Renault Captur Review – Its got the looks!

SUVs and more SUVs are there around us these days. Be it the sub-4 meter SUVs or the bigger ones, all are getting a revamp or an upgrade. The Renault Duster was the first affordable of the modern monocoque SUVs and it changed the market completely. This time the french marquee has upped their game further and are ready to launch their new SUV – the Renault Captur. What is this SUV (pronounced ‘Capture’) all about? Should you buy it? Read further in our review.

Design

The Renault Captur is a global SUV which is being launched in India too. This is a contemporary looking vehicle which doesn’t look like a typical SUV, but more of a crossover. It is built using the Duster platform(M0) but does not look rugged or tough like the Duster. It rather looks more sophisticated, stylish and urban. In short – good looking!

Front

The front of the Captur is attractive and reminiscent of many modern Renault vehicles globally. It gets a sleek front grille and stylish headlamps. These headlamps are full LED one and are powerful too. They have intergrated indicators which glow dynamically and look appealing. The bumper is well integrated and doesn’t seem to be added separately.  There are datime running LEDs on the bumper next to the fog lamps.

Side

From the side it has crossover proportions. The first thing to strike is the massive ground clearance, which measures 210mm. This is enormous! Enough for the deadliest of bad roads.

This is a boon if you often travel upcountry. There is a groove on the side, which gives it a slightly muscular look. The roof is available in a contrasting colour and can be customised. The Captur gets 17-inch alloy wheels which look attractive.

Rear

The rear is not much to be talked about. It gets LED taillamps , which are not very big in size. There is a chrome door sill with Captur badging and there is also a rear spoiler which is integrated. There is a scuff plate below the rear bumper. The rear reminds you of the Kwid, somewhat.

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Interiors

The interiors of the Renault Captur are new as compare to previous Renault cars we have seen. The dashboard layout is modern, however, I cannot call it premium. It gets a two tone theme (black and white). The touch and feel is pretty average.  The instrument cluster is a new one, the design of which seems inspired form sunglasses. It has a digital speedo in the centre, with the tacho and fuel guage on either sides. The driver information system is at the top and its font is very fine. The steering wheel is new and has leather wrap. It gets controls same as the Duster, which are for cruise control. There is a stalk behind which houses controls for audio and bluetooth telephony, same as the Duster / Lodgy. The steering wheel has tilt adjustment only.

The Centre console has a touchscreen system. This is again the same one that comes in the Kwid, Duster and Lodgy. We had expected a new system here, but Renault has settled for the same outdated system. It doesn’t have Mirror Link, Android Auto or Apple car play and feels primitive to operate. Storage spaces in this SUV are alright, not great. The door pads can take one litre bottles. There are cup holders below the centre console, however not very easily accessible. The plastic surrounding it feels tacky. There is a lid on the top of the dashboard that pops up to reveal some storage space. The glovebox is a narrow one with less utility, however it has a cooling vent inside, There is an armrest too, which does not have any storage, nor does it fold. This results in making it cumbersome to use the hand brake.

Space and Comfort

Comfort is good and the seats are well cushioned. You sit pretty high in the Captur, however front visibility is not very good. Some additional thigh support could have been better. The same applies to the rear as well. The rear offers good headroom and decent knee room. However, the problem is that the front seats interfere with your feet and this feels tight on space. The Captur is wide so three adults can fit well at the rear. The middle passenger though will not be comfortable due to the armrest console jetting out.

There are rear AC vents with blower control and there is a 12V charging socket behind the rear seat, on the parcel shelf.

The seats do not get a 60:40 spilt, and they have a single fold. The boot is pretty deep and can take in a lot of luggage. However, the loading lip is very high.

Features

The Captur gets a touchscreen audio system with Bluetooth and voice commands, navigation and reverse camera. It comes with segment first features like LED headlamps, automatic headlamps and rain sensing wipers. It also gets cruise control. There is no sunroof in it. The Captur will be available with many customization options as well. You can choose your roof colour, gold or chrome highlights, etc.

Engine and Performance

The Renault Captur gets the same engines as the Duster. These are a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The diesel engine comes only in a 108bhp state of tune. We drove the diesel Captur and it felt pretty similar to the Duster. The only difference is that it does not have the punch that the Duster has. The power delivery is more linear in nature. The Captur is heavier than the Duster, hence the initial punch is missing too. It cruises well though.

The engines are mated to a six-speed manual transmission. No automatic yet on this one, neither an AWD. The gear ratios have been changed as well, to offer linear acceleration. At very low speeds, like driving over a speed breaker, the vehicle even stalls in second gear and u need to shift to first gear. The clutch is slightly on the heavier side and the throttle has a long travel.

Ride and Handling 

Just as other Renault cars, the Captur too offers excellent ride quality. It gobbles up most of the potholes with ease and keeps you comfortable. This has been one of the biggest USPs of the Duster, and the Captur carries the same legacy. The cabin is also pretty silent. One can be very comfortable in this vehicle and there are no doubts about it.

In terms of handling, it was surely impressive. There is minimum body roll and this is despite the super high ground clearance. The steering feedback is similar to the Duster, which is excellent. The steering though feels heavy at parking speeds.

Safety

The Renault Captur will come with dual airbags and ABS as standard on all variants. The top variant will get multiple airbags. Braking of the Captur is pretty good and the SUV has a strong build too.

Verdict

So what would prompt you to buy the Renault Captur over the Duster and its main rival and segment leader, the Hyundai Creta? Well, that is a difficult question to answer. Yes, the Captur does look attractive and has very good road presence too, however, it comes with the same engines as the Duster, which is a tad disappointing. Though the K9K diesel engine is a widely used one and also a proven one, we think a more powerful engine or a higher powered derivative would have made the Captur more desirable, as this engine falls short in performance on this SUV. Now, it all depends upon the pricing, which will be announced shortly. As for us, we are quite impressed by the way it looks.