Test drive: Renault’s hybrid Arkana bridges the crossover class divide

Sporty-looking model offers buyers an alternative to the traditional SUV shape

The four-square stance of the practical and likeable Renault Arkana mixes sportiness with ruggedness to good effect. Picture: Jean-Brice Lemal

The Arkana is a new crossover model from Renault that sits above the compact Captur in size, potentially offering those that have outgrown a C-segment hatchback, such as Renault’s own Megane for example, an alternative option to the larger, more upright Kadjar SUV.

Unlike the latter, the Arkana features a swooping rear window line, yet still sits high off the road on chunky alloy wheels, with loads of ground clearance. Its four-square stance manages to ...