Renault Arkana concept previews poor man’s X4

The coupe-SUV bug has hit its first mainstream manufacturer as Renault has unveiled its first-ever low-slung SUV called the Arkana.

While officially still a concept, safe for the small wing mirrors, it’s clear the model we see here is close to production ready. In fact, Renault has confirmed it will morph into a production model next year with Russia as its first market. It will then be sold globally although not in its home market of Europe.

Renault says the Arkana is a fusion between the elegance of a saloon and the sturdiness of an SUV.

On the styling front, the Arkana concept sticks to the coupe-SUV rulebook relatively faithfully, with a sloping roofline, high ground clearance and wide wheel arches filled with 19-inch alloys.

At the back, the LED taillights are joined together with a narrow strip of LEDs that meet at the badge.

No further details have been released at this stage except that the production Arkana will be built in Russia.