Volkswagen Golf vs Renault Arkana

What's the difference?

Like the generations that preceded it, the current VW Golf 8.5 is a high-quality, comfortable and efficient small car. Add in good looks, space-efficiency, thoughtful practicality as well as class-competitive safety and you have the makings of a compelling package. The potential sticking point is this entry-level 110TSI Life’s value proposition in terms of included features relative to its purchase price and ongoing cost of ownership.  

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.

The team at VW’s Design Centre in Wolfsburg grapples with the same challenge when it comes to evolving the Golf as their contemporaries down the autobahn at Porsche face with the 911.

Over successive generations it must remain instantly recognisable as a Golf but move on to a more contemporary look and feel.

And although it’s always a subjective call I’d argue the current ‘8.5’ generation Golf answers the brief nicely.

Its neat, tightly wrapped exterior aligns with the classic Golf profile while including enough detail elements like the angular tail-lights and broad C-pillar to pass the badge removal test. Take away the VW roundels and this car is still clearly a Golf.

Neat touches include illuminated door handle recesses and broad-spoke alloy wheels that lift the visual tone.

Inside, the same juggling act stands up with sizeable screens for instruments and media balanced by a typically teutonic dash, door and console layout (with soft-touch surfaces at key points). Conservative but ultra-functional and easy to live with.

One niggle is haptic slider controls for audio volume and ventilation adjustment below the media screen rather than physical dials (although a steering wheel volume rocker switch helps). 

I’d describe the Arkana as muscular and sporty, with its strong body lines, twin exhausts and 19-inch alloys. The Satin Grey matt paintwork only enhances this grunty exterior styling.

From the outside, the biggest differences between this and its mid-spec sibling come down to the darker accents across the body and grille, along with the Alpine badging. And while that pronounced rear-end won’t be to everyone’s taste, it certainly gives the Arkana a defined personality on the road.

The Esprit Alpine shines inside the cabin, with synthetic leather and synthetic suede liberally used throughout, while contrasting blue stitching on the seats and blue seatbelts highlight Renault’s Formula 1 ‘Alpine’ racing roots.

There’s some real flair inside that this segment can sometimes lack, and I love how many physical controls there are, from the traditional gear shifter and rotary sunroof dial to the satisfyingly clicky buttons. It’s very ASMR-coded.

At close to 4.3 metres long, less than 1.8m wide and under 1.5m tall with a 2631mm wheelbase the Golf sits at the more compact end of the small-car spectrum.

But there’s plenty of head and shoulder room up front with relatively large doors making entry and egress easy.

Storage is plentiful with bins in the doors large enough to swallow large bottles, a decent glove box, an open tray in the dash for the front passenger and twin cupholders in the centre console (one able to hide away for extra general storage), a wireless device charging bay and a coin or pen slot next to the gear selector. 

Special mention goes to the padded lid on the storage box between the front seats, which in modern VW style, can ratchet up through three positions and extend out to make its side hustle as an armrest even more valuable.

Move to the back and, understandably, there’s adequate rather than copious amounts of space, roughly on a par with others in the class.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I have decent leg and headroom and there’s enough width for three (friendly) full-size adults on a short journey but it’s best for two.

There are generous door bins, again with room for large bottles, map pockets on the front seatbacks, two (and a half) cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and an oddments slot under twin adjustable vents at the rear of the front centre console.

Power and connectivity runs to dual USB-C jacks and a 12-volt socket up front, with another two USB-Cs in the back and a 12V in the boot.

Speaking of which, the boot measures 374 litres (VDA) with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat upright expanding to 1230L with it folded.   

Interestingly, the Golf’s Corolla nemesis offers only 217 litres of boot space with all seats up. But the flagship ZR grows to 333L because it ditches a physical spare tyre for a repair/inflator kit.

Something the Golf, to VW’s credit, doesn’t do, with a space-saver spare under the boot floor. Numerous load anchors and bag hooks in there are a big plus.

The fact you’re able to tow a 1.5-tonne braked trailer (690kg unbraked) rounds out a solid practicality package. 

The front is roomy enough that you don’t feel penned in, and the seats hug you nicely into place. The armrest sits a little too high for me, but I like that it slides forwards. The heated function is welcome, and the seats remain supportive on a longer trip.

Storage is best up front, with a couple of cupholders, plus decent space and drink bottle holders in each door bin. The glove box is quite deep, although I reckon you’ll pop a rib if you’re on the shorter side trying to access it from the driver’s seat!

In front of the gear-selector is where all of the charging options are and its easy to have them all in one place, with two USB-A ports, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad, although it’s easy for your phone to slide off while you’re driving. For a flagship grade, it's a little disappointing we're not seeing any faster USB-C ports.

At 9.3 inches, the multimedia display isn’t the largest, but it looks more considered than the usual ‘tablet-stuck-on-the-dash’ styling we’re seeing lately. Overall, the touchscreen is responsive and the system is simple to use. The wireless Apple CarPlay also starts up quickly and maintains a reliable connection.

One small gripe is that the volume controls are tucked away on an easy-to-miss stalk that sits behind the steering wheel. I wish they were on the steering wheel itself... because you forget they’re there.

The back seat is a little awkward to access as an adult, with a relatively small door aperture that makes it easy to knock your head on the way in. There’s also not a stack of legroom behind my driving position, and I’m only 168cm. It should suit two kids reasonably well, although my nine-year old notes the armrest sits too high and the seats are quite firm.

Amenities are decent, with two USB-A ports, map pockets and multiple drink holders.

There are two ISOFIX child-seat mounts and three top-tether anchor points, but two seats will fill this space best. You’ll also need to be careful of knocking your head when buckling any tots in.

The boot is the standout, with up to 485L of capacity when all seats are in use and that can jump up to 1268L when the rear row is folded flat.

Its capacity is more than some mid-sized SUVs, and it's handy that you can adjust the floor to two positions. It’s been more than enough for all of my family’s errands this week.

This grade also gets a powered tailgate and a temporary spare tyre.

There are just two variants available for the Renault Arkana, and we’re testing the Esprit Alpine (pronounced AL-peen for any non-Formula 1 fans), which now sports a mild-hybrid powertrain and comes with a relatively modest $990 price increase. That takes this flagship grade to $45,990, before on-road costs.

Our test vehicle is finished in Satin Grey, a matt finish that adds another $1150 to the price tag, but it’s arguably money well spent as it does some serious heavy lifting in the style department.

It’s also priced about on par with its closest hybrid rivals, with the Hyundai Kona Premium starting at $45,950 and the Honda HR-V RS from $44,400, both before on-road costs. Their full-hybrid powertrains are important to consider, though, if you're after outright efficiency.

The Esprit Alpine has the following features:

• LED headlights
• AM/FM/digital radio
• Eight-speaker Bose sound system
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Four USB-A ports
• One AUX port
• One 12-volt socket
• Satellite navigation
• 9.3-inch touchscreen multimedia display
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• Powered tailgate
• Keyless start
• Dusk-sensing headlights
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
• Temporary space-saver tyre
• Electric front seats
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Sunroof
• Alpine Blue stitching on seats, gear shift and central armrest
• French ‘tricolore’ blue, white & red stitching on the steering wheel and door trims

As its name implies the Golf 110TSI Life is powered by a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sending 110kW (there it is) and 250Nm to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel.

It’s an all-alloy unit featuring direct-injection and an air-to-water turbo intercooler with variations of it used in other VW models as well as numerous Audis, Cupras and Skodas.

VW doesn’t quote a zero to 100km/h time for the standard Golf but you can expect a number in the mid-eight second bracket.  

The Esprit Alpine is now a mild-hybrid, combining a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a 12-volt hybrid system to produce up to 116kW of power and 270Nm of torque. But that’s only 1.0kW and 8.0Nm more than the previous iteration, and it doesn’t improve overall fuel efficiency, so the benefits of the new system are limited on paper.

The idea behind the mild-hybrid system is to improve power delivery off the mark, but a firmer commitment to a proper hybrid powertrain would have done more to improve the Arkana’s efficiency and competitiveness in this increasingly electrified segment.

It’s front-wheel drive and uses a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which can seem a little unsure of itself at lower speeds but settles into its rhythm and feels more confident on the open road.

The Golf’s official fuel consumption figure for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.3L/100km, the 1.4L turbo four emitting 143g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of mainly city and suburban running with some freeway sections thrown in, we recorded an on-test average of 7.4L/100km. That’s still a respectable number in the context of the category.

Brim the 50-litre tank with minimum 95 RON premium fuel and using our real-world figure you can expect a driving range in excess of 670km.

Despite now being a mild-hybrid, its combined fuel consumption remains unchanged at 5.9L/100km. With its 50-litre fuel tank, that gives it a theoretical driving range of up to 847km, which is still a pretty great result for a family SUV.

My real-world result came in at 6.7L/100km after a mix of highway and urban driving, which is a respectable result and not too far off the official figure.

The Golf is a comfortable, refined and dynamically capable small hatch.

Suspension is strut front, four-link rear and combined with the 17-inch rims shod with comfy 225/45 Nexen N Fera Sport rubber the 110TSI Life manages to soak up typical suburban and highway bumps and dips well. Especially impressive for a small car with such a short wheelbase.

And despite the fact they’re trimmed in humble cloth, the front seats are super comfy and supportive.

An impressively slick 0.275 drag coefficient makes sense when you experience the modest wind noise at highway speeds.

The steering is vehicle speed and input-sensitive and road feel is outstanding. Slipping into ‘Sport’ mode and pushing through some twisting corners it feels like this humble 110TSI is a hot hatch in hiding.

The eight-speed auto transmission is smooth and taking control for more urgent shifts via the steering wheel paddles adds to the enjoyment when you’re in the mood or the need arises.

You’d never know the engine is turbocharged, with the 1.4-litre four-cylinder delivering its power in satisfyingly linear fashion, even at slow speed from low revs.

You can expect zero to 100km/h acceleration in the mid-eight second bracket with 250Nm of pulling power easily enough for confident urban lane changes and 110kW of power on tap for secure highway overtaking.

No surprise brakes are discs all around, vented at the front, and given the car weighs in at a trim 1345kg stopping power is strong and consistent.

Under the heading of general observations, the media system is quick and intuitive to use, all around vision is good despite the characteristically chunky C-pillar and although an 11.1-metre turning circle is a bit above the class average, parking is easy.  

The Arkana can access a decent amount of power once you’re up to speed, but it can feel underwhelming off the mark. It’s also surprisingly easy to lose a little traction when you need to accelerate quickly from a stop.

That said, once you’re up to speed on the open road, it’s more than capable of keeping up with traffic or overtaking when needed.

The suspension is on the firmer side, so you do feel some of the smaller bumps through the cabin, but otherwise I like the handling.

There’s not much body roll through corners and the steering feels responsive, making the Arkana reasonably enjoyable to drive.

The cabin is relatively quiet, although some road noise creeps in on the highway. There are three drive modes that are easy to cycle through, and Sport mode offers slightly sharper gear shifts at lower speeds, which helps give the powertrain a little more urgency.

Visibility is good from my driving position, with a fairly commanding view of the road through the front and sides.

The Arkana isn’t too difficult to park given it’s not a particularly large car, but the 360-degree camera system is underwhelming compared with some of its rivals. My husband reckoned he’d seen better graphics in 8-bit Tetris…

The Arkana’s previous maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating expired in 2025, and it hasn’t been tested since, so it’s currently unrated.

It has six airbags but does miss out on a front-centre airbag, emergency phone call capability, and front cross-traffic alert which we're starting to see become more common in this segment.

Safety equipment includes:

• Intelligent seatbelt reminder
• Two ISOFIX child seat mounts
• Three top-tether anchor points
• Mechanical child locks on rear doors
• Emergency warning lights activated under heavy braking
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian & cyclist detection
• Driver attention alert
• Forward collision warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane keeping aid
• Lane departure warning
• Traffic sign recognition
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• 360-degree camera system
• Front, rear and side parking sensors
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Hill start assist

Volkswagen Australia covers the Golf with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is on par with other mainstream brands like Ford, Mazda and Toyota, but behind a dozen others including Hyundai, Kia and Skoda at seven years/unlimited km with the likes of Honda at eight and MG, Mitsubishi and Nissan at 10 years conditional.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months/15,000km and three-, four- and five-year pre-paid service ‘Care Plans’ are available, with the latter for the Golf 110TSI Life locked in at $2940, which splits out to a relatively steep $588 per workshop visit. Pay-as-you-go ‘Assured Service Pricing’ works out at $621 per service.

For reference, a comparably priced Toyota Corolla ZR hatch will set you back a flat $250 per service for each of the first five years. 

There are more than 100 Volkswagen dealers across the country covering all states and territories including main rural and regional areas.

The Arkana is offered with Renault’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is now considered a below-average term for the class, although you do get five years of complimentary roadside assistance.

Servicing intervals are well spaced at every 12 months or 30,000km, which is great if you do heavy kays each year.

Renault also has an assured pricing structure for its scheduled services, with the Arkana averaging around $477 per service across its first five workshop visits, although the fourth is notably more expensive at $859.

Renault currently has 52 locations listed across Australia, although that figure includes some service and parts-only locations, so the network isn’t quite as extensive as some of the mainstream brands.