Renault Arkana For Europe Unveiled, Goes On Sale In 2021

First shown in August 2018 as a showcar, the Renault Arkana is finally going on sale in Europe very soon. The mainstream coupe-crossover has been around on the Russian market since May last year and will be available on selected markets on the Old continent starting from the first quarter of next year.

There are a number of very significant differences between the Russia-spec model and the new Euro-spec Arkana. First, the latter gets a more refined appearance mainly thanks to a new RS-Line package, as well as a wider range of personalization options courtesy of the new Color package.

In addition, the interior is also much more classy and gets a vertical tablet-style screen for the infotainment system, as well as a fully digital instrument cluster in 4.2-, 7- or 10.2-inch versions depending on the trim. Despite its coupe-SUV shape, the Arkana offers a generous boot space of 18.1 cubic feet (513 liters) for the non-hybrid variants.

But that's not all. While the Arkana for Russia is powered by a 1.3-liter turbo gas engine, the Euro-spec model benefits from Renault's latest hybridized powertrains. These include 140-horsepower (104-kilowatt) and 160-hp (119-kW) mild-hybrid versions of the 1.3 TCe engine, paired to a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, plus the E-Tech Hybrid 140 that's already available in the Clio, Captur, and Megane. The French automaker says the latter is a new system that "has been the subject of more than 150 patents and is based on the Group's experience in electric vehicles and F1."

"Arkana is another example of how modernity and innovation are rooted in Renault's DNA," François Laurent, Arkana Program Director, comments. "It is a hybrid on all levels, and perfectly blends the codes of the coupe and the SUV, combining responsiveness with versatility. It brings a fresh impetus to the mainstream compact SUV segment which is core to the European market."