Renault Arkana Coupe-crossover Unveiled; Maybe India-bound

Renault has unveiled its upcoming coupe-crossover, the Arkana, at the ongoing 2018 Moscow Motor Show. The French carmaker says the Arkana “proposes an astonishing balance between the elegance of a sedan and the sturdiness of an SUV.” All we know is that the Arkana is Renault’s way of fulfilling car buyers’ aspirations of owning something as swanky as a Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe or a BMW X6 at a more affordable price point.

Set to be launched in Russia sometime next year, the Arkana is likely to based on a modified version of the B0 platform that underpins the Duster and Captur. Later, it will be introduced in various Asian markets as well as Latin America. The heavy localisation levels of the B0 platform in these markets should enable Renault to price the coupe-crossover quite aggressively. If launched in India, it is likely to be positioned above the Captur. Interestingly, Mahindra is yet to launch the XUV Aero, which it had previewed as a concept back at the 2016 Auto Expo. Both coupe-crossovers are likely to sport similar price tags and a carve a niche for themselves in the burgeoning Indian SUV market.

Coming back to the Arkana, the show car features a high ground clearance, wide wheel arches and large 19-inch alloy wheels, which should make it fairly adept at off-roading. The face resembles the Captur, what with the headlamps with LED units, C-shaped LED DRLs, and centrally placed lozenge badge and mesh grille underlined by a chrome strip. It also gets a panoramic glass roof, a sloping coupe-like roofline and a high waistline. Over at the rear, the crossover gets a boot lid that protrudes ever so slightly. It also gets LED tail lamps that are connected via a thin red strip. The rear bumper is split into two, with the bottom half getting a chunky black finish to reduce visual bulk. It also features a silver-coloured faux skid plate like the one seen on the Captur.

Read: Renault Captur: Road Test Review

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Although Renault has refrained from revealing the Arkana’s interior and features list, we expect them to be similar to the Captur. Renault also says that the Arkana will get a set of new engines as well. We think it could be the new 1.5-litre Blue DCi diesel engine found in Renault's cars sold in Europe. But if introduced in India, expect it to be powered by the Captur’s 1.5-litre H4K petrol that puts out 106PS, and the 1.5-litre K9k diesel engine that produces 110PS. At the Moscow Motor Show, Renault also confirmed that the Arkana will receive all-wheel-drive, unlike the India-spec Captur.

When launched in India, it will take on popular SUVs such as the Jeep Compass, the Hyundai Creta and the upcoming Tata Harrier, among others. Will the Arkana fare better than the Captur that has failed to capture (excuse the pun) the market due to its MPV-like styling? Will the upcoming Renault force Mahindra to launch the XUV Aero soon? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.