Introduction
Having been an AA patrol for many years, and in the motor trade for most of my working life, I’ve always had mixed feelings about Renaults.
Renault was building cars before the AA existed and is one of the longest established car manufacturers in the world. As young men, my friend and I drove around town in an old Renault 4. Later I had a Renault 5 Gordini (alas not the famous turbo model) and I’ve had Renault 5 GT Turbo’s, 21 Turbo’s to name a few. I’ve always had a strong respect for the brand, but like many patrols, often found working on them a bit of a struggle.
Key Card
Fast forward thirty odd years, and here I am holding what looks suspiciously like an early 2000’s key card, for Renault’s very latest hi-tech SUV. The infamous Renault key card was introduced in 2001, and it wasn’t long before its shortcomings became a familiar issue with AA patrols. The card would go into a slot on the dashboard and the vehicle ignition would, or at least should, come on. Unfortunately, the dreaded words “card not detected” would sometimes pop up on the display and inevitably the AA would attend. We have a database chock full of hints and tips on the problem so, more often than not, we’d be able to get the member going again.
Thankfully my initial fears quickly abated as I approached the bright orange Renault, and it sprang into life. The mirrors unfolded and the daytime running lights (DRLs) came on, and on entering the roomy interior, I was pleased not to be confronted with the dreaded key slot. Instead, there’s a handy little cubby in the centre console where you can store the key. This is a nice touch. I have had cars in the past where the ‘unlock on approach’ setting is disabled (as many people prefer) and there is nowhere convenient to stow the key. So, you have the key in hand to unlock, but upon entry to the car, there’s nowhere to put it. Very awkward.
Orange
The Arkana is a big car. The one I tested was ‘Valencia Orange’, which is exclusive to the R. S. Line. Despite to it’s nod to the competition, this is a stunning colour and in the bright spring sunshine, it really showed off the Arkana’s curvy coupe style body shape. To my taste, this is one of the best-looking cars Renault has produced for a long time. Despite its formidable size, it manages to look sleek and sporty. The R. S. Line has 18 inch alloy wheels, with a red flash on one spoke of each. At the rear, there is a single light bar across the boot, split only by the iconic Renault diamond, and the front ‘C’ shaped DRL’s are reminiscent of a McLaren supercar. Again, the diamond badge is a prominent feature, sitting high on the grille and forming into the front edge of the bonnet, tying into the centre swage lines which sweep up towards the screen. The Arkana looks solid and purposeful, without looking aggressive.
Inside
The interior is no disappointment either. Renault has utilised a plethora of materials, lighting, and colours. The seats and door cards have a combination of leather and fabric, with bright red stitching. Carbon fibre adorns the dash and the brushed aluminium trims around the gearshift, switches and steering wheel all go to give the car a real quality look and feel. The R. S. has alloy foot pedals too - very sporty!
The infotainment screen in the centre of the dash is large, but not so big as to dominate the entire eyeline and take focus away from what is a well-designed and superbly executed cabin layout. The rear passenger area is equally luxuriant with the red accent on the seatbelts and carbon fibre and alloy on the doors. There’s plenty of room in the back too. At over 6ft, I had no headroom issues, despite the sweeping coupe style roofline and legroom was plentiful.
Hybrid
The Arkana now comes with only one power train option, the E-Tech 145 full-hybrid (The 1.3 mild hybrid option has been discontinued, but older stock was still available as new at the time of writing). This is a 1.6 litre, four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor. There is no plug-in option, so it’s a ‘self-charging’ hybrid. The performance isn’t world beating by any measure, but it’s adequate. Producing 143bhp with plenty of additional torque from the electric motor.
What I liked was the initial get up and go. Being hybrid electric, the big Renault pulls away on the electric motor. This gives instant torque and so while the overall 0-62mph (0-100 kmph) is over ten seconds, the 0-30mph feels very quick. However, the six-speed auto gearbox isn’t the smoothest and the transition between electric and petrol power fairly is noticeable, as is the sound of the petrol engine when it kicks in.
Ride
The ride is also a bit of a let-down. I don’t think the big 18” wheels do it any favours here, and on our potholed UK roads, I found myself swerving regularly to avoid the rough spots as you can really feel them in this car. The handling is not particularly exciting. Despite the hard ride, the big Renault manages to feel a bit wallowy and cumbersome.
Conclusion
All in all, even with some relatively minor driveability issues, I liked the Arkana. The styling, interior design, and host of tech and safety features all make for a good car. In this day and age, I don’t think it’s necessary to have a car that handles like it’s on rails, so to me it’s not really an issue.
My biggest criticism would be the ride, and this might well be less of an issue on differently spec’d models with smaller 17” wheels. But what really makes this car attractive is the price. Starting at around £28k, it’s a lot of car for the money and if I was in the market for a new SUV, I’d definitely be having another look at it.