In the Era of High Oil Prices, Hybrid Cars... Renault 'Arkana' Gains Popularity

Actual Users Say "Fuel Efficiency Over 25 km/L"

As high oil prices increase the burden of vehicle maintenance costs, the demand for hybrid cars is rising. In the past, diesel vehicles were mainly mentioned as economical cars, but due to concerns about fine dust and climate change, electrified models, especially hybrids that do not require charging, have recently become the top choice.

Hybrid vehicles demonstrate efficiency beyond the official fuel economy in actual road driving. This is the reason why Renault Korea's new compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Arkana E-Tech Hybrid, is gaining attention.

Renault Arkana [Photo by Renault Korea]

This car applies hybrid technology verified in motorsport F1. Based on 17-inch tires, the official combined fuel economy is about 17.4 km per liter, but actual users report over 25 km per liter. For short-distance city driving, it is efficient as it can run solely on electricity in electric vehicle (EV) mode.

It features a composite powertrain system consisting of a 1.6ℓ gasoline engine and two electric motors. In urban areas where speeds are mostly below 50 km/h, it is known to operate up to 75% of the time using only the electric motors. The ‘dog clutch’ technology that reduces shifting shock is also notable. When gears engage directly to drive the car, it gives an impression similar to a race car. Although there are concerns that direct gear engagement might cause significant shifting shock, this car uses both a starter motor and a drive motor so that each gear meshes and rotates simultaneously, reducing shifting shock.