Sleek European SUV arrives with a fresh look as a style-forward alternative to the Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona

Renault has announced a suite of cosmetic upgrades and a refreshed line-up for its 2024 Arkana coupe-styled SUV.

Formerly comprised of the Zens, Intens and R.S line, the new Arkana will come in two trims: Techno and Esprit Alpine.

Both will utilise the same 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder that was available in previous models. Its outputs are 116kW/262Nm and fuel efficiency 5.9L/100km.

The range opens at $41,000 (before on-road costs) for the Techno trim, which is similarly priced to the previous mid-range Intens. The Esprit Alpine starts at $45,000 (before on-road costs).

Renault says a cheaper entry-level model will hit the market soon.

In terms of exterior features, the Arkana sports a sleeker, more aggressive design. At the front of the vehicle is a restyled glossy black chrome-finish grille that is adorned by the chic new Renault emblem.

Dark styling is the theme across much of the Arkana, which features twin black exhaust tips, a blacked-out name badge, translucent ‘smoked’ tail lights, an 'F1-inspired' aerodynamic blade and two-tone alloy wheels.

Across the cabin you’ll notice subtle design highlights, from 'Alpine Blue' stitching on the synthetic leather upholstery, to French tricolour stitching on the Arkana’s perforated steering wheel and synthetic suede door trims.

As standard, the base-level Techno model includes LED headlights, proximity entry with push-button start, semi-autonomous park assist, wireless charging, a 10.25-digital driver’s display, a 9.3-inch portrait infotainment screen and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The Alpine gets slightly bigger 19-inch alloys, privacy glass, Alpine Blue stitching, black synthetic leather and suede upholstery, an eight-speaker Bose sound system, a heated steering wheel and a sunroof. 

Both variants come standard with useful safety features such adaptive cruise control, pedestrian and cyclist detection, a blind-spot monitor, lane-keep assist, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera. 

Renault has previously indicated that a hybrid version of the Arkana is on the way, although no further announcements have been made with this latest release.