Review: Renault Arkana Iconic TCE 140 (2022 to 2025)

As tested: €28,990

The Renault Arkana has lived a tough life. Initially, it began its life in the Russian market in 2019, on a completely different chassis, being a completely different length, with a different powertrain. Due to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the European sanctions that have come with it, the Arkana has shifted its production, market and distribution to the rest of the world.

With this storied past, has the Arkana still got what it takes to take on the heavy hitters of the western market, or does its muddy history show through to its driving experience?

The Looks

The Arkana attempts to bring the luxury “SUV Coupe” designs, such as the BMW X6 or Mercedes GLE-Coupe to the mass market. Its front-end styling features the mammoth tusk style DRL’s that was shared with the Renault Range at its release and makes for an aggressive and sharp look. As you move around the sides and to the back, the Arkana’s swooping rear end differentiates itself from a lot of the other crossovers on the market today, with the small tail spoiler adding to the look. In this “Iconic” trim, the Arkana does look a bit plain but the “R.S line” and the later released “Alpine” trimmed versions really bring out the most of the design, giving the Arkana a sporty appearance.

One slight against the Arkana is that it is currently the oldest model in the Renault range, with all other models being updated or new designs completely, and while the Arkana doesn’t look old, it features the previous generation of the Renault design language.

Another criticism is I have spoken to multiple people that all agree that the Arkana should be bigger, and that capping it to basically being a “Captur Coupe” hurt its market appeal. Because of this the Arkana plays in no man’s land between the smaller crossovers, such as the Renault Captur or VW T-Cross, and the larger ones such as the Nissan Quashqui or Ford Kuga. Renault remedied this mistake with the newer Renault Rafele, another SUV coupe, and then proceeded to shoot themselves in the foot by making it the most expensive Renault currently on sale, at over €50,000. For this reason and thanks to its pricing, the Arkana pitch’s itself as a “large” small crossover, if such a thing exists.

The Interior

 Adding to the “Captur Coupe” theme, the Arkana’s interior is practically identical to that model, and as such shares the same strengths and weaknesses. Overall, it is solidly built, with little creaks or rattles with my only complaint being the piano key style switches, that feel cheap, hollow and flimsy. The 7-inch infotainment system is easy to navigate, with higher trimmed cars getting access to a large portrait style screen. The driving aid systems are run of the mill and can be easily muted within the infotainment. The backseats are not cramped or claustrophobic like the sloping roof line would have you believe, a testament to the extra length the Arkana has over the Captur. The rear hatch allows for a huge opening to put awkward objects into the boot, and the low load lip makes it easy to take them out again.

Sadly, I think the exterior promises a cheque that the interior can’t cash. While it is well built and is a simple design to use, it could come across as boring to some buyers.

The Drive

This is where the Arkana begins to deviate from its Captur roots, offering only the more powerful 1.3 TCE turbo-charged four-cylinder engine paired to a 7-speed automatic transmission. It makes 140hp, 260nm of torque and propels the Arkana to 100kph in 9.8 seconds. The Arkana claims to be a “sporty crossover”, but what that means in the real world is it has a harsh ride tied to an almost 10 second 0-100kph time. The feeling of rough roads and potholes are sent directly up your spine. This would more acceptable if the Arkana could back up the sporty claims with its steering, like models from Seat or Cupra, but it doesn’t. It is a little heavier than rivals but gives no feel or confidence. Coming at a corner with any speed is met with the feeling that you are sitting on the Arkana rather than in it. The transmission is a bit dim witted at slow speeds, holding onto gears for too long, but it responds to the paddle shifts quickly and the shifts themselves are rapid. The petrol powered Arkana also features freewheeling technology, where the car will decouple the drivetrain when coasting and, if left coasting long enough, will turn the engine off. When you press the brake or accelerator it will re-engage the engine. This isn’t a unique feature, the Audi A6 I reviewed late last year also has this, but the Arkana has the most aggressive version I have seen and has an icon in the gauge cluster to show when it is freewheeling. I found myself making a game out of it, seeing how long I could freewheel before using the engine. It stays out of your way higher speed but can get confused in low-speed traffic, constantly cutting in and out.

The takeaway from all this is that the Arkana is compromised to drive. A stiff ride, numb and heavy steering, and a gearbox that gets confused at low speeds.

The Verdict

Just like the Nissan Juke I reviewed previously reviewed, the Arkana has suffered from issues that were out of its control. Unlike the Nissan, the Arkana is not a car I want to like. Yes, it is larger than its competitors but it’s firm and clunky driving experience, drab interior and last generation looks leads to it being a big letdown.