There once was a time when coupe-SUVs were exclusively a premium segment affair, but not anymore as mainstream brand Renault is getting ready to dip its toes into this niche. Debuting this week at the Moscow International Auto Salon in Russia, the Arkana is a compact SUV with a coupe-esque roofline for those seeking more style and willing to compromise on rear headroom and cargo capacity.

Renault calls this a showcar, but this is likely as close to production as possible. The sleek side mirrors will probably go up a size for the road-going model, but everything will probably remain almost the same. Images of the interior are not available for the time being, which means it’s either not ready yet or Renault simply doesn’t want us to see it.

Riding on large 19-inch wheels, the Arkana adopts Renault’s latest design language with full-LED headlights shaped like a “C” and with a full-width LED strip at the back where we’re noticing the dual exhaust tips (hopefully those are real.) The new model rides on a modified platform of the Russian-market Kaptur, which is essentially a slightly bigger variant of the European-spec Captur. Technical specifications are not available, though.

We have to admit the Arkana doesn’t look half bad for what it is, a coupe-SUV, but it’s still hard to get used to the idea of such a combination. The first country to get the production-ready model will be Russia in 2019, with Asia and other parts of the world to follow. Interestingly, Renault says the car’s styling will be adapted to local preferences, which means the Arkana is not going to look exactly the same in all markets.

Oddly enough, there are currently no plans to sell the model in Europe where it would serve as a cheaper alternative to the BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupe.

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