Renault Captur: Features explained

The crossover segment is indeed a hard fought battle for automakers. The customer expectation is rather high, and manufacturers are always trying something new to stay ahead of the competition. French automaker Renault may just have the recipe with their Captur, it is Europe’s best-selling crossover in the segment after all. Many of these crossovers start life as a hatchback, and the Captur has its underpinnings from the Clio.

The exterior design of the Captur is rather striking and bold. The front is dominated by the large Renault badge housed in a gloss black chrome treatment that extends all the way to the headlights. Lower down on the bumper are large C-shaped DRLs which encompass the fog lights, these are embedded in a square housing. The stylish ‘Y’ shaped 17-inch inch alloys draw your attention from the side while the unique LED lighting signature of the taillights will unmistakably let you know that you are behind a Captur. The Captur also comes with bright dual-tone paintwork giving this crossover a youthful, exuberant look.

On the inside, the Renault Captur has an array of creature comforts and features to keep most of us happy. You get things like leather seats, a 7-inch infotainment system (with built-in online/offline navigation, app support, Bluetooth connectivity), a wing-shaped driver instrument cluster featuring a digital speedometer, reverse camera, electric folding outside mirrors (which open/close when you unlock/lock the car), keyless entry via a key card, cruise control with speed limiter, and auto headlights/wipers.

The Captur is also rather practical. The big 455-litre boot ensures you have enough space for all your luggage and the rear seats also fold in a 60:40 split to open up even more space. A unique feature in this segment is the sliding rear seats. Storages spaces are aplenty with a unique storage area on top of the dashboard to conveniently place small items. Finding your ideal driving position is also a breeze with the height-adjustable driver’s seat and tilt/telescopic steering wheel.

Safety is paramount in today’s world, and the Captur specs certainly has you covered in this regard. It gets the highest 5-star Euro NCAP crash test rating and comes with four airbags as standard. Other safety features include ISOFIX anchor points (front and rear outermost seats), hill-start assist, rear park assist, ABS with EBA, electronic stability control, and auto-door lock when driving and driver seatbelt reminder.

Now, let us come to the ‘heart’ of this crossover. Powering the Captur is the sole 1.2-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor (dubbed TCe 120). Power figures come in at a respectable 120 PS at 5,000 RPM and 205 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm. Transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) transmission. In a bid to maximize fuel efficiency, this French crossover comes with an ECO mode. When activated, it will adjust the Captur’s drive to be more economical and can save up to 10% of additional fuel. This little motor is also EURO 6 compliant and has a combined fuel efficiency of 5.9-litre per 100 km. With a 45-litre fuel tank capacity, you will not have to make too many pit stops during your weekly runabouts. The variable power-assisted steering is light in the city and weighs up at speed to give you easy manoeuvrability. Suspension duties at the front are handled by a McPherson type setup with a rectangular lower arm and anti-roll bar while at the rear you get a flexible axle with programmed deflection and spiral springs.

If you want something more than the standard Captur, Renault has introduced a limited-edition Captur+. So, how is this different from the regular variant? Well, for starters you get dual-tone front/rear bumpers which give the illusion of a skid plate. Next, you have chrome door sill guards with ‘CAPTUR’ emblazoned on them. The stand out feature on the Captur+ is the hands-free power tailgate. All you have to do is kick your foot under the rear bumper to open/close the tailgate, nifty indeed! On the inside, the limited-edition model features maroon leather seats and gets a front adjustable armrest with storage. Perhaps the most useful feature on the Captur+ is the Digital Video Recorder (dash cam). The system records at 1080p and has Wi-Fi connectivity to retrieve your videos. This will be extremely useful in the unfortunate event of an accident. A trunk entry guard and trunk tray complete the list of changes on the Captur+.

You can get the Captur in a choice of 4 colors. These are Atacama Orange with Diamond Black roof, Ocean Blue with Diamond Black roof, Pearl White with Diamond Black roof, and Flame Red with Diamond Black roof. If you choose the Flame Red and White colors, Renault is throwing in some extra accessories. These are front/rear door sill guards and trunk tray.

Pricing for the Renault Captur starts from RM 107,980 and comes with a 5 year/100,000 km service package (including parts and labour). Renault also provides unlimited mileage warranty along with 24 hours roadside assistance, free pick-up service during scheduled maintenance, and mobility solutions (in case your Captur needs to be in the service centre for more than 48 hours).

With a great feature set and looks to match, the Captur is a great option for anyone looking for a B-segment SUV. It competes with the likes of the Mazda CX-3 and Mitsubishi ASX.