Is the Renault Arkana the answer to the Saloon
Exterior – Front
So, starting at the front it has a typical Renault design which in my opinion looks quite sporty and aggressive. We have these LED taillights and a normal sized grill with a big lower air vent and some big side vents that are connected with a gun metal grey style piece of trim which only comes on the RS Line models and personally this looks even better with the dark blue colour. We also have some bulges on the bonnet giving it a saloon type look which again I like.
Exterior – Side
Along the side we can clearly see the saloon silhouette design up top but move lower down and you can see that it is an SUV. The Arkana from the side looks very premium and at the back we almost have the hofmeister kink. Lower down we also have some plastic cladding.
Exterior – Rear
At the back, it looks just like a raised up saloon which I really like. We have this saloon shape with a big rear boot lip spoiler and below this we have the taillights that are connected together with the red strip. Below that we have the Arkana spelling and below this we have some plastic cladding for the bumper making it look off roader like. Sadly though we don have some fake exhausts. Whilst we are on this topic lets have a look at what engine options you can get.
Car and engine specs and price
Engine options for the Renault Arkana are quite simple. To start with there are only petrol versions available. You can either have a 1.6 litre petrol Hybrid unit that creates 140 bhp and 148 nm of torque. This is mated to a 4 speed gearbox. Next up is the 1.3 litre petrol Mild Hybrid which has 136 bhp and has 260 nm of torque. This is mated to a 7 speed automatic gearbox. The price of the Renault Arkana starts at £26,795.
Interior – Design
So moving inside, the Arkana feels very premium. We have a large portrait curved screen in the centre and we have a clear intuitive instrument cluster. The infotainment system is easy to use and is very clear. We also have some physical climate control knobs and an electronic gear shifter that personally would look better with a switch like what the Vauxhall Mokka and the new Peugeot 408 will have. The dashboard also has this nice fake carbon fibre trim which again looks premium. This matches with the premium seats.
Practicality
So, moving round the back legroom is OK but headroom is not that great because of the sloping roof but it isn't that bad as a saloon rival. If there was a 6 footer in the front seat and another behind then they wont be that comfortable. The seats are comfy though and they have a sports style. There is also an arm rest, Air vents and some USB C ports.
So, going round to the boot we have a big hatchback style opening. There is no load lip as the boot door is very low. The boot size for the Renault Arkana is 480 litres with the seats up and if you fold them down it is 1,263 litres. Compare this to the Puegoet 508 which has 487 litres with the seats up and 1,537 litres with the seats down and this shows that the Arkana is still just about as practical as a normal Saloon car in this segment.
Summary
So in summary then what do I think of the Renault Arkana. Well it is a brilliant car. it looks like a saloon and feels like a saloon but it is higher like a crossover and for me this is the next generation of saloon vehicles. Personally SUV’s and crossovers wont last forever as they are not aerodynamic and efficient. Because of this electric range is severely reduced. This is where this car comes in. Yes it is a crossover but it has an elegant style just like a saloon making it more aerodynamic. This is the future for cars people.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 5/5
Practicality 5/5
Total 15/15
Model | Renault Arkana RS-Line |
Price | From £26,795 |
Engine | . 1.6 Litre Turbo Petrol Mild Hybrid, |
Gearbox | |
On Sale | |
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