Renault Captur road test review | First drive

Exterior Design and Features of the new Renault Captur

The Renault Captur is being termed as India’s first premium SUV with crossover DNA. The Renault Captur has been built on the globally successful B0 (B zero) platform of Renault Nissan Alliance which is the stretched wheelbase platform from which was derived the Dacia Duster.

The vehicle is quite chic in its appearance, with a fashion-inspired dual tone body colour. This vehicle is marginally wider and longer than Duster. In its segment in the country, it is the widest and longest. The vehicle has a length of 4329mm, a width of 1813 mm and a height of 1619mm. The vehicle has a wheelbase of 2673mm.

The vehicle comes with a smart set of lamps both in front and rear. There is a sparkle full LED headlamps with unique floating side indicators and C-shaped Sapphire LED DRLs. At the rear are the Ripple Tail Lamps. The vehicle sits on R17 Crystal Cut alloys wheels that accentuate the side profile of the vehicle.

A closer look at the bonnet reveals that it is elegantly creased and along with the front bumper and the Satin Finish Front & Rear Skid Plates and thick fenders, the vehicle looks quite stylish. There is a dash of chrome on its front and sides. The vehicle has a very good ground clearance of 210mm (unladen) which meant our drive through some very bumpy tracks was complete without a hitch.

Interior Design and Features of the new Renault Captur

Once you step inside the Captur, you are greeted with a very subtle and elegant interior. However, the dash and the instrument cluster look more than familiar, giving it a not so chic appearance. The vehicle has ErgoDesign leather seats which offer immense comfort. These seats are 6-way adjustable and feature enhanced lumbar support. There are no electronic adjustments here, and all you get are manual adjustments for the seats. I found the driver seat perched a little high, something that could be a problem for drivers who are around 6 feet tall.

The arm rest between the driver and the co passenger is fixed and cannot be extended. Nor does the arm rest open up to reveal a storage space. But since the A pillar area has a lot of glass, the view from front is almost wraparound panoramic. At night, one can also indulge in some mood lighting with LED ambient lighting. The moment you open the door at night, a series of puddle lights illuminate the area beneath the door sills.

Storage space within the cabin of the Captur is just about okay with space for small bottles on the door panels. The glove box too is quite deep for storing things. The Captur Platine features ultra-premium white and gold interiors and takes the feel of sophistication a notch higher with AC vents engulfed in chrome, along with the stylish bezel with golden finish.

The car has a user-friendly new generation Integrated Intelligent ULC 3.0 multimedia navigation system which comes with a seven-inch display featuring radio and Bluetooth technology, voice recognition (for iOS), maps along with temperature and time display. The Renault Captur is equipped with an automatic AC with surround illumination and rear cooling vents. The steering wheel is adjustable for rake but not for reach. The boot area has a capacity of 392 litres which can be increased to 1352 Litres when you push down the rear seats. Unfortunately, there is no 60:40 split for the rear seats.

Engine and Performance of the new Renault Captur

The Renault Captur comes with both petrol and diesel powertrains, the ones currently powering the Duster in India. For the petrol option, doing duty is a 16 valves 4 cylinder 1.5L H4K petrol engine mated to a 5 speed manual gear box, producing 104.5 bhp at 5,600 rpm and 142 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The diesel version is powered by the 1.5L K9K diesel engine (common rail injection), mated to 6 speed manual gear box, delivering a maximum power of 108.4 bhp at 4,000 rpm and peak torque of 240 Nm at 1,750 rpm. Unfortunately, Renault is not offering an automatic transmission for the Captur.

We drove the diesel powered variant. We felt that power delivery of this engine should have been a bit more linear and maybe a little more power could have done justice to this big vehicle.

We were pleased with the suspension of the vehicle which was not too stiff or too soft. While it took the smooth roads with enough grace, on uneven roads, it did toss us around a wee bit. But we were not complaining at all. In front are Mac Pherson strut with Lower Transverse link and coil spring while at the rear the vehicle has Rear Twist beam suspension with coil spring Twin tube Telescopic shock absorber

As for safety, the vehicle is built on a reinforced body and is equipped with a host of active and passive safety features including dual airbags, side airbags, Antilock-Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) & Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Hill Start Assist.  Features like Cruise Control, and a Speed Limiter, which restricts speed within limits selected by the driver will be useful to many a driver. The vehicle has 2 lateral ISOFIX fixtures with top-tether in the rear seat for enhanced child safety.

People who will be buying the Captur in India, will have the option of personalising the vehicle in several ways. Renault is offering the option of further enhancing both the car’s interior and exterior with 2 innovative themed personalisation packs – Diamond Deck and Urban Connect. That means one can spruce up the vehicles style quotient a lot more at the dealer end itself.

Verdict

To our understanding, the Renault Captur will be giving a strong competition to its own Duster and the Hyundai Creta. The Renault Captur with its extremely good looks and great practical capabilities will definitely appeal to a large number of people who like sophistication and value for their buy.