Renault Arkana vs Toyota Kluger
What's the difference?

Renault Arkana

$36,990 - $45,990

2026 price

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Toyota Kluger

$49,888 - $87,777

2025 price

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Chery Tiggo 8 PRO MAX

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2026 Renault Arkana

2025 Toyota Kluger

By Emily Agar

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.3L

Inline 4, 2.5L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

5.9L/100km (combined)

5.6L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Stylish, distinctive design
Great boot space and practicality
Responsive handling

Still looks good inside and out
Decent features round out comfort
Practical and easy to drive

Dislikes

Mild-hybrid gains feel limited
Snug rear seat space
Slow off the mark

Lacking some newer charging options
No child anchor points in third row
Adaptive cruise control not well-tuned

2026 Renault Arkana Summary

This time around my family of three has been reviewing the updated Renault Arkana Esprit Alpine mild-hybrid, and you might be wondering… why?

In a market that is positively bursting at the seams with established and new competition, including full-hybrid rivals like the Honda HR-V RS and Hyundai Kona Premium, the Arkana has its work cut out for it.

It’s also a slightly unusual proposition, pairing the raised ride height of an SUV with the swooping roofline of a coupe, while sticking with a mild-hybrid powertrain as more and more rivals make the jump to full-hybrid.

So, does this small French SUV coupe still have enough going for it to stand out from the crowd?

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2025 Toyota Kluger Summary

Straight off the bat, let's just acknowledge that there's nothing new about the Toyota Kluger large SUV for 2025 – but that might not be a bad thing.

In a world where there seems to be some new fangdangled piece of car tech out there that works on paper but not in reality - like keyfobs that don't unlock the car properly, or multimedia systems that are just too darn smart for their own good.

There is something quite charming about the familiar specs and on-road comfort of the mid-spec Toyota Kluger GXL seven-seater we're family testing this week. In true Toyota style, it has a healthy mix of the tradition thrown in with workable technology.

It's newer seven-seat SUV rivals might try to tell you that the old Kluger is starting to fall behind, but is it? Or will simplicity win out for tired parents who just want an SUV to do what it says it will?

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Renault Arkana 2025 Toyota Kluger

Verdict

The Renault Arkana Esprit Alpine mild-hybrid combines some serious design flair with a reasonable amount of practicality for a smaller family, but it’s hard to ignore the lack of improvement in efficiency following the addition of the mild-hybrid system. That said, it still succeeds on some fronts. It just does it quietly.

Verdict

The Toyota Kluger GXL Hybrid has been the ultimate SUV this week, as it fits my gear and family in comfort, the on-road handling is excellent and the fuel usage makes owning this long term actually feasible.

This is a great example of a mid-spec seven-seater that is both functional and comfortable. There’s lots to satisfy here and even though it hasn’t been updated, it may be a case of ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’.

Renault Arkana vs Toyota Kluger What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Renault Arkana vs Toyota Kluger
What's the difference?