The Arkana SUV seen could potentially be a test car for international markets – companies do test various models in other markets – or simply brought in for a customer clinic or some other purposes.
A few shots have emerged of the Renault Arkana SUV being driven around in India. The Arkana is a coupe styled SUV and like the Captur, Renault has used the Arkana top-hat on two platforms; the newer CMF-B for a few European markets, as well as the older BO platform that the Indian Captur and Duster are built one that’s sold in other emerging markets like Russia. The model seen here is the one underpinned by the CMF-B platform, indicative from the e-tech hybrid badge on the rear.
Will Renault launch the Arkana in India?
Renault has so far not spoken of the Arkana for India, and while it did release a tweet showing the Arkana last November, that post was a global campaign in support of the #movember movement.
The SUV seen could potentially be a test car for international market testing – companies do test various models in other markets – or simply brought in for a customer clinic or some other purposes, but if this were a model under test for India, it would mean a CBU approach is under consideration as the firms local plant is not geared up for the CMF-B platform.
Interestingly with the Duster now discontinued Renault could potentially make the BO based Arkana here, however we understand that the firm is currently going slow on local manufacturing of new product lines and is keen to establish a sustained minimum volume with its products currently on sale. The company will also be wary of launching another premium SUV using the BO platform given the lackluster market reception the Captur received.
Thus if the Arkana were to make it to India it would likely be the CMF-B based product brought in as a CBU. This could potentially justify the price with its upmarket interiors and technology and would enable the company to sustain some market buzz, in the face of what will be a very quite year or two ahead with no new locally produced launches models scheduled to launch.
What’s the Arkana like?
The Arkana carries forward a lot of the design elements from the Captur but there are many details like extended C-Shaped LED headlamps that are now seen on all newer Renault models overseas. The defining element of the Arkana is its sloping roofline that merges with the boot to give the SUV a high-riding notchback look. The SUV-coupe stance also gives the Arkana distinction within Renault’s own SUV line-up.
The Renault Arkana is powered by two petrol-hybrid engine options, an entry-level mild-hybrid 1.3-liter turbo petrol unit that churns out 138hp. The model seen in India has the E-tech branding which confirms it gets Renault’s self-charging E-Tech system that consists of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors (an e-motor and a high-voltage starter generator) and an unique multi-mode clutch-less dogbox transmission.
According to Renault, vehicles equipped with this system will start in EV mode always and the E-Tech hybrid is said to provide up to 80 percent of city driving time with all-electric power, reducing CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by up to 40 percent over a conventional combustion engine in urban driving.
Also the version seen in India is the sportier RS-line variant that gets sportier accents on the outside and faux carbon-fiber bits on the dashboard. The dashboard itself looks quite familiar as the design resembles the Renault-Nissan products sold in India. However, the infotainment system on the Arkana is a vertically oriented unit 9.3 inch unit that is loaded with features including Parking and Safety driver-assistance systems including Highway & Traffic Jam Companion semi-autonomous system, Safety Active emergency braking system, blind spot warning, lane departure warning and lane guard system, 360-degree camera and more. The SUV also gets a full digital instrument cluster among other features like a Bose sound system.
