Subtly tweaked Renault Arkana debuts with reworked spec

Originally earmarked as a Russian-market exclusive when it premiered in 2018, Renault has given its very much world-focused Arkana a first-time mid-life refresh.

The changes

The French brand’s first coupe-styled SUV that become the second following the unveiling last month of the step-down Rafale, the Arkana, of which 240 000 units have been sold globally so far, remains dimensionally unaltered with an overall length of 4 568 mm, wheelbase of 2 720 mm and width of 1 820 mm.

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Standing 1 571 mm tall and offering between 513 and 1 269-litres of boot space, the Arkana’s exterior adaptions amount to Renault’s new diamond corporate logo, gloss black bar between the headlights and black, satin chrome or dark chrome accents depending on the trim level.

Goodbye RS, hello Alpine

Debuting as new flagship derivative, the Esprit Alpine replaces the previous R.S Line atop a reduced line-up comprising the Evolution as base model and the Techno as the mid-range derivative.

Aimed at being sporty and luxurious at the same time, the Esprit Alpine’s unique add-ons comprise black 19-inch alloy wheels, gloss black detailing on the front wings, Shale Grey badging, a sportier roof spoiler and a Satin Grey finish for the front bumper blade.

Inside

Inside, Renault has been even more discreet by adding the French tricolour in the form of stitching on the doors and integrating satellite navigation within the seven-inch R-Link touchscreen infotainment that comes standard on the Evolution.

The base model still makes do though with a 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster though, which becomes a seven-inch on the Techno and the flagship 10-inch on the Esprit Alpine.

Standard on the latter pair is the 9.3-inch R-Link that sports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto like the seven-inch.

For the Esprit Alpine, blue stitching adorns the seats and the front headrests the Alpine logo, rounded off by blue embroidery work on the seatbelts and a material called Eco Tep made-out of 10% recycled fabrics.

Up front

While unchanged underneath, up front, Renault has dropped all the engine options offered in Russia, along with the six-speed manual gearbox and CVT.

Remaining therefore is the Daimler co-developed 1.3-litre turbo-petrol in two states of tune; 103kW/260Nm and 116kW/270Nm, and the 1.6-litre E-Tech hybrid that produces a combined 105 kW and not 103 kW as previously reported.

On all, drive is routed to the front wheels through a seven-speed EDC on the petrol and the unique multi-mode transmission on the E-Tech that combines a four-speed automatic with a pair of electric motors and a dog ring instead of a clutch for an effective six-speed ‘box.

In terms of performance, both petrols will do 174 km/h, although the latter gets there in 9.1 seconds versus the former’s 9.8 seconds.

As for the hybrid, whose boot space ranges from 480-litres to 1 263-litres as a result of the electric motor and 1.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, Renault claims a top speed of 172 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 10.8 seconds.

Not yet here

Set to go on-sale in Europe before the end of this year, the Arkana did receive approval from Renault South Africa for introduction this year and is thus expected to become a reality before the end of 2024.

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