VIVE LA DIFFERENCE

Renault’sRe latest arrival oozes character, blendingb a svelte silhouette with the practicality of a softroader

You could argue that coupe-inspired SUVS are counter-intuitive. On paper, it doesn’t make much sense to take a practical wagon and shave off some of its roof but luxury brands have found there are plenty of buyers who are willing to sacrifice some cabin space to dial up the X factor. Now Renault wants in on the action with its Arkana.

Described as a “no-compromise, new generation SUV coupe”, the Arkana is like a fastback sedan jacked up on its suspension, with some off-roader styling cues.

It’s slightly smaller than the brand’s

Koleos SUV, which competes with popular midsized SUVS such as the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5.

The boot looks shallow in its regular configuration but remove the false floor and there’s decent space available.

Renault sees the Arkana competing with compact SUVS such as the Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-30 and Volkswagen T-roc, but the brand also wants to pinch customers from premium small SUVS such as the Audi Q3 Sportback and BMW X2.

The entry-level Zen model starts at about $37,500 drive-away with 17-inch alloys, four USB ports, a heated steering wheel, imitation leather, adaptive cruise control and a 7.0-inch touchscreen compatible with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Safety gear encompasses traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot warning and auto braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

At about $41,000 the Intens adds rear crosstraffic alert, satnav, ambient lighting, suede and real leather, heated and ventilated front seats and 18-inch wheels. The touchscreen also grows to 9.3 inches in a portrait configuration. Early next year there will be an RS Line for about $44,750 that has a sunroof, wireless phone charger and styling enhancements including fake carbon fibre trim, grey exterior highlights and a different lower front bumper.

From behind the wheel there’s a passenger car flavour courtesy of the low-ish roof and slim back window that limits vision.

The front seats are comfy and there’s ample storage for phones and gadgets.

Adults will have to compromise on headroom in the rear, while little ones may have to strain their necks to see out of the highset windows.

The silver-flecked dash adds a dash of fashion, although plastics lack the quality look and feel of a Mazda or Volkswagen.

There are ergonomic quirks, too. The two heated/ventilated seat switches don’t turn them on; they only open a menu, then you activate either of the front seats and decide between heat and cool. It’s a clunky touchscreen solution that isn’t as simple as physical buttons.

On Intens and RS Line models, you can choose between Eco, which dulls responses in the quest for efficiency, or Sport, which holds revs longer, increases throttle sensitivity and adds weight to the steering.

There’s also a My Sense mode to tailor the steering, ambient lighting and optional ($800) digital instrument cluster.

A diminutive 1.3-litre four-cylinder muscles up with 115kw and 262Nm courtesy of a turbo.

There’s decent mid-rev flexibility that easily keeps things bubbling along and the sevenspeed twin-clutch auto is a slick, smooth shifter. Claimed consumption is a frugal 6.0L/100km.

However, the transmission is occasionally lazy and inconsistent on takeoffs, not helped by the auto brake hold function, which takes a moment to release. Buyers will be tempted to switch that off.

While the steering is crisp around town, the SUV ride height – and associated higher centre of gravity – has the Arkana leaning on its nose once you dial up the tempo.

Suspension is generally well controlled but can be clumsy over bumps.

Feeding on power out of a tight corner can result in the wheel tugging as it tries to track tighter into the bend.

Overall the Arkana is an acquired taste with the occasional compromise – a case of style winning over substance.