Renault details swoopy new Arkana SUV range

RENAULT has become the latest brand to dip its toe into the world of coupe-shaped SUVs with its compact Arkana, now on sale in Australia from $33,990 plus on-road costs.

A successor to the short-lived Kadjar, the Arkana is offered locally in three grades – Zen ($33,990), Intens ($37,490) and RS Line ($40,990) – all of which feature the same turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine good for 115kW/262Nm.

Drive in all variants is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, resulting in claimed fuel consumption of 6.0 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

Despite its swooping roofline, the tiny engine rules the Arkana out as a Kona N-Line or T-Roc Sport rival; 0-100km/h comes up in 9.1 seconds while the top speed is 205km/h – not that outright performance is this segment’s highest priority.

Renault Australia clearly has high aspirations for its newest model nonetheless, with general manager Glen Sealey seeing it as “competing more with premium players, like the Audi Q3 Sportback, as well as the more traditional competitors”.

According to the brand, the latter competitor set includes the Mazda CX-30 and lower-tier Volkswagen T-Roc variants, although the BMW X2 was also singled out.

Standard equipment highlights on the entry-level Zen include two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels, leatherette upholstery, climate control, a heated leather steering wheel and LED headlights, a 7.0-inch touchscreen system featuring Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, reversing camera and Bluetooth connectivity and a an Arkamys Auditorium sound system.

A 4.2-inch driver display, adaptive cruise control, easy park assist, electric park break and the Renault Easy Drive driver assist suite are also included as standard.

Stepping up to the Intens adds bigger 18-inch alloys, power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with leather and suede upholstery, a vertically oriented 9.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, satellite navigation, three drive modes, auto-hold, a 7.0-inch driver display, rear cross traffic alert and over-speed prevention.

In addition to having even more standard equipment, the range-topping RS Line dons a sportier look than the rest of the range with an ‘F1-style horizontal blade’ stretching across its front bumper, complemented by a honeycomb grille, gun-metal skid plates and blacked-out trim.

Building on the Intens’ kit list, the RS Line adds a powered sunroof, heated perforated leather steering wheel, frameless auto-dimming mirror, wireless smartphone charger, black leather and suede upholstery with red stitching, gloss carbon-look interior trim, rear privacy glass and unique 18-inch alloys with red accents.

The Arkana offers up to 485 litres of boot space (including underfloor storage) with the rear seats in place, or 1268 litres with them folded flat.

The catch is however prospective customers will have to wait until January to get their hands on the RS Line, however the Zen and Intens are available now.

“All-new Arkana is the latest release from an exciting new product roll-out over the next five years from Renault,” Mr Sealey said.

“Arkana combines sleek styling and the SUV way of life for a dynamic drive without compromising on comfort or space.”

2022 Renault Arkana pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs