Renault Arkana review

This is the Renault Arkana, something that gives the French carmaker a slice of the coupe-SUV pie that the likes of Mercedes and BMW have been baking for a while now. But have buyers warmed to this Greggs version of an Ole & Steen offering? Will this analogy stretch any further, or has the pastry been overworked?

Calm down. What are the engine options?

Options? Oh you pour, naive soul. You used to get a choice of a 1.3-litre mild hybrid turbo or a 1.6-litre full hybrid, but now it’s the latter or nothing at all. Capable of 142bhp (with the help of two electric motors) it is slower than the turbo ever was, needing 10.8 seconds to reach 62mph from a standstill. It’s certainly efficient though: 57.6mpg on paper.

The six-speed automatic transmission employed here is a strange thing to find on a hybrid SUV: it’s usually used in racing cars, and does away with such fripperies as the clutch to remove friction and energy losses. It would normally be a rough shifter, best suited to full bore acceleration, but Renault’s trick set-up uses one of the electric motors to smooth those shifts out.

Strangely, one of the company’s engineers came up with the idea and persuaded his bosses to sign it off by building a working model out of Lego.

How does the car drive?

The Arkana handles with reasonable alacrity: it’s accurate through corners and remains relatively flat. But this is at the expense of ride comfort, which is a touch too firm for a nice family SUV, thunking over speed bumps and potholes.

Quite why Renault has gone for a sporty vibe in a car that’s slow and not especially rewarding to drive is anyone’s guess. Especially when the engine can be noisy and intrusive under heavy load. Take a relaxed approach and you’ll get along much better with it: the 1.2kWh battery might even give you a couple of miles of quiet, peaceful running around town. Ahh.

Is the Arkana expensive? 

A facelift in 2023 brought a few exterior changes (new lights, logo… that sort of thing), and there are three new trim levels to choose from: Evolution kicks off the range from £27k, and the top-spec esprit Alpine model brings fancier materials and stitching for around £4k. Imagine twinning a cardigan with Air Jordans and you won’t be far off.

All models get automatic aircon, keyless entry and start, smartphone integration, LED headlights and cruise control as standard, while the entry car comes with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system and seven-inch digital driver display. Want more screenage. Higher trims get a 10in display and 9.3in portrait touchscreen.

What are its main rivals?

Good question. Renault is obviously trying to create a bit of a niche for itself with all the coupe schtick, but the latest Toyota C-HR and Cupra Formentor have more exciting designs, and in the Cupra’s case a proper plug-in hybrid option if the eco thing appeals. Even the Citroen C4 (from £20k) does a better job of distinctive character-led design, and the Ford Kuga rules the segment for driving smarts. There’s also the Qashqai - the UK’s second-best selling car - to consider, of course.

It doesn’t excel in any particular area, so at best the Arkana feels a bit clinical. At worst? Bland. There’s no doubt that it will hit the spot for a certain customer who’s not really interested in cars and just wants something that looks good, but coming from a company that’s nailed it with the new Scenic and Megane E-Tech Electric, the Arkana’s simply underwhelming.

There’s various reasons for that, chiefly the boring (and slow) powertrain and the firm ride. In fact, the Arkana’s main selling point is its interior space. Not something that stirs the soul, is it? It’s a pity there’s none of the quirkiness we’ve seen from Renault in the past. It means you have to shun several much better cars in order to own one.