Renault Arkana Review & Prices

The Renault Arkana is, effectively, a longer, coupe-roofed version of the Renault Captur SUV, and it offers the sort of style that you might expect from a BMW X4 or a Mercedes GLC Coupe for an awful lot less money. It’s a bit like finding a Gucci handbag in your local branch of Oxfam.

The Arkana is no longer on sale in the UK as a new car, but there are lots around second hand, and it makes for an interesting alternative to the likes of a Kia Sportage or a Nissan Qashqai, although it’s not as practical as either, and you can forget any hope of it being much fun to drive. If you want a more current equivalent, the low-slung likes of the Peugeot 408 or the Citroen C5 X are where you should be looking.

Up front, you can see some clear design lineage with the taller Kadjar, although everything is a bit sleeker and lower, and you get those distinctive C-shaped headlights with built-in LED running lights, pinched from the old-generation Renault Megane. The Arkana is sleeker and wider at the front than the Kadjar, and from 2023 onwards, it gained a distinctive trim section under the grille that’s meant to look like the front wing from an F1 car.

Down the back, the Arkana’s low-slung roof makes it look rather more distinctive than yet another boxy SUV, and it definitely has similar vibes as the German coupe-SUVs.

However, while it might look good on the outside, the styling doesn’t do cabin space any favours. There’s plenty of room — and really good seats — up front, and there’s lots of adjustment in the steering wheel so you can get comfy. The back seats are less impressive though, with limited headroom and not a lot of legroom either. Want to carry people in the back? You’re better off with the likes of a Skoda Karoq, which looks dowdier, but is much more practical.

The Arkana is a reasonably well-built car, as in, it’s all bolted together pretty well, but you can tell it’s from an older generation of Renault cars, and some of the plastics used are pretty ordinary. Certainly, the newer Renault models such as the Austral or Rafale feel far classier inside, although in fairness they’re both much more expensive than the Arkana ever was.

The Arkana’s styling also impacts on boot space, which is reduced to just 480 litres, which is quite small for an SUV, even one with a low-slung roof. It’s similar in its boot space to a Peugeot 408 hybrid, but a Citroen C5 X holds much more, and it’s just a plain space with no handy items such as a 12-volt socket or even hooks for bags. Storage space in the front of the cabin isn’t much better, to be honest.

The Arkana came as standard with an upright 7.0-inch touchscreen, which could handle Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the software pre-dates Renault’s switch to a Google-based setup, and it feels more awkward to use as a result. At least there are some proper switches and buttons around the place though, and higher-spec versions came with a more impressive-looking 9.3-inch screen.

Originally available with a 1.3-litre turbo mild-hybrid petrol engine, the Arkana range was eventually slimmed down to just a single engine choice — a 145hp 1.6-litre hybrid, which drives the front wheels through an automatic transmission.

If the Arkana looks like a coupe on the outside (sort of…) it doesn’t really drive like a coupe when you get it onto a twisty road. The steering is quite lifeless, and the suspension is a bit too firm for broken-up UK blacktop. If you want an SUV that’s more fun to drive, consider a Ford Kuga instead, or maybe a Peugeot 3008. The Arkana is at least good on the motorway, where it’s a smooth cruiser, but beware the tyre noise that comes with the bigger optional alloy wheels.

The Arkana promised sportiness with its styling, but failed to deliver much in the way of driving fun, although that doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. If you want a stylish coupe-SUV for a very reasonable price, with good equipment and solid quality, then the Arkana is still well worth considering.

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The Renault Arkana makes a sharp purchase, as it was never an expensive car to begin with, and on the used market supply is plentiful, so prices are generally quite low for what it is.

From the 2023 update, entry-level Evolution models came as standard with automatic headlights with high beam assistance, 17-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable and folding heated door mirrors, and tinted rear windows. Standard equipment also included an electronic parking brake, automatic climate control, hands-free keycard, 7.0-inch driver information display, and 7.0-inch ‘Easy Link’ infotainment touchscreen with built-in navigation and wireless smartphone connectivity for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Higher-spec Techno models got a ten-inch driver’s display and the bigger 9.3-inch touchscreen, as well as front and rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloys, a rear armrest, leatherette seat upholstery, and that F1-style ‘blade’ in the front bumper.

Top-spec Esprit Alpine versions got 19-inch alloys, a sporty bodykit and black detailing on the outside, heated front seats with power adjustment, a heated steering wheel, and part-suede upholstery, as well as adaptive cruise control.

The Renault Arkana is pretty economical, however visibility is poor and it’s not the most comfortable car in its class

In town

Driving in town is pretty stress-free in the Renault Arkana hybrid. It always starts in all-electric mode, meaning you can glide around in silence and it gets off the line at a decent pace. Handy for pulling out at busy junctions.

You won’t want to hit any potholes or speed bumps at speed though, because the suspension is pretty firm. It’s not uncomfortable, but something like a Kia Sportage is more composed over broken surfaces.

The option of a ‘B’ mode for the gearbox does make town driving a bit easier. The car will use regenerative braking when you lift off the accelerator to slow you down and put energy back into the battery.

This is really useful, but when you do have to press the brakes they can be a bit grabby, with a light brush of the pedal slowing the car quite harshly. This can make low-speed manoeuvres awkward.

What makes urban driving a real chore is the visibility. The windscreen is quite shallow, and the front pillars are chunky which creates blind spots looking forward, while that sloping roofline means your view out of the back and over your shoulder is pretty poor.

This means the reversing camera you get as standard from 2023 onwards is essential, but it’s not the best system out there. It’s quite a grainy image, so parking in the rain or at night can get difficult. There’s no option of a 360-degree camera either, something which would be really appreciated here.

On the motorway

Things improve when you hit the motorway. It’s pretty comfortable once you start going faster, and the blind spot monitoring you get on Techno models compensates for the lack of over-the-shoulder visibility.

There’s not much in the way of wind noise, although you do get a bit of tyre roar if you go for the Esprit Alpine model thanks to its larger wheels. The engine noise can get intrusive as well. It sometimes feels like you’re cruising at 70mph in third gear, with the engine revving too high and creating a lot of noise. It’s a weird quirk of Renault’s hybrid automatic gearbox that the engine note can sometimes sound rather disconnected from what you’re actually doing with your right foot.

If you spend a lot of time on the motorway, you might fancy adaptive cruise control to automatically keep you a safe distance from the car in front. Well, this feature only comes on the top-spec Esprit Alpine models although all other versions do get standard cruise control.

On a twisty road

The Renault Arkana isn’t as sporty to drive on a twisty road as its coupe styling lets on. It feels secure and the steering is accurate enough, however it doesn’t really encourage you to push hard through the bends.

Switching into sport mode doesn’t help either. The steering becomes a bit heavier and the throttle response is improved, but ultimately the Ford Kuga is the SUV to buy if fun is at the top of your wish list

The suspension deals with uneven roads well enough, although you may find it a bit firm if comfort is your priority. You get quite a lot of engine noise through the cabin and it can feel slightly underpowered if you need to overtake a slower-moving vehicle.

The Arkana has a decent-sized boot and plenty of room up front, however, those in the back will be wanting more space

The Arkana has a decent-sized boot and plenty of room up front, however, those in the back will be wanting more space

There's plenty of space in the front of the Renault Arkana, with loads of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel to help you find your ideal driving position. That said, the very tallest drivers may wish for a touch more headroom.

The seats are supportive and comfortable enough, so tackling long slogs up the motorway is no bother at all, although you might struggle if you have long legs with a lack of thigh support.

There are plenty of places to keep your drinks on the go as well, with two useful cup holders in the centre console and door bins that are large enough to fit a big flask.

There’s also a handy tray in front of the gear lever with some USB charging ports for your mobile phone, as well as a small cubby under the armrest. The glovebox is a decent size, despite the fact that a chunk of it is taken up by the fuse box.

Space in the back seats

It’s once you step into the back that you notice the biggest drawback of that sloping roofline. Knee room is okay, although not as generous as the Peugeot 3008, but headroom is pretty limited.

Kids will be fine in the rear, and it’s easy to fit a child seat as well. The doors open nice and wide, and the ISOFIX anchor points are easily accessible, just try not to lose the removable plastic covers. Kids may also not like the high window ledges restricting their view out.

Adults won't be quite so comfortable. Tall people will struggle for headroom, made worse when you try to carry three people. There’s a hump in the floor as well, meaning you may have to deal with squabbles over foot space.

At least there is an armrest with a couple of handy cupholders, and the door bins are a good size as well. Those in the back are spoilt for choice with charging solutions as well, with two USB sockets and an old-fashioned 12-volt.

Boot space

The 480 litres of boot space you get in the Arkana is pretty average for a swoopy coupe SUV. It’s around nine litres more than you get in hybrid versions of the Peugeot 408, however it falls considerably short of the more traditionally-shaped Kia Sportage’s 526-litre capacity.

The load lip is quite high on the Arkana, so hauling heavy suitcases is a bit tricky. At least there’s no drop down into the boot so you can just slide items straight out, unless you drop the false floor to its lowest setting. If you leave the floor raised up then there’s a handy amount of space underneath for hiding things away.

When you fold the rear seats down they lay flat with no ridge, making the most of the 1,263 litres of space you’re left with. What’s not so good is the bulky load cover, which you can’t store in the car anywhere.

This boot is lacking in any clever features. There are no hooks for shopping bags, no tie downs and no 12-volt socket. You get a light and that’s your lot.

The Renault Arkana has a posh-feeling cabin with plenty of kit, it’s just not quite as snazzy to look at as some alternatives

The Renault Arkana has an impressively solid cabin that could easily go toe-to-toe with German alternatives such as the Volkswagen T-Roc. There are plenty of soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and doors, and all the switchgear feels solid and is nicely damped.

It’s not the most eye-catching cabin in this segment, that prize goes to the Peugeot 408, but there are still plenty of nice metallic flashes around and everything is logically laid out. There’s also ambient lighting throughout the cabin to lift things even further.

You get physical dials for the climate controls, which are a welcome addition in a world of fiddly touch screen-based systems. All models get a multifunction steering wheel, although you’ll have to go for the Esprit Alpine if you want to have it heated.

Entry-level cars get a small screen in front of the driver, whereas mid-spec cars and up get a larger 10.0-inch digital driver’s display. It’s pretty easy to read, however the displays aren’t as customisable as they are in a Kia Sportage.

The infotainment screen is the dominant feature of the cabin. As standard, you get a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All other models get an upgraded 9.3-inch screen with sat nav built in. It’s worth spending the extra for this bigger screen because the 7.0-inch one looks a bit puny.

The system is easy enough to use and the menus are all simple to navigate, however the Arkana doesn’t get the same clever Google-based software you have in more recent models. As a result, it’s not quite as slick to use.

The upgraded screen from Techno and Esprit Alpine models gets things like live traffic updates, meaning it can warn you of any upcoming jams and divert you around them. This works well enough, however, you’ll still be better off plugging your phone in and using Google Maps through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

There is just the one engine option for the Renault Arkana, a 1.6-litre E-Tech hybrid. There are no plug-in options to be found here, so company car buyers looking for the lowest tax rates will be better off going for something like a Citroen C5 X.

The 145hp E-Tech hybrid emits 107g/km of CO2, meaning it sits in one of the lower tax bands. Renault claims this model will return around 60mpg, however a week with the car in varied driving conditions saw us return 44mpg on average.

The E-Tech hybrid is economical enough for long-distance drivers, if you really want a diesel family car you’ll need to look at something like a Skoda Karoq.

The Renault Arkana scored the maximum five stars in its Euro NCAP crash test, meaning the structure is excellent at keeping you and your occupants safe if the worst should happen.

There’s plenty of safety kit on board as standard, including autonomous emergency braking, which can perform an emergency stop for you at low speeds if you don’t react in time, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, as well as the usual plethora of airbags.

All cars also get parking sensors and a reversing camera, while mid-spec models and up get rear cross-traffic alert and blindspot monitoring.

When the Arkana was new, all new Renault models were covered by a five-year warranty. This includes unlimited miles for the first two years, and then up to 100,000 miles thereafter, but this has since dropped to a three-year, 60,000 mile warranty. Check to see if any Arkana you’re thinking of buying is still covered by the original five-year warranty.

There are no reliability woes to report with the Arkana, although there was a recall at the beginning of 2022. There were 1,562 cars affected by this, and the issue relates to overheating of the electric power steering system. If you buy a Renault Arkana second-hand, check with your local dealer that the recall work has been done. If it hasn’t, the repairs won’t cost you anything.