Until now confined to the luxury register, the SUV coupe is starting to make school among general manufacturers.
Leaking coupé pavilion, high beltline and low glass surface, Renault is inspired by successful recipes with the Arkana, from the Latin "Arcanum" which means secret.
Not to be confused with its cousin produced in Russia on the basis of the Dacia Duster, this new SUV is far more attractive than the Kadjar which has never managed to find its audience.
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Produced in South Korea in the Samsung factory but revised and corrected to adapt to the requirements of European motorists, the Arkana borrows its CMF-B platform from the Clio and the Captur.
If it exceeds the Kadjar by 110 mm in length, it especially benefits from a stretched wheelbase of 81 mm compared to Renault's small SUV.
In the rear seats, the length of the legs meets the standards of the category but the lack of ease in width betrays the borrowing of a technical base of the lower segment.
We will add a narrow central square and a measured roof clearance, not suitable for templates over 1.90 m.
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Up front, we travel on familiar ground.
The Arkana borrows its dashboard from the Captur.
The finish is quality and with the RS Line finish, the sporty atmosphere is based on a saddlery with red stitching mixing leather and suede on the edges, carbon-look inserts, an aluminum crankset and a flattened steering wheel and thick rim.
On the outside, even without daring the orange tint reserved for it, the RS brand is distinguished by front and rear clogs, a double exhaust nozzle and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The digital instrumentation is that of the Captur and the size of the screen varies according to the versions (4.2, 7 or 10 inches).
The display configuration is controlled from the buttons on the steering wheel but ergonomics is still not a model of its kind.
This is also the case for the multimedia system based on a central 7 or 9.3 inch touchscreen tablet.
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From the Captur, the Arkana also shares electronic assistance: reading road signs, detection of blind spots, line crossing and an approaching user when leaving a parking lot in reverse, maintenance assistant in lane and level 2 autonomous driving with the “Motorway and Traffic” assistant option which combines adaptive cruise control (with Stop & Go) and centering in the lane (+ € 600).
In addition, the Arkana does not usurp its family vocation: the tailgate opens onto a loading space of 513 liters structured around a modular floor.
With the E-Tech hybrid version, the trunk loses 33 liters and is satisfied with a repair kit in the event of a puncture.
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Anticipating the next more draconian standards, the Arkana skips diesel and only offers electrified gasoline engines.
The most sober, the E-Tech hybrid version (from € 31,200) borrowed from the Clio, will be available at the end of the first half of 2021. With a power of 145 hp, this model displays a standardized consumption of 4, 9 l / 100 km, which corresponds to CO2 emissions of 111 g / km.
This result stems from electric driving of close to 80% in the city, which would allow fuel savings of 40%.
More accessible (from € 29,700), the TCe 140 version, the only one available at launch, also escapes the penalty (131 g / km of CO2) thanks to its micro-hybridization based on a 12 V battery placed under the passenger seat. and an alternator-starter.
This system supports the 1.3-liter 4-cylinder during acceleration phases and allows it to be cut off during braking phases, at low speed.
Fuel savings can reach up to 8%.
Despite an aerodynamic silhouette, it is difficult to reproduce the 5.8 l / 100 km announced by the manufacturer.
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Depending on the route, the computer of our test vehicle oscillated between 7.3 l and 9.1 l / 100 km, using the resources of the engine, which benefits from a controlled mass.
The performances are of a good level and the chassis perfectly controlling the body roll while offering a semblance of dynamism encourages to force the rhythm.
Despite its 160 hp, the plug-in hybrid Captur is less vigorous.
The comfort is neat but we would have liked a shorter seat, an adjustable central armrest and a greater range of height adjustment of the seat.
Finally, the pavilion designed like that of a coupe is paid for by a strongly degraded rearward visibility.
Renault makes a double blow with the Arkana.
It succeeds in compensating for the relative failure of the Kadjar with a vehicle providing similar family benefits and while making the SUV coupe formula accessible to as many people as possible.
From € 29,700 for the 140 hp light hybrid version, this SUV with dynamic shapes should find its audience.
Technical sheet
Engine: 4-cylinder turbo petrol + 12-volt battery, 1333 cm3, 140 hp, 260 Nm
Transmission: Traction, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Dimensions: (L x W x H): 4,568 x 1,820 x 1,571 mm
Weight: 1335 kg
Trunk: 513 liters
Consumption: 5.8 l / 100 km
CO2 emissions: 131 / km
Speed: 205 km / h
0 to 100 km / h: 9.8 seconds
Price: from 29 700 €
