THE Renault Arkana, a no-compromise, new generation SUV coupé, has arrived in Australia. Modern and innovative, its seductive design and streamlined silhouette combine with a purposeful SUV stance for greater road presence and enhanced practicality.
At the front, the grille is bordered by distinctive LED Pure Vision lighting and signature C-shaped LED daytime running lights, delivering an instantly recognisable profile. At the rear, sweeping taillights extend inwards to meet the Renault diamond.
The Arkana arrives in Australia with three variants; Zen, Intens (both available now) and R.S. Line (available from January next year), and a range of seven vibrant colours, including Zanzibar Blue and an exclusive R.S. Line colour, Valencia Orange.
Each variant comes standard with dual chrome exhaust tips, distinctive alloy wheel designs and, depending on the version, chrome, gloss black or gun-metal grey exterior accents. The top-of-the-range R.S. Line offers an even sportier look.
A gun-metal grey F1-style horizontal blade stretches the width of the front bumper and is off-set with a honeycomb grille and gun-metal skid plates. Chrome highlights are replaced with gloss black and gun-metal grey for a sportier, edgier appearance.
A fully-opening sunroof is optional on the Intens and standard on the R.S Line and both of these variants can also be specified with a contrasting black roof.
Inside, the Arkana doesn’t compromise sporty flair for comfort. As you’d expect from Renault, both driver and passengers are well catered for with premium leather and suede upholstery in the Intens and R.S. Line.
The driver and front passenger in these versions also enjoy electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated seats. The smart cockpit features Renault’s Easy Link system, accessed via a driver-focused floating 9.3-inch portrait or 7.0-inch landscape central touchscreen.
A fully-digital 10.25-inch instrument cluster is available as an option on Intens and R.S. Line, making for one of the largest display screen areas in the class.
The Arkana brings modernity to life with its impressive Arkamys Auditorium sound, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone replication, four USB ports, and wireless phone charging for the R.S. Line.
With its high centre console and over 26-litres of cabin storage, the Renault offers a spacious, relaxing interior for the driver and all passengers onboard. Climate-controlled air-conditioning, air purifier and rear air vents are standard across the range too.
Renault’s Arkana also gives maximum comfort to all passengers thanks to the angle of the rear seats, allowing plenty of legroom as well as generous space at the shoulder and ceiling height. Three adults can sit comfortably in the back.
Boot volume is an expansive 485-litres, even rivalling SUVs in larger segments, with a greater level of modularity thanks to the split-level floor, giving the choice of easy loading with the flat bottom, or maximising space with a deeper boot.
The Arkana arrives in Australia with the responsive 1.3-litre, turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine also found in Captur, but re-mapped to deliver power and torque at 115kW and 262Nm.
A 7-speed efficient dual clutch (EDC) gearbox allows for a smooth, responsive drive, while the aerodynamic design of the Arkana, paired with the engine, delivers impressive fuel consumption, just 6.0-litres/100km.
Renault’s renowned multi-sense system continues in Arkana on Intens and R.S. Line, with three customisable drive modes, and a choice of eight ambient lighting colours, allowing the driver to transform their driving experience.
Safety hasn’t been forgotten either, with active emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with stop/go, blind spot warning, easy park assist, and automatic high-low beam headlights.
These are all standard across the range, as is easy park assist, allowing for hands-free parking, as well as parking sensors in the front, rear, and side of the vehicle. Rear cross traffic alert comes standard on Intens and R.S. Line.
The Renault Arkana has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating and is backed by a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty, 5-years capped price servicing, and 5-years roadside assist when you service with an official Renault dealer.
The Arkana range starts with Zen at $33,990, followed by Intens at $37,490 and rounded out by the top-of-the-range R.S. Line at $40,990. All pries are plus on-roads.
