RENAULT ARKANA
Renault has set out to democratise the coupé-SUV. Is this endeavour a worthy one?
❝ It creates the impression that you’re stuck in first or suffering from some almighty clutch slip ”
FIRST REPORT
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT
To discover whether this chic new coupé-SUV has the substance to back up its obvious style
When a new niche forms in the car market, it doesn’t always turn into a firm foothold. Remember the Suzuki X-90 of the mid-1990s? It’s the perfect example: who would have thought that the world was crying out for a two-seat, targa-topped 4x4? It wasn’t, of course, and thankfully that particular new avenue for the automotive industry turned out to be a cul-de-sac. Yet the idea of a sportier body shape combined with the raised underpinnings of an offroad vehicle has refused to go away.
The BMW X6 of 2007 was the first to truly make a success of the coupé-SUV concept, despite many at the time (me included) expressing bewilderment at the idea of buying a practical car with much of its practicality taken away. But of course there’s a lot more to choosing a new car than how much junk you can fit in the trunk, and coupé-SUVs quickly became a serious statement of style – and wealth, often sitting at or near the top of their makers’ price lists.