It seems like we might have been getting ahead of ourselves. We’ve been waiting for more info about a second generation 2024 Arkana coupe-crossover after our spy photographers snapped a prototype during winter testing a few months back. But it looks like the current car is also in line for a facelift.
That makes sense because the Arkana only went on sale in Western Europe and Australia in 2021, though it hit the market in Russia two years earlier. The two models look very similar but the car for Putin’s people is built in Russia and based on the previous Captur, whereas the Euro version is shipped over from South Korea (take that, polar ice caps!), and is based on the newer platform found under the Second-generation Captur.
This could mean those earlier spy shots were of a replacement for the Russian car, whose future might now be in doubt after Renault pulled out of the country over the Ukraine conflict.
The mid-life update will be mostly visual, and though the front end of the car in our pictures is heavily disguised, it looks like the lights could be slimmer, and all that secrecy means we’re bound to be talking about a new grille and bumper design. We’re expecting to see some new rear lights and a re-profiled her bumper too, though neither of those changes is fitted to this particular car.
But there is something else going on at the rear that looks odd, and which you might have spotted. And that’s the “XM3” badge and lack of Renault’s familiar diamond emblem in the center of the trunk lid, indicating that this isn’t a Renault Arkana, but its badge-engineered Samsung sister from South Korea.
Related: See You Lada, Renault Sells Off Russian Assets As War In Ukraine Continues
The 1.6-liter hybrid and 1.3-liter mild-hybrid engines fitted to European cars will almost certainly be carried over without any major changes, though an increase in battery capacity would be welcome. And since the European version of the car launched last year already benefited from a modern interior that looks just like the latest Captur’s, there are unlikely to be only small changes to trim and the infotainment system.
Are you a fan of these hi-riding sedans that claim to be coupe-crossovers? Leave a comment and let us know.
