable. At a constant 130 per hour it manages to obtain an average of at least 6.6 liters per 100 kilometers .
The company declares an average consumption of 4.8 liters of petrol per 100 kilometers , about 20.8 km per liter. Maybe to get to that much I should just drive like my aunt (with respect to speak…) but driving it normally turns out to be really efficient.
Extra AND SAFETY
Arkana is safe and has earned five Euro NCAP stars . Good standard equipment of the ADAS, of which Luigi has already shown you the effectiveness in his test. Positive is the fact that with just over 600 Euros you can have the Highway and Traffic Jam Companion , that is 2nd level autonomous driving. The driver assistance devices are easy to use and efficient, as I have noticed for the adaptive cruise control and the active centering in the lane.
Dashboard TECHNOLOGY
The on-board technology is certainly not lacking: from the dashboard with 10 “digital display to the 9.3″ central display of the infotainment , which will not be as fast as others of the competition and maybe Android Auto and Apple CarPlay could run better, however. it is intuitive, easy to use even for those who are not a “geek”. And it’s not cheap. The rest has already been explained in the video above , which is more technological, and much better than I could have done in writing.
The front and rear USB sockets are beautiful, but none are backlit: in the evening it is a bit hard to find them…. For those who love music like me, among the options there is the Premium Bose Sound System with 9 speakers, which does quite well but also costs 860 Euros.
EQUIPMENT AND PRICES
The SUV Coupé from Renault is offered in two trim levels , Intens and RS Line , both with a very rich equipment : Full LED headlights front and rear, 18 ” alloy wheels, tinted rear side and rear windows, front parking sensors and rear and rear camera parking, multimedia system with 9.3 ” touch display, 3D navigation, automatic Over The Air updates, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, many standard ADAS and much more.
You can choose the Arkana mild hybrid with a 1.3 turbo petrol engine in two power steps: 140 or 160 hp , in both cases combined with the EDC dual-clutch automatic transmission . Or there is our E-Tech , the real hybrid, with the 1.6 aspirated and 145 hp. I know that there are also those who would like it with a nice turbodiesel, powerful and efficient, but given Renault’s most recent choices, it’s better to put your heart in peace.
The price list starts at 31,350 Euros for the TCe 140 EDC in the Intens version and reaches the 35,950 which are used for the TCe 160 EDC RS Line. Our E-Tech under construction Intens starts at 32,850 and reaches 35,650 for this RS Line.