Renault Arkana – Pulpaddict

We savour the Symbioz E-Tech – the latest addition to Renault’s growing SUV line-up…

Slotting between the Captur and Austral crossovers in the Renault range, the full hybrid Symbioz effectively replaces the Kadjar.

Competitively-priced from £29,295, it has its work cut out because it’s up against some of the UK’s most popular family cars, including the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage. Hyundai Tucson and Skoda Karoq.

The attractive Symbioz is about the same size as a Qashqai and shares styling cues with the latest Captur.

Inside, it certainly has a Renault look and feel with a portrait-orientated 10.4-inch infotainment display in the middle of the dashboard, a 10.3-inch driver’s digital display and a large steering wheel. Under the touchscreen, there’s a row of climate control buttons and space to store your phone.

The infotainment system uses Google software, so Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play are all available. If you prefer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, both connect wirelessly.

Overall, the dash is well laid out and intuitive, but maybe lacks the wow factor of some rivals.

The cabin as a whole is nicely put together and the quality of the materials used is good, with plenty of soft-touch surfaces higher up.

There’s an impressive amount of space too, so adults can sit comfortably in the rear seats. It also has a sliding rear bench to help maximise boot space, so it’s possible to free up 624 litres (492 litres normally), rising to a useful 1,582 litres with the 60:40 rear seats folded down.

Renault also says it has 24.7 litres of storage space inside the cabin, including seven litres in the glovebox alone.

Under the bonnet, the Symbioz uses the same ‘145’ hybrid set-up as its SUV siblings – the Captur and Arkana.

In other words, there’s a 94bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine working in conjunction with two electric motors, a small 1.2kWh battery and a six-speed automatic transmission (actually a four-speed gearbox and additional ratios courtesy of the dual electric motors).

In total, the full hybrid system (no plugging in) produces a decent 143bhp and power is sent to the front wheels (there’s no all-wheel drive option).

Renault claims a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds, economy of up to 60.1mpg, low CO2 emissions of 107g/km and a potential range of 630 miles on a full tank.

Interestingly, it uses a predictive hybrid driving function, which maximises use of electric boost over combustion power for lower fuel consumption

As you’d expect, the seating position is on the commanding side and there’s plenty of adjustment. Front and side visibility is good, but it’s a bit more restricted to the year. That said, a rear-view camera is standard, upgraded to 360-degree view camera on the top trim level – Iconic Esprit Alpine (the two others are Techno and Techno Esprit Alpine).

The Symbioz always starts in electric mode and it will toddle along like this for a short while before the petrol engine kicks in fairly seamlessly. It will also briefly drop into EV mode at lower speeds.

Push on, especially in Sport mode, and the engine will make itself known. What’s more, the gearing is long and it has a tendency to hold a gear for longer than necessary, and sometimes there’s a hesitancy on kickdown.

On the whole, it works well and it is an improvement on CVT hybrids where uncomfortably high revs are triggered if you do anything other than potter about.

The Symbioz feels a little faster than the official figures suggest, especially off the line, while the steering is light and precise, and the brakes are unusually progressive for a hybrid.

It also scores well when it comes to handling. The suspension is on the hard side, yet it deals with the lumps and ruts well, the tyres offer plenty of grip and it delivers tidy body control.

So, there is some fun to be had, but it is at its best cruising along on faster roads, and nipping around town.

Ultimately, the well-equipped Symbioz has a lot going for it – even if the lines are blurred between it and the its similar-sized SUV hybrid siblings.

Verdict: If you’re looking for a cool, frugal full hybrid that’s easy to drive, practical and can deliver a real-world 60mpg on long runs, plus value for money, the Renault Symbioz should definitely be on your shortlist.

Renault UK

The Renault Arkana E-Tech Hybrid is an intriguing car. Its sleek ‘coupe SUV’ styling gives it serious kerb appeal, there’s plenty of room for all the family and it’s a full hybrid, so there’s no need to plug it in.

Add Renault’s solid five-year warranty, plus all the latest safety kit it comes with, and this Nissan Qashqai-sized crossover ticks a lot of boxes on paper.

Slotting between the Captur and Kadjar in the Renault range, the Arkana is available with two engine options – both fitted with automatic gearboxes.

The TCe 140 model consists of a 1.3-litre mild hybrid petrol engine, offering 138bhp and a combined fuel consumption figure of 48.7mpg. It’s the quickest of the two Arkanas, reaching 62mph from rest in less than 9.8 seconds.

The car we tested, the E-Tech Hybrid, combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with two electric motors, offering a total of 143bhp. Fitted with a small 1.2kWh battery, the system prioritises all-electric running unless full power is required and Renault claims it can return up to 58.9mpg with a 0-62mph time of 10.8 seconds, while CO2 emissions are a low 109g/km.

First impressions are good. The Arkana stands out from the crowd and looks particularly good in Zanzibar Blue. There’s a real feeling of space inside and the attractive dashboard layout is similar to the Captur, on which the Arkana is based.

Soft-touch surfaces are welcome and overall build quality is impressive inside, while up front it’s more solid and functional than flash. There’s a digital instrument display behind the steering wheel and a portrait-shaped 9.3-inch infotainment touchscreen in the centre console (7.0-inch in the entry-level model).

The driving position is relatively high (the car itself is taller than you might think) and there’s ample leg and headroom for adults to travel comfortably in the rear. There’s a useful 480 litres to boot space (slightly down on the mild hybrid model which has no rear battery), expanding to 1,263 litres with the rear seats down.

Visibility is generally good. Our only gripe was that our test car was not fitted with a rear wiper, which is especially annoying on motorways in the wet.

You’re likely to start off in EV mode and the petrol engine will only kick in if you boot it. Unfortunately, we soon discovered that the Arkana’s six-speed F1-derived clutchless auto transmission, which is supposed to be more efficient and smoother than a conventional automatic, is the car’s weak point.

The gearbox is sluggish and unpredictable at times, meaning that the engine’s revs rise alarmingly at the slightest encouragement. This often-noisy driving experience is a shame because the Arkana package as a whole has a lot right with it.

There are three driving modes (Eco, Sport and MySense). The latter is effectively the ‘normal’ mode, and the setting you’re likely to leave the car in.

There’s also a button on the dashboard for manually switching to electric mode yourself, as well as a ‘B’ mode on the gear selector for extra regenerative braking (the system that adds charge to the battery by harvesting energy otherwise wasted during braking and coasting).

The transition from electric power to engine propulsion, and vice versa, is reasonably smooth – and engine noise aside – it’s no slouch. Naturally it’s hushed in EV mode, but it’s also fairly refined on a motorway cruise.

The Arkana’s set-up is on the firm side, so it handles surprisingly well with controlled body lean, there’s decent grip and it generally feels composed.

We tested the mid-range S Edition, though more spirited drivers might want to consider the top-of-the-range RS Line model which features sporty design cues. That said, we doubt that it is any more dynamic on the road, even in Sport mode.

We couldn’t get close to Renault’s claimed economy figures, but depending on your route and driving style, anywhere between 40-50mpg is realistic.

Verdict: It would be easy to dismiss the new Renault Arkana as a case of style over substance. Yes, it’s an eye-catching coupe SUV and, yes, there are some issues with the gearbox, but overall, it’s a comfortable, practical, quality package backed up by a decent five-year/100,000-mile warranty.

Renault UK

Category: Renault Arkana

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