Renault’s new compact coupe-styled soft-roader is the first of a new wave of models. Will Austral be next?

“A GREAT option for those keen to move away from a small car and into the SUV space, but aren’t sure about making the full switch.”

That’s the pitch from Renault NZ’s general manager, Sam Waller, here in confirming his operation’s intent to sell the Arkana, a coupe-styled compact crossover set to site below the make’s strongest selling model here, the Koleos sports utility, and its budget baby, the Duster.

The model will avail in three 1.3-litre petrol front-drive variants, spanning two trim levels already familiar in the local brand lingo – Zen and Intens – plus a new configuration, R.S. Line, that lends a sporty ambience.

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

In each case that’s around $NZ5500 more than they cost in Australia, whose adoption of the same line-up was confirmed pre-Christmas. The R.S.Line sells for the equivalent of $NZ42,760 in Australia. There’s no information on when it’ll be available, but our neighbour’s first shipment was expected this month.

All are powered by a 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine making 115kW and 262Nm, this sent to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Standard equipment includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, black 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.

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 ANCAP safety rating.

The Intens adds a larger 9.3-inch central touchscreen, satellite navigation, a 7.0-inch driver display, 18-inch alloy wheels, leather and suede upholstery, rear cross-traffic alert, and electric front seats with heating and ventilation.

R.S. Line has all that and adds a sportier exterior styling with a unique front bumper and black and grey trim. The interior features 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.

Combined claimed fuel economy is rated at 6.0 litres per 100 kilometres. Intens and R-Line have Eco, Sport and My Sense drive modes.

In Europe Arkana also comes with a hybrid drivetrain comprising a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors and a 1.2kWh battery pack, for a combined output of 106kW. The extra electrical assistance also improves the SUV’s fuel economy up to a claimed 4.9 litres per 100km.

Arkana is built on the CMF-B platform that the Clio and Captur base on and it shares elements of both of those cars’ designs. The front end features the same C-shaped daytime running lights and radiator grille as the Clio, while the SUV’s glasshouse and ride height bear resemblance to the Captur.

The Arkana’s boot has a capacity of 513 litres and Renault has also added a couple of practicality tweaks, such as a flat-folding rear bench seat, a 360-degree parking camera and large front door pockets which can accommodate 1.5-litre water bottles.

Does Arkana’s arrival make for a full house in the Renault SUV suite here?

Perhaps not.

Renault has decided to pretty much forgo trad hatches and sedans now; the future is purely shaped like an SUV. And more are in the pipeline.

Also therefore worth bearing in mind is Austral (above), a more orthodox-looking elevated five-door that is intended as full-blown replacement for the now-defunct Kadjar, which occupied some of the space Arkana occupies.

The Austral could be said to be born for this part of the world, simply because its name is from the Latin word ‘australis’, meaning ‘of the south’. It has yet to be properly launched, but that’s not too far away; overseas’ report generally concur on mid 2022 sounding about right. Renault has been pumping up interest by releasing images of the car in camouflage undergoing its final testing.

Austral shares its underpinnings with the new Nissan Qashqai, also impending here (and the already-landed Mitsubishi Outlander), using the CMF-C platform as part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.

There’s expectation that could mean a bigger size: the third-generation Qashqai has grown to 4510mm in length – 61mm longer than the Kadjar – giving greater interior space for occupants.

The more interesting aspect about Austral is that it will only be availed with mild hybrid powertrains. Renault has so far cited 1.2-litre and 1.3-litre units, but has suggested there will be more engines on offer.

Styling cues seem to draw from the recently-unveiled Renault Megane E-Tech, which is also now going into an SUV shape and will run a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.