Louth Motoring: The Renault Arkana - Change, what change?

Car companies love to blast All-New across any publicity associated with one of their models. Renault has resisted this and just gone with the New Arkana, and I can see why.

The changes are not what you’d call radical, major, or significant. In fact, other than to display their new logo you’d wonder why they drew any attention to it at all.

The new logo is a double diamond affair, and it would be safe to say Renault has extracted as much from this logo as possible. There are diamonds everywhere on the new Arkana.

They are now in the front grille, the F1 blade below it and incorporated inside the lights. At the back the lights are the exact same shape but this time they are clear rather than the red of old and they have blackened the exhaust instead of the chrome / silver of the older model.

None of the metal has changed either and with good reason. Reason one is expense, but reason two is more important.

The Arkana is a really good-looking car. As sporty coupe crossovers go it is one of the best of them. Not as attractive as the, ahem, Citroen C4, which Mrs. W chose over the Arkana last time we changed our car. I’d like to say it was a well thought out and researched exercise that was done to allow the right decision to be made but it wasn’t.

It was a far simpler choice and it boiled down to trying a Citroen because we had a Renault before.

All that market research money spent that had no effect on swaying Mrs. W towards the Renault. The original BMW X4 must have been the inspiration for the Arkana as it always reminds me of it, and I really like the look of the X4.

If there wasn’t a fortune spent on the outside in terms of changes then it must have been spent on the inside, yes?

Correct, the inside is much more premium than before and not only looks it but feels it. The seats used to be leather with Alcantara whereas now they are Alcantara with leather bits.

You get signature Alpine blue stitching and the whole effect is much more harmonious and cohesive.

The dash has been changed from gloss to matt and you can’t help wondering what is the best way to do this seeing as designers flip-flop so often.

In the tom-a-toe v toe may toe I’d be a matt finish fan myself. The steering wheel is still leather this time with blue, red and white stitching signalling clearly where this car is from.

The controls and infotainment are no different from the previous model, but I am sure there is something done that will allow Renault claim something is new.

Not that they need to as the layout of displays and controls etc. is very good. I never noticed until my wife was in the car that there is no separate climate control for the passenger side of the car. It’s a one setting fits all which is not something I was expecting.

Space in the back is the same as the previous model because they haven’t changed the metal dimensions / design with the only gripe being it could do with some more headroom.

Passengers are well catered for with two USB ports, a 12V socket and dual air vents. The middle seat has a drop-down armrest that contains two cupholders. The boot size is 480 litres.

My car was an espirit Alpine version which is the trim level that replaces the RS Line and aligns with the other models that got the new logo before they set about doing the same to the Arkana.

Fitted as standard is the like of wireless phone charger, 19” esprit Alpine alloy wheels, heated power adjustable front seats with lumbar adjustment on the driver’s side, heated steering wheel and smartphone replication with apple carplay/android auto.

There are two other trim levels with pricing starting from €32,590 for the all petrol Evolution model. I had the full 145hp hybrid model, €41,515, and the claims are that in urban driving you’ll be using electric power for up to 80% of your journey time delivering a 40% fuel saving. These claims are always hard to replicate or prove, but all I can report is that for a mixture of my driving I managed 6.2l/100kms.

The drive in the Arkana is smooth and comfortable. Being a hybrid there is a B mode that acts as a brake when you take your foot off the accelerator slowing the car down.

It’s close to one foot driving and after a while it becomes the drive selection of choice to save your brake pads and recover some regenerated energy for the battery.

At motorways speeds the car is stable and secure with only a bit of wind noise coming from the area around the wing mirrors. You only become aware of any engine noise when you accelerate to overtake.

The Arkana hasn’t changed, it’s been updated with the latest logo and software.

It hasn’t changed much because it didn’t need to and will remain Renault’s best-selling car here in Ireland and one of just 36 cars that sold more than 1,000 units last year.

Those “changes” should see it replicate or beat last year’s sales figures and it deserves to.