Renault Arkana E-Tech Hybrid 145: Matured

A quick start is always good. Be it a 100 meter sprint or a new automobile. Seen in this light, the Renault Arkana got off the starting blocks pretty well. Since March of this year, more than 10,000 Europeans have opted for the French SUV coupé. The silhouette with the sloping roof line is well received on the BMW X4 or the Mercedes GLC Coupé, which also attracts a few thousand euros less on the Renault Arkana. It costs as an E-Tech Hybrid 145 in the RS tested. Line equipment for 35,300 euros.

As far as space is concerned, the 4.69-meter-long French is by no means Schmalhans chef. But on the contrary. Even beyond a height of 1.85 meters, there is still plenty of space in the second row. The only area in which the electrified Arkana has to take into account its hybrid concept including a 37.5 kilogram 1.2 kilowatt hour battery is the trunk, which melts by 33 liters to 480 liters and 1,263 liters in the maximum variant. The loading floor is due to the fact that the seat cushions move forward when the backrests are folded down, creating a slot of a good two centimeters. In addition, the loading sill is quite high.

The lost loading volume is space well invested. The Renault Arkana E-Tech 145 is a full hybrid, but basically uses the same drive train as the two plug-in hybrids Megane and Capture. So the Arkana E-Tech Hybrid also uses the power of the engine trio consisting of a 1.6-liter combustion engine with 69 kW / 94 PS, an electric motor (36 kW / 49 PS with 205 Nm) and the HSG generator ( 15 kW / 20 PS and 50 Nm). Overall, this results in a system output of 105 kW / 143 PS.

The interface is the DogBox transmission, which is similar in characteristics to a CVT automatic, the principle of which comes from the Formula 1 racing cars. The relatively strong starter generator is responsible for the ideal speed to compensate for the lack of synchronization. In addition, the friction of the transmission is greatly reduced, which helps with energy recovery and lowers consumption. Renault states that it is 4.2 liters per 100 kilometers. On our first test drive, we reached 5.2 l / 100, but did not move the 1,510 kilogram crossover at its upper performance limit despite a few stretches of the motorway.

If this is desired, the Arkana E-Tech audibly no longer feels so comfortable in its skin and the strained soundscape only partially results in a corresponding propulsion, which is also due to the design of the gearbox. If you still tickle the last bit out of the Arkana E-Tech Hybrid 145, it sprints from standstill to 100 km / h in 10.8 seconds and achieves a maximum of 174 km / h. The crossover is much more harmonious if you take it a little more leisurely. Then the technology shows its mature and fuel-saving side.

The best thing to do is to completely ignore the few kilometers of electric range that the battery promises and to hand over the baton to the vehicle by activating the “MySense” system known from Clio and Megane and supporting the efficiency through maximum recuperation as soon as one is pulls the automatic lever down. The delay is so drastic that you can do without the brake pedal. With anticipatory use of the energy recovery function, you can see the current bar growing upwards.

The comfort is also sufficient, even if we would have liked a slightly longer thigh rest. Some assistants support the driver: Starting with the blind spot assistant to a parking assistant that operates semi-autonomously. The infotainment with the central 9.3 inch touchscreen is not technically state-of-the-art, which is shown by the fact that the graphics of the navigation system sometimes build up slowly. The operation is uncomplicated, however, as the corresponding menus can be accessed without further ado under the symbols.