Renault Captur

The cabin of the new 5-seater Renault Captur hasn’t undergone a sea change from before. The all-black interiors complement bright exterior colours that the Captur is being offered with. The infotainment system has been now updated and while it still doesn’t offer your ‘now’ quintessential Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, there is Bluetooth connectivity as well as USB and AUX input. There is also the onboard navigation system as well as the Eco coach that guides one to drive in the economy zone and how much of a carbon footprint he or she is reducing on a daily basis. The touchscreen itself is pretty high resolution stuff. While the seats are comfortable enough, the back bench holds a trick. It can slide aft and make way for more luggage. Speaking of which, the boot space is 377 litres. This can be increased to a good 455 litres if the back seat is pushed ahead. The seats also fold 60:40 and can accommodate around 800 litres of luggage. We liked the cabin fit and finish of the 2018 Renault Captur. While the texture of the plastics still feels hard, its not so much as before, Everything seems to be put in tightly too. Auto wipers, cruise control, automatic climate control, rear parking sensors and camera rounds up the features list.

The dimensions of the car are unchanged at 4,122mm length, 1,778mm width as well as 1,566 height. Renault has altered the front grille slightly and while it still is has that big lozenge in the middle, the slats are a bit more flattened. The HID projectors have been changed to now accommodate all-LED headlights. The C-shaped fog lamp nacelles have LED DRLs around them. Renault has also added LED fog lights as well as tail lamps. Both the front as well as rear bumper have been redesigned. Move on to the side and you notice that there are snazzy 17-inch alloys wrapped in 205/55 section tyres. The rear hasn’t changed much. This Renault is based on the ‘B’ platform that also is the basis of the new Clio. The Renault Captur available in India looks the same but it is built on the rugged B0 platform that also underpins the Duster. It is said that given Malaysia’s road conditions which are very good at the moment, Renault opted for a much more modern chassis for the Captur. It is said that the Captur because of its looks as well as features is one of the most sold SUVs in Europe.

The ride quality of the Renault Captur is a bit stiff. Over ruts and other stuff, these do transmit some shock into the cabin. At speeds, the behavior improves and the suspension is able to soak up irregularities. This stiffness though helps while cornering. Usually one associates SUVs to be top-heavy. But the Renault Captur does hold on to its intended line. Credit must also be given to the sticky tyres. The steering is a tad heavy in the city though but has great feedback overall.

The Renault Captur uses a turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol motor that makes 120PS and 190Nm. This engine is mated to a 6-speed Efficient Dual Clutch transmission or EDC in Renault speak. If you’ve used dual clutch transmissions before, most likely from the VW group, you will find the Renault’s unit a bit lacking. It holds on to gears at slower speeds instead of upshifting. Out on the highway, at the top gear, you find the engine pulling nicely sans any hiccup. We liked the refinement of the engine, however, given its sporty intent, Renault could have dialled in a bit of a throaty roar towards the top. Renault claims a top speed close to 200kmph with a 0-100 time of 11s. The real world mileage is close to 13kmpl with the Eco mode bringing in a slight increase to 13.22kmpl. While there haven’t been reliability issues with the EDC, unlike the DSG, it will have been great if Renault could tune it to ensure smooth shifts at lower speeds. The company does claim to have revised the internals of this motor to make for a better driveability.

Renault offers four airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Anti-Slip Regulation, ABS, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Hill Start Assist as well as Emergency Brake Assist with the Captur. ISOFIX child seat mounts too are available. In the ASEAN NCAP tests, the Renault Captur scored five stars and this is a testimony of its safety.