This crossover coupe delivers a previously premium sector profile to a more accessible price level.

SENSING some years ago the wind of change was against regular hatchbacks and sedans, Renault made a big decision to concentrate much more on crossovers and sports utilities.

And boy, did it take the job seriously. Moreso than Kiwis might realise.

In this market, the brand has been engaging mainly with the medium-large Koleos, a four-wheel-drive SUV. Now it has a smaller sibling, in the more intriguing shape of a crossover coupe, called Arkana.

That makes two. There are more. Some of which we could well experience. One day. Thanks to global circumstances, ‘when’ is the big imponderable.

Original planning was that the Arkana would sit below Koleos – which it does – but above the budget spend Duster, also solely front-drive but more conventional in shape.

It would have done, had Duster been kept. However, after barely a year in the market, the cheapie that was taken from the group’s Romanian Dacia franchise and rebadged as a Renault has gone.

Renault NZ has not shared the circumstances leading to that, but conceivably it might come back to the issue all European brands are tackling at the moment. Simply put, a myriad of mainly coronavirus-related complexities, and now the war in Ukraine, has not made it any easier to secure cars from Western Europe.

Were that not the case, we would have by now had another Renault crossover here, the Captur, which has styling similarity to Arkana and sits atop the same underpinning, but is smaller.

Renault NZ would also, in all likelihood, be far more certain in its plans for the Megane E-Tech, an intensively electric brand-new model – it’s only in full electric and plug-in hybrid – right-hand drive versions of which are about to roll off an assembly line in France.

Further, the local office might also be keener to discuss potentials for the Austral, which is conceivably a replacement for Koleos. Also built in Europe, and basing off the same platform that underpins the latest Mitsubishi Outlander and also a new-generation Nissan Qashqai coming to NZ before year-end, Austral also configures purely with a hybrid drivetrain.

One day, perhaps ….

All this means that, in the here and now, Renault is represented by just three car types: Arkana, Koleos and the Megane RS. The latter stands out for being very niche and, also, the only car secured from France.

At this point it’s perhaps worth mentioning that the name Arkana derives from a Latin word, arcanum, meaning ‘secrets’ or ‘mysteries.’

Presumption is that this was Renault determining to make a ‘thing’ about the car being unlike anything else, thanks to its styling. If that’s the case then it’s a cheeky bit of crock, monsieur.

Coupe crossovers aren’t prolific, but this isn’t the first to roam the streetscape; others have been around for years. In larger scale, there are the BMW X6 and Mercedes Benz GLE and GLC coupes. In virtually dead-ringer dimension to the Arkana, there’s the BMW X4.

Still, those are emphatically premium sector cars, with price tags to match. With Renault, you get the look, but don’t have to pay top-end dollars. And it certainly is going to draw attention.

Before getting into that, let’s agree any real arcanum perhaps comes from the background. A small print ‘did you know’ is that, like Koleos, it’s from Renault-Samsung, of Busan, South Korea (it’s sold there as the Samsung XM3).

Another pub quiz tidbit is that this Arkana is a Mark 2. The first was a car purely built in, and for Russia, in a factory that’s quit making Renaults just at the moment. For, erm, political reasons. By chance, the plant’s handover to Moscow authorities to look after ‘for the time being’ was confirmed on the very day of this first drive.

The fact that this is a ‘Special K’ Renault is nothing to worry about. The design and engineering was wholly undertaken in France. Everything about the car evidences as utterly European, moreso than is the case with Koleos. If anything, it benefits in two respects.

First, there’s the build quality – nothing against the workmanship from the factories in which French is the primary language, but South Korean producers are really very, very committed to being considered the world’s best. Aside from evidencing a very occasional, and slight, rattle from the base of the dashboard, the Arkana Intens I drove was a brilliant example of quality. Seamless paint, perfect shutlines.

The other plus of sourcing from the top of the Pacific means is that there’s far more certainty in supply. Renault NZ will not share volume predictions, but seems confident it can get as many cars from Busan as it needs, when it needs them. Fingers’ crossed.

Renault NZ’s market share has risen, but with just 620 vehicles (vans included) sold in 2021 it’s still obviously small fry and the business environment remains challenging for all distributors with the world in such turmoil, local boss Sam Waller says.

“The industry has faced it for the last 18 months, and we will continue. It’s no different to what we’re seeing with electronics in stores, or in your hardware stores, where stock is missing from shelves.

“We just need to ensure we bring as many vehicles into the country as we can.”

That’s a reassurance. The Arkana also sells itself in conceivably being the right car, in the ‘right’ sector, at the ‘right’ price, that is potentially aiming at the ‘right’ people.

SUVs and crossovers are the ‘happening’ product of the moment. Any that are pitching, as this does, specifically to those keen to move away from a small car and into the SUV space, but aren’t sure about making the full switch, and also want something a bit flairful, are surely set to do well.

In respect to the design, any potential confusion with the more premium German coupe crossovers will do this one no harm. It’s a great looking car, even though brand-spotters will need to start at the front to confirm its provenance, as this is the most identifiable aspect of the design that follows the Renault look.

At a mid-run stop at Pelorus Bridge cafe, the Intens I was driving attracted the attention of a passing couple. They were well-versed in what Renault was up to; they’d actually been hanging onto their Skoda in hope of securing the Captur. On strength of nothing more than a quick look at the Arkana, they wondered if it might be a better choice. If that’s all it takes, then the country’s 15 dealers are going to be busy.

The two trim levels Arkana kicks off in are already familiar in the local brand lingo. In time the entry Zen and $5000-dearer Intens will be joined by an R.S. Line that lends a sporty ambience. One day there will be a hybrid.

The petrol pure variants are powered by a 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 115kW and 262Nm (the hybrid is a 1.6), power sent to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. There is no all-wheel-drive variant.

Only Zen and Intens have so far been priced; these stickering at $39,990 and $44,990 respectively.

Thought from the distributor that the dearer will get most attention seems logical. Though Zen is equally sharp in appearance and likely delivers an identical driving feel, the more expensive package is simply better loaded.

Not least for technology, with a bigger and better centre screen, superior instrument display and some driver assists lacking the base car.

Presented in portrait-style and positioned up high, the larger screen fits more naturally into the cockpit’s overall thematic. It is much slicker to use than the previous generation of Renault software. There are two USB charge ports in the front as well, surprisingly in the older type A rather than in-vogue type C format.

Driving through Marlborough, including a run around the relatively recently reopened but still under-repair (from storm damage) Queen Charlotte Drive between Havelock and Picton, highlighted that the drivetrain and platform have been engineered to present an air of perky playfulness.

Sure, it’s very much a dilution of the hard-out sportiness that comes with the make’s RS product. The factory-cited 0-100kmh time of 9.1 seconds being one unavoidable reality check. Yet the car has decent dynamic tuning. The CMF-B platform is tight and suspension feel here is to expected European settings, plus the engine is emphatically enthusiastic.

With Intens there are three drive modes to choose from – Eco, Sport and MySense – and all discernibly alter drivetrain and steering characteristics.

Unsurprisingly, Sport’s the one for free spirits. It emphatically sharpens throttle response and allows the engine to rev out a far more freely under acceleration; perhaps a bit too much in urban driving, but perfect for winding roads.

Eco is a good go-to for urban dawdling and is clearly the one in which you have best chance of achieving the cited 6.1 litres’ per 100km economy, but otherwise dulls everything down to a level you probably don’t want to spend too long in. Plus, curiously, the steering also gains some subtle but noticeable heft.

MySense is simply Renault-speak for normal driving settings with options to customise steering and the digital instrument cluster. It’s the default setting.

The cabin’s cosiness becomes evident enough with four adults aboard. The rear seat is comfy but limited headroom is an unavoidable with this roof line; basically anyone over 180 centimetres needs to nab a front seat and those with long legs will find limited kneeroom.

Notwithstanding that, the design creativity to maximise the interior space is very good; it has an impressively deep glovebox and all sorts of different-sized pockets. The boot has a capacity of 485 litres, which expands to 1268L with the second row folded away in 60:40 split-fold fashion.

There is a decent-sized recess under the boot floor that's capable of hiding away plenty of stuff, should you need to.

The all-out intent to deliver a design alliance with the Clio and Captur evidences well beyond commonality in their signature C-shaped daytime running lights and a chic slash of LED lighting across the rear.

One reason why we bought into a Scenic years ago was the Renault-isms. That tradition maintains in the Arkana. The credit card-style key has been a brand thing for donkey’s, and while it’s still too chubby to fit into a wallet, it’s cool this one has a purpose-designed centre console cubby in which to locate it when driving. Another historic feature is that the doors have holders for 1.5 litre bottles. The settings sub-menu revealing an ability to control indicator volume is a new one and, again, a nice touch.

The key works in proximity, unlocking the Arkana as you approach, locking it again as you walk away, all without touching the key itself.

Standard equipment includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, leatherette upholstery, LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and start, climate control, and front, side and rear parking sensors.

The Intens upshifts to a 9.3-inch central touchscreen, with an inbuilt satellite navigation that evidenced an intriguing quirk – in seeking a best route to Blenheim airport, I entered a ‘transport options’ menu and was presented with a list of local churches - a 7.0-inch driver display, 18-inch alloys, leather and suede upholstery, rear cross-traffic alert, electric front seats with heating and ventilation and a heated steering wheel.

R.S. Line has all that and adds a sportier exterior styling with a unique front bumper and black and grey trim. The interior has dedicated leather and suede upholstery with red stitching, red-striped seat belts, a perforated leather steering wheel, carbon-effect trim for the dashboard, aluminium pedals and a frameless rear-view mirror.

It also includes wireless smartphone charging, unique 18-inch wheels with red accents, a sunroof, black leather and suede upholstery with red stitching, and rear privacy glass.

Active safety aids include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind-spot monitoring, traffic-sign recognition and Easy Park Assist. The car has a five-star Euro NCAP/ ANCAP safety rating.

Arkana arrives with a five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded in 2021 based on Euro NCAP's 2019 protocols. It scored highly in adult and child occupant protection and did well in vulnerable road user protection and decently for safety assist systems.

This car is clearly important to Renault NZ. Captur, Megane e-Tech and Austral would be, too. The last looks born for this part of the world, simply because its name is from the Latin word ‘australis’, meaning ‘of the south’.