Used Renault Arkana (Mk1, 2021-2025) buyers guide: stylish but compromised
A full used buyer’s guide on the Renault Arkana that was on sale between 2021 and 2025
Verdict
The Renault Arkana is a stylish car made to a decent standard that also offers reasonable value, thanks to its strong equipment levels. But while you do get a lot of car for your money, we’d suggest that you check out some of the Renault’s rivals before taking the plunge. The hybrid powertrain can be disappointing, although if your journeys are largely in an urban environment or in stop-start traffic, it might be a decent choice because it’s frugal and easy to drive. Its tech is easy to get on with, too, plus Renault didn’t hold back when it came to fitting safety kit.
There was a time when Renault offered a wide array of cars within its model range, encompassing saloons, estates, convertibles and MPVs, with the odd crossover thrown in for good measure.
But check out the company’s website these days and its line-up is essentially a series of SUVs, including the mid-sized Symbioz, Austral and Rafale, along with the Scenic and small Captur. One model that isn’t listed is the Arkana, which arrived in the UK four years ago and was quietly dropped earlier this year.
With its coupé-like silhouette and usually hybrid powertrains, we didn’t warm to the Arkana when new – but does it fare better as a used buy?
History
The Arkana went on sale in the UK in May 2021. It came with a choice of two powertrains: a turbocharged 1.3-litre petrol engine (the TCe 140) or a 1.6-litre petrol with hybrid tech (the E-Tech Hybrid 145). In summer 2022, Renault revised the trim line-up, from Iconic, S Edition and RS Line, to Evolution, Techno, RS Line and E-Tech Engineered. A range-topping Esprit Alpine specification was added in August 2023, which is also when the TCe 140 engine was dropped, leaving only the E-Tech hybrid model. Renault claimed that the Arkana was facelifted at the same time, but you’d be hard pressed to spot any significant changes inside or out.
On the road
The Arkana doesn’t acquit itself all that admirably when it comes to driving pleasure. While it’s competent enough, there’s not much in the way of enjoyment to be had because the steering lacks feel and the engine is short of power, so the revs soar when you ask for some swift acceleration.
Ride comfort isn’t bad because the suspension is reasonably supple, but this means that on poorly surfaced roads the Arkana lacks composure and things can feel rather bouncy. As if all this isn’t enough, refinement is disappointing, with rather too much road and wind noise.
Which one should I buy?
The hybrid system isn’t as slick as you might hope, and as a result the driving experience is compromised, so for that reason you might want to home in on a TCe 140. But the E-Tech hybrid is much more readily available and it’s also usefully more economical.
Used - available now
2021 Renault
Arkana
27,175 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £17,597
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25,331 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £17,462
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45,861 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £13,999
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32,446 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £16,999On balance, it’s the one we’d go for because you don’t need to pay much of a premium (potentially none at all) to buy one. Equipment levels are generous, with even the entry-level Iconic having front and rear parking sensors, a rear camera, automatic headlights and wipers, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, climate control, 17-inch alloys and LED headlights.
The S Edition added numerous driver aids, navigation, half-synthetic leather trim and 18-inch wheels, while the RS Line came with hands-free parking, heating for the front seats and steering wheel, leather trim and lots of sporty detailing.
Alternatives to the Renault Arkana
As a mid-sized SUV (at 4,568mm long), the Arkana is up against the Cupra Formentor and the SEAT Ateca, Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen Tiguan. However, while the Cupra has a coupé-like profile, the others don’t – but they are easy to live with.
The Toyota C-HR is efficient, good to drive and distinctive, but if you prefer something premium, we’d suggest looking at the Mercedes GLA, BMW X2 or Audi Q3. The Peugeot 408 and Citroen C5 X combine elements of hatchback, SUV and coupé, while the Hyundai Tucson and its cousin, the Kia Sportage, are excellent all-rounders.
What to look for
Going spare
The Arkana doesn’t come with a spare wheel, but space-saver items are available for around £175. They fit into a well in the boot floor.
Stable economy
Renault claimed an average of 57.6mpg for the hybrid Arkana, but in the real world, owners average around 10mpg less in mixed driving.
Common problems
No fault patterns have emerged, although forums mention isolated incidents of fuel-pump failure, glitches with electric motors, and faulty parking sensors.
Safe word
All Arkanas come with a large array of safety kit and the car earned a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. However, the Arkana wasn’t actually tested by Euro NCAP; its score was based on the Captur’s.
Interior
The Arkana’s dashboard shares much with the Captur and Clio, which in a car this size is a bit underwhelming when rivals feel more hi-tech and luxurious. But it all works well, with physical controls for the key features, although the touchscreen isn’t the quickest, even if it’s easy to understand.
The standard of fit and finish is high, especially if you buy further up the range, so you get more premium materials. Officially, there’s seating for five, but the Arkana is best viewed as a four-seater, with ample headroom and legroom for four adults. Cubbyhole space is in short supply, but boot capacity is good at 480 litres seats-up, or a less impressive 1,263 litres with them folded down.
Prices
Most Arkanas are hybrid cars; these account for five out of every six cars available. However, prices for used TCe 140s and hybrids are similar.
Check the price of a Renault Arkana with our free car valuation tool...
Running costs
Arkanas need maintenance every 12 months or 18,000 miles, with services alternating between Minor and Major at £199 and £299; from year four, these drop to £180 and £269. The first three services cost £199, £299 and £295, with the fourth priced at £485 (£575 for the E-Tech) and year five is £359 (or a significantly higher £600 for the hybrid).
Renault claims up to 48.7mpg from the TCe 140 and 57.6mpg from the E-Tech, while insurance costs should be acceptable, because all Arkanas sit in groups 14-19.
Recalls
Renault has come a long way in recent years in terms of build quality and reliability. It isn’t that long since it would issue a slew of recalls every year, sometimes more than one for a given model, but since the Arkana arrived here in May 2021, Renault has issued a mere four recalls across its entire model range.
Just one of those was for the Arkana, in February 2022. It affected 1,562 cars built from the beginning of production up to the end of November 2021, which could suffer from the electric power steering set-up overheating. The solution was to recalibrate the steering so that when it was on full lock, it didn’t get so hot.
Driver Power owner satisfaction
The Arkana has yet to appear in any Driver Power survey; in fact, in the 2024 poll there were no Renaults at all. In the 2022 and 2023 surveys the only Renault was the Captur Mk2 (31st and then 34th out of 75); in our 2024 brands survey, Renault came a poor 28th out of 32. Two owners have left reviews on CarBuyer.co.uk. Both are very upbeat about their Arkanas and both owners award the car four stars out of five.
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