The Renault Arkana was first introduced for the 2020 model year as a more stylish take on what a raised-up hatchback coupe ought to be. The Arkana slots underneath the Renault Conquest which is more or less the same approach as the Arkana bit comparably smaller. So, is Renault Arkana a good car?
In short, the Renault Arkana seems to be holding up really well, but some things about it simply can’t stack with some of its competitors. In this article, we are going to go over all the specifics of the Arkana which includes the engine, the transmission, the drivetrain, the design, driving experience, reliability, common issues, pricing, and practicality.
We are also going to tell you how safe the Arkana is and how it stacks up with some of its competitors. So, if you are interested in buying one used, you’ve come to the right place as this article has everything you need to decide if the Arkana is a good car for you.
Before we go any longer, we do need to say that the Arkana is a fairly new car so some of the aspects are a bit more difficult to gauge, especially long-term reliability. Therefore, we are only going to talk from a present perspective and will also try to get an assessment of how some things are going to play out in the long run.
The Powertrain
The Renault Arkana is available with a few different engine choices, all of which are either gasoline only or gasoline and electric hybrids. As far as the standard engine goes, the Arkana starts with a 1.4L inline 4-cylinder direct injection engine that offers either 114hp or 150hp depending on the specific model. The top-spec e-Tech hybrid model features a 1.6L 4-cylinder with 140hp.
The e-Tech is the most popular model of the bunch and it is different from the rest because it also relies on a small 1.3kWh battery that pushes two electric motors. This does not mean that the Arkana is AWD because all Arkana models are solely front-wheel-driven. A manual gearbox comes as standard, but an 8-speed automatic is there for the top-spec e-Tech model.
The 1.3 TCe features a single-speed CVT gearbox. All in all, you can expect to get up to 40MPG with normal gasoline-powered models while the e-Tech hybrid can do close to 55MPG while most people tend to see between 40 and 50MPG in real-world use which is still a really good number for size of the Arkana.
Design and Driving
The exterior design of the Renault Arkana is really sleek and futuristic which makes the Arkana one of the best-looking modern-day Renault models. The interior is not as posh as the exterior, and many people deem it to be a bit too ordinary for what the car is supposed to be. All in all, the exterior is definitely a win while the interior is not.
The driving experience on the other hand is fairly enjoyable as the seating position feels commanding and cool. You do feel like you own the place without losses in the visibility segment which is usually the problem with these coupe SUVs with sloping rooflines.
Reliability and Common Issues
Reliability seems to be a bit of a nuisance with the Arkana as there are some things people really aren’t fond of. On one hand, this tends to be the case with brand-new cars, but on the other, it’s different when the issue regards the most important and most-specific aspects of an individual model.
For example, many people complained about the Arkana e-Tech engines failing early and needing to be replaced which is a huge problem since the very heart of the car is its e-Tech setup. Other issues include transmission problems, problems with the infotainment system, phone connectivity problems, and problems with power steering.
Pricing and Practicality
You can expect to pay between £26,795 – £32,895 in the UK for the Arkana while Europe prices are around €30,000 to even €40,000 for the top-spec e-Tech models. This is not a small price to pay which is why it is indeed a problem if the interior looks too simple.
Practicality on the other hand is really good, except maybe the space for 2nd-row passengers who are likely to notice the overall lack of head space due to the sloping roof design.
FAQ Section
Should I Buy the Renault Arkana?
The Renault Arkana is often regarded as too cramped for its size and too expensive, and not too well-equipped, so on, and so forth. This was also the case when the first BMW X6 came out as everyone was quick to bash it because it wasn’t as practical as the X5 while also being expensive, brash, and “weird-looking”.
These SUV coupe crossovers never made any sense, but people are still buying them left and right. So, if you like the way the Arkana looks and you don’t need more space or a better interior, you should indeed buy it as life is too short to drive boring cars.
Is the Renault Arkana a Family Car?
With 513 liters of trunk space, you can’t say that the Arkana is not spacious enough, but we have already mentioned a few times that it does sacrifice a bit of usability for styling. This is not what family cars do as family cars are designed for family use in mind which means that form is always going to follow function, not the other way around.
Even so, the Arkana is large enough to accommodate a family of four, but taller people are going to struggle in the 2nd row as the headspace truly is limited.
Which Cars Rival the Renault Arkana?
The Renault Arkana does not have too many competitors due to its unique-looking styling. I’d say that the only true rival to the Arkana would be the comparably more expensive BMW X4, Audi Q5 Sportback, or the Mercedes GLC.
The new Peugeot 408 is also competing with the Arkana while the VW T-Roc is close by as well.
