Chevrolet Corvette vs Renault Arkana

What's the difference?

The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is truly a supercar offering outstanding dynamics for a lot less money being asked by European rivals - just make sure it's not your only car for those times when you're in a hurry.

The Arkana is a stylish alternative in a sea of same-same compact SUVs. It's relatively well equipped and has some hidden gems in its ownership and running costs that elevate it above some of the competition.

It’s not a bad thing to steer, either, but the lurchy dual-clutch could be a deal breaker for some.

The sweet spot is the Techno, which misses out on the Esprit Alpine’s special touches but represents the most bang for your buck.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

We’re talking about the closest thing to a real-life Hot Wheels car here. See, while Ferraris look elegant to me like expensive jewellery, Lambourghinis like cheese graters and McLaren’s look like slippery alien spacecraft, the Corvette Z06 looks exactly like an American supercar should - an unapologetic, ludicrous beast. And I love that. 

Dialing up the wild is that enormous carbon wing and front splitter with dive planes thanks to the Z07 package. Just a word of warning, though, the front splitter and dive planes stick out not just visually, but in the sense that I walked into them often and my ankles still have the scars.

I can’t recall the last time I drove a car with carbon-fibre wheels either - these are the biggest rims fitted to a Corvette and they’re wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ultra performance tyres (275/30ZR20 front and 345/25ZR21 rear) that they look like oil drums on their sides.

The best angle? The rear - straight on. Those headlights. 

Wait, no, it’s from above - so you can see the V8 through the glass hatch.

Or it could be front-on looking like a giant shovel.. 

OK, there are no bad angles.. 

The Corvette Z06 is long at 4734mm end-to-end, broad at 2024mm wide and its height is a both a sitting-on-the-road-low and numerically pleasing 1234mm.

The plainness of the cabin might be a let down to some people after all the exterior wildness. Ferraris and Lambourghis offer extravagant and exotic interiors, but the Corvette’s innards are almost completely void of flare. 

The media screen is small (8.0 inches), switches and controls for windows and air vents are basic, and the huge dividing ‘wall’ between the pilot and passenger might be a bit much for some.

That ‘wall’ is dotted with buttons and while it may look very 'fighter jet cockpit', they’re just climate control switches. Sitting in the passenger seat is a lonely place with no screen visibility nor easy access to controls - I'd actually call this out as a bit of a fail compared to the interiors from Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini with their screen-filled cabins offering co-pilots something to do.

Yes, it feels a bit premium with the Nappa leather and the sports seats, but it could feel more special.

All of this plainness, however, is saved from boredom by the glass window behind the seats allowing you to peer into the engine bay at the V8 like at a reptile enclosure at the zoo.

This update isn’t a massive overhaul of the Arkana, rather its “refreshing and enhancing” what was already there according to Renault Australia.

And this remains true with the car’s styling. Not much has changed on the outside except for a few minor garnishes and flourishes, especially on the Esprit Alpine variant.

The coupe styling isn’t for everyone. It’s more popular in Europe than Australia but if you want to stand out from the crowd it’s a good place to start.

The Arkana has curves in all the right places and its little grille made up of little Renault badge diamonds is a welcome addition in a world of wide mouth front ends. The C-shaped LED headlights and a large Renault badge add a bit of pop to its look.

The pinched rear end has LED lighting that runs from the tail-lights to the centre badge and Arkana is spelled out in big, bold letters.

The Esprit Alpine stands out with gunmetal highlights on the front bumper and the front and rear skid plates in the same colour. It also adds a Esprit Alpine badge below the side mirror and front door sill plates.

The Esprit Alpine has 'Tricolour' stitching in red, white and blue on the door trim and steering wheel, which is complemented by blue contrast stitching on the gear shifter, seats and centre console.

Cabin quality is variable. There are some nice feeling materials used on the dash and on the door trims but below eye level there are lots of hard wearing plastics. A big slab of faux wood running along the dashboard doesn’t feel as high-quality as you would like. The quality drops a bit in the back row, which is where carmakers often try to cut costs.

Solid white is the only no cost paint colour, but it is not available on the Esprit Alpine. Metallic white, blue, black, grey and red cost $750.

Buyers can also option a black roof for a two-tone look for $600.

Supercars don’t tend to be built with practicality as a priority but this two-door, two-seat beastie is spacious enough even for me at 185cm tall with plenty of room in the footwell and loads of elbow-, knee-, and headroom. 

Cabin storage is limited to a glove box, door pockets, two cupholders, and a wireless phone charger on the bulkhead behind the seats.

As you can see from the images there’s a boot at the rear which will fit smaller bags and a small boot in the front.

I did the school run in the Corvette a few times (I know, lucky kid) and I can tell you a bass guitar in its case and a school bag, plus my own large handbag make for a cramped cabin. A Kia Carnival the Corvette ain’t, but it’s not trying to be one and compared to its rivals it does well for practicality.

The Arkana isn’t a family SUV, but rather is pitched at younger couples and empty nesters. 

Up front there is great forward vision with a higher seating position than hatchbacks and sedans. Electronically adjustable seats and a manually moveable steering wheel means there’s a good seating position for pretty much everyone.

The seats are comfy and the multimedia screen and climate controls are easy to reach. The centre console has a wireless device charger, two USB-A charging ports and a 12-volt socket to keep various devices juiced up. 

Two cupholders take up most of the space with minimal storage space leftover. There are decent sized storage bins in the doors and a little net in the passenger seats footwell to stop small items rolling around. 

Back seat passengers have their own air con vents and USB charging ports, which is a welcome addition.

In the rear pew is where the Arkana’s stylish coupe-like design dents its practicality. The sloping roof shrinks the windows and reduces headroom, which makes it feel a bit gloomy compared to more boxy-shaped SUVs that makes it no-no for smaller kids.

The boot is a decent size, but it’s longer and lower than other SUVs, which is the price you pay for looking good. 

Initially Renault is launching with just two variants, the mid-tier Techno and top-spec Esprit Alpine, which replace the formerly named Intens and R.S. Line variants. 

Despite the update, prices remain the same with the Techno starting at $41,000, before on-road costs, and the Esprit Alpine from $45,000.

An entry-level Evolution grade will arrive later to take the place of the old Zen variant. Expect it to be priced from $37,500.

The Arkana isn’t the cheapest compact SUV on sale with lower starting points for the Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos and Mazda CX-30 ranges. It is cheaper than the hybrid-only Toyota C-HR and its French rival, the Peugeot 2008.

The two model grades are fairly well stacked with gear to justify the price, though.

Techno shoppers can expect 18-inch alloy wheels, which swell to 19-inche on the Esprit Alpine and all variants have LED head and tail-lights.

Step inside and the Techno grade has black leather and synthetic suede accented seats, which upgrade to more premium synthetic leather and suede upholstery with contrast blue stitching and Alpine badging in the top-spec grade.

The front seats are heated in both grades and the Esprit Alpine has a heated steering wheel, too.

On the tech front both variants have a 9.3-inch portrait-shaped multimedia display paired with a 10.25-inch digital driver display.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless smartphone mirroring is standard.

The Esprit Alpine version ditches the six-speaker stereo in the Techno for a booming eight-speaker Bose system and it adds a sunroof.

The 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 in the Z06 makes 475kW and 595Nm. That’s a lot more power than the Corvette Stingray’s V8, which produces 369kW. The GT3 racecar version of the Z06 uses a derived version of the 5.5-litre V8, and actually it shares 70 per cent of the engineering components. 

Revving to a high 8600rpm the Z06’s V8 lets out a high-pitched scream when pushed hard, much like a Ferrari because like many Ferraris the Z06 has a flatplane crank V8 - actually it’s one of the largest flatplane V8s to go into a production car.  

Corvettes are now mid-engined cars and the Z06 has an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that changes gears quicker than I can blink, sending all that mumbo straight to the rear wheels.

Acceleration comes hard, fast and loud with the Z06 able to boot itself from 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds. That beautifully linear acceleration with no turbos will pull you all the way towards its top speed of 313km/h.

The Arkana keeps the 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine from before. It makes 115kW and 262Nm and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto that drives the front wheels. 

That’s plenty of grunt for a car this size, but it’s let down by a glitchy transmission that hesitates a lot at lower speeds and doesn’t do its best work when asked to hustle, either.

As with practicality, fuel efficiency isn’t the Corvette’s priority and after driving it daily for a week in the suburbs, city and a few dashes out to more open country roads the Z06 was using an average of 23.8L/100km, according to the trip computer.

Luckily the fuel tank is pretty big at 70 litres and with an official combined fuel consumption of just under 16L/100km you have a range of 438km… in theory.

Efficiency is the name of the game with the Arkana’s little turbo engine. The French brand claims it drinks 5.9L/100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle but we averaged 7.5L/100km on our circa two-hour country road drive according to the trip computer.

The higher speed twisting and turning country roads we drove on aren’t conducive to low fuel use, though.

It has a 50-litre fuel tank and only requires cheaper 91 RON petrol, which is rare for little turbo engines that usually have premium tastes.

What the Corvette Z06 is like to drive really depends where you drive it. Our suburb has a ridiculous number of speed humps, which are like the Corvette Z06’s Kryptonite thanks to its very limited ground clearance and a carbon front splitter that almost skims the road at the best of times.

This made the Z06 one of the slowest fast cars I’ve ever piloted. My son would beg me to drive him to school in it, but the journey would take twice as long as we slowly eased over each hump while holding our breath. A lift system does raise the front of the vehicle but even then, don't breathe out.

The width and poor visibility made inching down narrow streets of parked cars a stressful exercise, too.

The Corvette Z06 is almost too much of a racecar to live with and then you let it free on an open country road and its purpose is clear - it runs like you wouldn’t believe and screams in delight all the way, while clamping itself to the road with sticky tyres, perfectly set up suspension and proper downforce.

Steering feels mainlined though to your nervous system, the pedals under your feel like your actual feet, and it all feels like a dream until you wake up again when you reach the city limits and round abouts, and traffic and yes, speed humps.

The Corvette Z06 clearly is a car that needs to be joined by other cars in your driveway, ones that don’t even notice speed humps.

The Arkana is a bit of a mixed bag on the road. Its engine is a nice little unit but the dual-clutch auto deflates the drive experience.

At lower speeds it hesitates and then gives too much oomph all at once, which can result in some wheel spin. It means you need to be mindful at T-intersections and when turning across traffic and feather the pedals. 

This is a symptom of most dual-clutch autos but the Arkana’s is less sophisticated than say ones fitted to Volkswagens, and the Arkana doesn’t have the meaty power and torque bands of performance cars. A conventional torque converter auto would suit it better.

The Arkana does some of its best work at higher speeds, where the dual-clutch is more decisive and it's an admirable highway cruiser. 

It isn’t a bad operator through the bends where it exerts excellent body control to minimise rolling. This is complemented by nice steering that is well weighted and accurate. Pedal feel is excellent with no woody or doughy feel to them.

The suspension is on the firmer side and you’ll feel some harsh bumps, especially over consistent smaller ones that it will crash over.

Its rear torsion beam suspension set-up is less sophisticated than the multilink arrangements found in an increasing number of competitors in the segment.

Road noise is noticeable at higher speeds. There's a fair bit of wind noise, too, but it was an especially windy day on our test drive.

The Arkana isn’t a sports car but is a stylish SUV for punting around town and facilitating weekend getaways, but there are other compact players that answer this brief better.

The Arkana holds a maximum five-star ANCAP rating, but it is based on the 2019 crash test of the Renault Captur, with which it shares much of its underpinnings. This rating is due to expire in late 2025.

There are six airbags and a range of active driver aids included as standard and the update adds a 360-degree camera view to all grades.

This joins auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, radar cruise control and speed sign recognition.

A lot of carmakers just tick the box for active driver aids but don’t think of the calibration. Not Renault. The driver aids barely interjected during the launch drive and only chirped up when needed, which is a welcome reprieve from the overly touchy and nannying sensors found in other cars.

GMSV covers the Corvette with a three-year/100,000km warranty which is short by current standards where carmakers typically offer a duration of five years/unlimited kilometres.

One of the appealing sides to the Corvette is that it’s made by a down-to-Earth American car company and a longer warranty offering peace of mind would seem more appropriate.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 12,000km, with capped-price servicing sadly unavailable.

There is one part of Renault’s ownership credentials that others can’t match.

Its service intervals are every 12 months and a whopping 30,000km, which is double the industry norm of 15,000km. 

If you need to do big kays such as a sales rep or rideshare driver might this will be extremely important.

Five years or 150,000km of capped price servicing visits costs $2385, which is one the expensive side compared to Honda, Hyundai and Toyota but is in the ballpark of similar-sized Kias and Volkswagens.

Renault covers the Arkana with a five year/unlimited km warranty - par for the course in the mainstream market - and five years of roadside assistance.