The Renault Arkana is still a concept, but it is near to what we will see in the production version. It has hints of the Renault Captur (Renault Kaptur) as well as the Renault Megane in its design.

At the front, the Renault Arkana has sharp full-LED headlamps with C-shaped LED DRLs flowing onto the bumper to meet the character line. It is on the sides where the vehicle’s USP lies - featuring a sedan's fluidity and an SUV's sturdiness.

High ground clearance and a high waistline express the vehicle’s robustness and character, and the wide wheel arches housing large 19-inch wheels lend the much-needed sportiness of a coupe. The wedge-shaped side view is as radical as the BMW X6, a roofline that is accentuated more than the Skoda Kodiaq GT or even the BMW X4 for that matter.

At the rear, the Renault Arkana sports an integrated spoiler and aluminium twin tailpipes. The combination lamps are connected via a sleek tail light strip that meets at the Diamond logo in the centre, below which the ‘Arkana’ name is inscribed in the Renault typeface.

The Arkana will hit the production lines at Renault’s Moscow plant for Russia and CIS countries in 2019. The company confirmed that the C-segment SUV coupe will become its flagship next year, slotting above even the D-segment Renault Koleos. Clearly the B0 platform is punching above its weight with the Arkana.

Latin American and Asian markets will also gain the C-SUV. So far, Renault has confirmed Brazil from the former and South Korea and Asia from the latter. The CIS markets and Latin America’s version will ride on the B0/Logan platform, while the Asian markets will get a different version underpinned by the more sophisticated CMF-B platform.

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Given the Renault Captur’s abysmal sales figures and the conservative needs of the SUV buyer, we don't see the Renault Arkana coming to India.

Commenting on the new model, Laurens Van den Acker, Senior Vice President, Corporate Design of Groupe Renault said, "The ARKANA show car is a distinctive coupé-crossover, striking balance between the elegance of a Sedan and the powerful stance of an SUV. We have dialled in specific Renault cues, with a strong design, strength and sensuality with a French touch.”

The front-end of the Renault Arkana is characterized by the company's distinctive C-shaped lighting signature, first seen on the 2016 Megane. Another highlight is the large, upright diamond logo that takes centre stage on the broad grille. The new C-SUV gets a coupé-like roofline. The rear of the car features a Talisman-like taillight setup. The show car rides on 19-inch wheels and has a high ground clearance.

Renault confirms that the Arkana will be manufactured and sold in several global markets, starting with Russia next year. Underpinning the Russian-spec model will be a new version of the B0 platform. For mature markets, the company will use the CMF-B platform to underpin its latest C-SUV. Details on the powertrain options aren't available yet, but four-wheel-drive will be offered.

Though the press release reads "Renault ARKANA will be later manufactured and sold in Asia and other regions, with this same unique design but adapted also to local customers’ expectations," the company maybe referring to factories in China (Dongfeng-Renault JV) and South Korea (Renault Samsung Motors) where premium crossovers Koleos and Kadjar are the mainstays.

With only 3,814 units of the Captur being sold since its launch in November 2017, Renault India would take a more conservative approach in its product programs and stay away from niches. SUV buyers in India, who prefer upright and traditional designs, give a very high importance to the rear headroom, an area that coupé-crossovers fare poorly in.

The name of Renault's new SUV is derived from the Latin word 'Arcanum'. This word has been used for centuries to refer to events of special importance. In the words of Renault, "Arkana underlines the uniqueness of the future crossover and its incredible magnetism."  The teaser image of the Arkana gives us a glimpse of the shape of the tail lights. The C-segment crossover will take many cues from Renault's latest design language, which was first seen on the Espace in 2014.

Underpinning the Russian-spec Arkana will be the company's B0/Logan platform. This is the same architecture that underpins the Captur on sale there. For some markets, Renault will use the CMF-B platform. There are some talks of the upcoming model going on sale under the Dacia umbrella in some of the markets.

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Markets confirmed for the Renault Arkana in addition to Russia are Brazil, China and South Korea. The Renault Arkana is unlikely to arrive in India. SUV coupes are still a niche product in our market. Moreover, the fact that the Captur has been averaging less than 500 units monthly will likely lead to Renault India taking a more conservative approach with its derivatives. Traditionally, Indian SUV buyers give a high priority to the rear headroom, which also explains why the Mahindra XUV Aero is not in showrooms.