Verdict
The Renault Arkana is a stylish car made to a decent standard that also offers reasonable value, thanks to its strong equipment levels. But while you do get a lot of car for your money, we’d suggest that you check out some of the Renault’s rivals before taking the plunge. The hybrid powertrain can be disappointing, although if your journeys are largely in an urban environment or in stop-start traffic, it might be a decent choice because it’s frugal and easy to drive. Its tech is easy to get on with, too, plus Renault didn’t hold back when it came to fitting safety kit.
There was a time when Renault offered a wide array of cars within its model range, encompassing saloons, estates, convertibles and MPVs, with the odd crossover thrown in for good measure.
But check out the company’s website these days and its line-up is essentially a series of SUVs, including the mid-sized Symbioz, Austral and Rafale, along with the Scenic and small Captur. One model that isn’t listed is the Arkana, which arrived in the UK four years ago and was quietly dropped earlier this year.
With its coupé-like silhouette and usually hybrid powertrains, we didn’t warm to the Arkana when new – but does it fare better as a used buy?
History
The Arkana went on sale in the UK in May 2021. It came with a choice of two powertrains: a turbocharged 1.3-litre petrol engine (the TCe 140) or a 1.6-litre petrol with hybrid tech (the E-Tech Hybrid 145). In summer 2022, Renault revised the trim line-up, from Iconic, S Edition and RS Line, to Evolution, Techno, RS Line and E-Tech Engineered. A range-topping Esprit Alpine specification was added in August 2023, which is also when the TCe 140 engine was dropped, leaving only the E-Tech hybrid model. Renault claimed that the Arkana was facelifted at the same time, but you’d be hard pressed to spot any significant changes inside or out.
On the road
The Arkana doesn’t acquit itself all that admirably when it comes to driving pleasure. While it’s competent enough, there’s not much in the way of enjoyment to be had because the steering lacks feel and the engine is short of power, so the revs soar when you ask for some swift acceleration.
Ride comfort isn’t bad because the suspension is reasonably supple, but this means that on poorly surfaced roads the Arkana lacks composure and things can feel rather bouncy. As if all this isn’t enough, refinement is disappointing, with rather too much road and wind noise.
Which one should I buy?
The hybrid system isn’t as slick as you might hope, and as a result the driving experience is compromised, so for that reason you might want to home in on a TCe 140. But the E-Tech hybrid is much more readily available and it’s also usefully more economical.
