“When you look at the development of cars around the world, SUVs are a big thing, electric is a big thing, so it would probably make sense in the future for Renault Sport to look at SUVs and EVs. [However], the strong point of RS’s handling and road-holding. Which is slightly paradoxical with what an SUV is all about,” RS International General Manager, Jean Calcat, told Australia’s goauto.com.au  last month.

“So, say we’re Porsche: we’re German, we need big engines for the autobahns, and German drivers will go flat-out on the autobahns whenever they like to. So, for Porsche to do a Cayenne or Macan with a big engine, it makes a lot of sense … but I would say that for us French manufacturers, it is a little bit more difficult to find the right solution”.

Despite the reported concerns, Calcat did admit than an RS SUV is being developed, and while declining to go into any further details, the marque’s Managing Director for Australia, Andrew Moore, signalled out the Russian market Arkana as the ideal candidate. Now though, Brazilian automotive artist Kleber Silva has provided a glimpse of what such a model could look like.

Finished in the signature RS Liquid Yellow hue and sporting the same alloy wheels as the new Megane RS, the render shows the Arkana outfitted with the hot hatch’s front bumper, complete with the RS checkered flag inspired daytime running LEDs, and the centrally located exhaust integrated into the diffuser.

Whereas the standard Arkana will make do with a range of normally aspirated petrol engines and a single turbodiesel, the RS, if it ever reaches production, will use the Megane’s 1.8-litre turbo that produces 206kW/390Nm, and equipped with either a six-speed manual or six-speed EDC gearbox.

At present, it remains unknown as to when the RS badged SUV will make its appearance, or on which model it will be based.