Test drive Renault Arkana

Arkana most of all surprises not with the design in the style of BMW X6, not with the latest turbo engine, and not even with Alice from Yandex in the multimedia system. Her trump card is the price

She will still have time to bore you in order when thousands of them fill our streets. But for now, you can enjoy her stylish forms in these striking photos. Yes, the idea of ​​putting a pretty liftback body on an all-terrain platform isn't all that new. And, by the way, contrary to the common misconception, it was far from the Bavarians who invented it in 2008. Three years earlier, SsangYong introduced the first generation Actyon, which was already surprising with its unusual shapes. But the Koreans then did not think of calling their brainchild the fashionable phrase coupe-crossover, so all the glory went to BMW. Well, what happened next, I think, there is no point in retelling.

But it is the French who begin a new chapter in the history of machines of this form factor. Because neither Toyota with the audacious C-HR nor Mitsubishi with the nostalgic Eclipse Cross has yet succeeded in entering the segment of very budget SUVs. By the way, do not even think that only the top versions of Arkana will look as bright as in the photo. Diode optics with brackets rely on all versions and even the base one for a million.

When you find yourself inside Arkana, you feel a slight dissonance - as if you got into another car. The front panel is designed in a simple way: strict straight lines, not a single memorable element, and gloomy black color everywhere. Glossy insert and that is made under the piano lacquer.

Finishing materials are as inexpensive as possible. All plastic is hard and sonorous. Renault explains this for two reasons. The first is the price. Remember to keep the price list in mind when criticizing Arkana for its finishes. The second is localization. This plastic, like the rest of 60% of the machine's components, is produced in Russia. And the other, softer, domestic suppliers simply do not have.

The only joy in the interior is the new multimedia with a touch screen, but not at all with the speed and resolution. These parameters are typical for state employees and not outstanding in any way. It's just that Yandex.Auto is preinstalled on the multimedia, so all the usual services will be at your fingertips.

Moreover, no additional SIM card is needed here. The new "head" is synchronized with the smartphone using a cord and a special application and simply transfers to its screen navigation from your phone with already loaded traffic jams or, for example, music.

In general, in such a car, the convenience of landing is much more important than all these sensors and tactile sensations. And with ergonomics, Arkana is in complete order. There is plenty of adjustment range: both at the steering wheel, which moves both in reach and tilt, and at the driver's seat. All drives at the seat are mechanical, even the lumbar support is adjusted with a lever. Only glass and rear-view mirrors have electric drives.

The second row, by the standards of the class, is very spacious. But here it should be noted that with a total length of the Arkana of only 4,54 m, the wheelbase is 2,72 m. And this is more, for example, than that of the Kia Sportage. Due to the sloping roof, the ceiling above the rear sofa is low and seems to press from above. But this is only a visual sensation: the top of the head will not rest against it even in people under 2 m tall.

The luggage compartment is large, over 500 liters. However, this figure is valid only for the front-wheel drive versions of the Arkana, which use a twisting beam in the rear suspension design. All-wheel drive versions are equipped with a multi-link, so the boot floor is higher in them. But under it there is a full-size spare wheel and two foam boxes for small things.

The base engine for the Arkana is a 1,6-liter aspirated engine with 114 hp. with., which is produced at AvtoVAZ. It can be combined with either a five-speed manual transmission or an X-Tronic variator for front-wheel drive versions, as well as a six-speed manual transmission for all-wheel drive versions.

How such Arkanas drive - we do not know, because such cars are not yet available for testing. But judging by the passport data, they will not be very fun to drive. Acceleration to "hundreds" for basic cars takes 12,4 seconds for versions with "mechanics" and as much as 15,2 seconds for modifications with a variator.

But the top version with the latest 1,33 liter turbo engine and an upgraded CVT8 CVT does not disappoint. And the point is not even that its acceleration is within 10 seconds, and the engine digests 92nd gasoline. It's just that the settings of this pair are pleasantly surprising.

First, the turbo engine's peak torque of 250 Nm is available from 1700 rpm. And secondly, the new CVT behaves like a typical automatic machine. When accelerating, it allows the engine to spin properly, simulating gear changes, and when coasting, it adequately reduces the speed, and does not upset the car. And the manual mode is almost fair. Choosing one of the seven virtual gears, you, of course, will not push the tachometer needle into the cut-off, but precisely spin the crankshaft up to 5500 rpm. And then it makes no sense, because the maximum 150 "horses" of the motor are developing already at 5250 rpm.

In general, you can not name a completely bland ride on this coupe-crossover. Moreover, the chassis of the car is well tuned. Arkana is the first Renault model on the Russian market to move to a new generation modular platform. Its architecture is similar to the previous generation chassis that underlies the Duster and Kaptur, but more than 55% of the components here are new. Moreover, as we have already noted, the chassis will have two versions.

We had a version with a multi-link at the back. So let's immediately answer the main question that worries everyone who was waiting for this car: no, it does not look like a Duster on the move. In general, in movement, Arkana feels more expensive and noble. The new dampers are tighter, so the car is stiffer and more assembled than its predecessors, but not at the expense of comfort.

The energy intensity here is exactly the same as what we are used to on Renault crossovers. Therefore, the car swallows large irregularities without choking, and the suspensions do not work into the buffer even if the wheels hit very deep pits and potholes. The Arkana reacts slightly nervously to sharp road trifles, but, again, this is a top car on 17-inch wheels. On discs with a smaller diameter, this disadvantage is also leveled.

But the best part about Arkana is the new steering wheel. The cemented steering wheel common to all cars on the old platform is a thing of the past. The new electric power steering mechanism made life easier. And so much so that in some modes of movement, the "steering wheel" seems quite unnaturally light, but still not empty. There is always a minimum reactive effort, so there is a clear feedback from the road.

But off-road, you still want the steering wheel to be tighter. Because with active work on a soggy track, you do not always know the position of the wheels. On the other hand, a little dirt road trip certainly doesn't give a complete picture of the Arkana's off-road capabilities. But it felt like it was just not far from Duster.

The ground clearance is 205 mm and the entry and exit angles of 21 and 26 degrees provide excellent geometric cross-country ability. The car inherited the all-wheel drive system from Duster practically unchanged. The center clutch has an automatic mode of operation, in which the moment is distributed between the axles depending on the road situation and wheel slip, as well as a 4WD LOCK blocking mode, in which the thrust between the axles is divided in half.

Well, Arkana finishes off by equipping the top version of Edition One, which includes a tire pressure sensor, a monitoring system for blind spots, cruise control, six airbags, a new multimedia system with Yandex.Auto and support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Surround cameras and an eight-speaker Bose audio system. But such a car no longer costs $ 13, but all $ 099.

A type	Crossover	Crossover	Crossover
dimensions (length / width / height), mm	4545/1820/1565	4545/1820/1565	4545/1820/1545
Wheelbase, mm	2721	2721	2721
Ground clearance, mm	205	205	205
Cargo space, l	508	508	409
Curb weight, kg	1370	1370	1378
engine's type	R4 benz.	R4 benz.	R4 benz., Turbo
Working volume, cubic meters cm	1598	1598	1332
Max. power, l. with. (at rpm)	114/5500	114 / 5500-6000	150/5250
Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm)	156/4000	156/4000	250/1700
Drive type, transmission	Pered., 5МКП	Before., Var.	Full, var.
Max. speed km / h	183	172	191
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s	12,4	15,2	10,2
Fuel consumption, l / 100 km	7,1	6,9	7,2
Price from, $.	13 086	16 099	19 636