New 2021 Renault Arkana E-TECH hybrid: specs, prices and on-sale date

The Renault Arkana is on sale now in the UK, with prices for the hybrid coupe-SUV starting at £25,300. It's available with a choice of mild or full hybrid power and in three trim levels.

Although the Arkana sits on the same mechanical platform as the Renault Captur, unlike that model, it isn’t offered with plug-in hybrid power. However, all versions of the Arkana are available with either a mild-hybrid or full-hybrid powertrain.

The mild-hybrid Arkana uses a 1.3-litre turbocharged engine producing 138bhp for a 0-62mph time of 9.8 seconds. It can achieve up to 48.7mpg fuel economy depending on trim level.

The full-hybrid powertrain uses similar technology to the Renault Clio E-TECH, with a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and a pair of electric motors combining to make 143bhp. The full-hybrid Arkana is slower, however, with a 0-62mph of 10.8 seconds, but it should be able to return up to 57.6mpg economy.

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Like the Clio E-TECH, the Arkana features a sophisticated clutchless gearbox, which Renault says is inspired by Formula 1 technology; the company claims the system can run in electric mode for around 80% of the time at typical urban driving speeds, and our time driving the Clio E-TECH suggests this is a realistic number. 

You can order the Arkana online now, in one of three trim levels: Iconic, S Edition and R.S. Line. Iconic cars come with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 4.2-inch driver’s information display and seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

All Arkana models come as standard with safety features like traffic-sign recognition, lane-departure warning and active emergency braking. But, upgrading to the S Edition trim adds Iconic adds a rear-view camera plus front and rear parking sensors, as well as other safety kit including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. The mild-hybrid Arakana Iconic starts at £25,300, or £26,300 for the full hybrid.

S Edition starts at £27,600 in mild-hybrid form, or £28,600 for the full hybrid. This trim builds on the entry-level spec with 18-inch alloy wheels, a 9.3-inch touchscreen, a seven-inch driver’s information display, adaptive cruise control and a leather steering wheel.

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Top-of-the-range Arkana R.S. Line cars get sportier exterior styling, including a new front bumper, R.S. leather and suede heated sports seats, a heated steering wheel and a hands-free parking system. Prices for the R.S. Line start at £29,900 and £30,900 for the mild-hybrid and full-hybrid powertrains respectively.

S Edition and R.S. Line Arkanas are also available with a black roof (£300) or a sunroof (£1,000). There’s also a leather pack (£1,000), winter pack (£250) and parking pack (£350) available, but only with the S Edition trim.

Arkana customers can also choose from seven different colours: Opaque White, Pearl White, Metal Black, Metallic Grey, Zanzibar Blue, Fire Red and Valencia Orange (with the latter being exclusive to the R.S. Line).

The Arkana's low-slung coupe roofline does hit practicality and versatility somewhat compared to the boxier Captur and Kadjar SUVs in Renault's range, but a total of 513 litres' boot space is offered nonetheless, complete with rear seats that fold completely flat.