Style, space and pace
The new Renault Arkana somewhat wrongfooted me. True, on first encounter, I was in a rush and didn’t take it all in. For some reason I first saw the car as a sporty coupe, judging by flowing lines and fastback rear. Only when standing back and viewing the full profile did I realise the extent to which it’s jacked up and riding on large, 18 in Pasadena diamondcut alloy wheels. Very SUV like.
Then it made sense. That’s because the car is Renault’s first purpose-built hybrid and the French giant’s first SUV with coupe styling.
So the Arkana really is a crossover whose shape shifts depending on the angle from which you view it.
I was driving the electrified S-edition e-Tech hybrid 145 Auto, which marries a 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor to a six-speed automatic gearbox. The 145 hp of pulling power can still return up to 58.9mpg but just 108g/km CO2 emissions.
My fully-stocked car starts at £28,600 and had extras that bumped it up to £29,800, including fetching Zanzibar Blue metallic paint (£650), a black roof (£300) and a space-saver spare wheel (£250).
The full hybrid is priced from £26,300 for the base-level Iconic to £30,900 for the sporty toprange RS Line.
But there’s lots of safety and driver assistance kit, including anti-lock and active emergency braking, hill-start assist and electronic stability control.
The interior trim includes black fabric, synthetic leather upholstery, manually adjustable driver and passenger seats, tinted rear windows and a 7in driver information display.
On a couple of long cruises, it was engaging and relaxing, with rest to 62 mph taking 10.8 seconds and a top speed of 107 mph.
The car starts every time in zero-emissions electric mode and the hybrid system prioritises electric power over petrol.
There are three driving modes and the infotainment system includes a 9.3 in touchscreen. Load-lugging owners will enjoy up to 513 litres of boot space.