Renault Captur Review – Captivating and Practical

Prologue

The latest from Renault India, the Captur finds itself positioned slightly above the Duster in the manufacturer’s product portfolio. While it’s only now that the nameplate makes its India debut, the Captur, which was conceived in 2013, is responsible for Renault’s success in the fast-growing SUV-crossover segment of many markets across the globe. With its market launch taking place today, India becomes the seventy-sixth market to receive this globally acclaimed crossover. That said, there’s definitely more to this than meets the eye. The India-spec Captur is the only Right Hand Drive model in the entire world to be based on the Duster’s tried-and-tested M0 platform. It may be noted here that the Captur on sale in the UK is based on Clio’s platform. The UK-spec model gets a different set of engines, Clio’s modern platform and is significantly smaller in dimensions. The model that is has gone on sale in India is basically the RHD version of the Duster-based Kaptur SUV, which looks much like the UK-spec Captur. You get exactly the same platform and the same 1.5-litre engines as the Duster. Recently, we drove this new model in the picturesque settings of Goa. Our Renault Captur test drive review here will take you through all the details of the new SUV-crossover.

Also See- Renault Captur vs Kaptur

Chapter 1: Exterior Design & Styling

The Captur looks sufficiently modern and has a distinctly European appearance. The front fascia is characterized by a really wide grille that stretches between a pair of really sleek headlamps. The headlamps hold a set of LED fixtures, which, of course, enhance the ‘premium’ quotient along with providing excellent illumination. Furthermore, the Captur becomes the first offering in its segment to boast directional turn indicators. Other than this, this crossover-SUV has a rather sporty bumper that carries a pair of LED DRLs.

It’s in the side profile where the crossover credentials get really apparent. Compared to the boxy design of the Duster, this car gets a really sleek profile that is slightly MPV-ish. Styling highlights include a set of really attractive 17-inch alloy wheels, a liberal splash of chrome at the lower-edge of doors, and a dual-tone color scheme. The Captur offers a best-in-class ground clearance of 210 mm, which translates into a pretty bold stance.

Highlights of the rear-end include a set of stylish wrap-around LED taillamps, a prominent roof spoiler, generous usage of chrome, and a faux scuff plate. Thanks to the neatly sculpted sheet-metal and a pair of sleek taillamps, the rear-end goes on to compliment the front façade in terms of visual appeal. Overall, the new Renault Captur is a handsome crossover-SUV that is likely to enjoy a wide appeal. Also, Renault India is offering a wide range of accessories to jazz up the new car according to an individual’s taste. There are plenty of permutations and combinations to ensure that your Captur doesn’t look the same as any other Captur out there.

Chapter 2: Interior Design & Practicality

The interior is a mixed bag, really. Well, in all frankness, there’s a lot of likeable stuff here, and the manufacturer has done enough to provide a fine ambiance, but there are a few areas that stick out like a sore thumb. The highlight of the dashboard is the attractive instrument binnacle and a large touchscreen infotainment unit. That said, the center stash remains a rather simple affair, with the aircon controls invoking memories of those on the Duster. The center console is flanked by aircon vents, which, very bizarrely, don’t offer any vertical adjustment. The quality of plastics is mostly pretty high, but then, once again, some sections have a surprisingly tacky feel to them. The golden trim on the dashboard doesn’t look garish and should appeal to many.

Somewhat annoyingly, the fuse-box, which is positioned on the left-hand side of the car, eats into almost half the space inside the glovebox. Also, the front-door pockets aren’t wide enough to hold bigger bottles. Fortunately, there is a storage box in the top of the dashboard. It can easily carry your phone, wallet, and other knick-knacks. The India-spec Captur is larger than the European model. Quite unsurprisingly, you don’t get Mahindra XUV500-like space, but even the most heavily built won’t find the Captur to be cramped. The front seats are adequately comfortable and there’s an elbow-rest, too. You sit pretty high. I found myself repeatedly trying to lower the seat height through the manual control, only to realize the seat is already at the minimum setting. The really tall drivers will definitely struggle here. The rear bench is, however, really very comfortable. There is adequate legroom and the seats offer decent lumbar support. The boot space, at 392-litres, is generous. It can be further expanded to 1,352-litres by folding down the rear seats.

Renault India plans to promote the Captur as a really premium product. The fact that the company has decided to launch the new model in the top-end Platine trim pretty much validates the company’s claim. No surprise then, that, the new model comes with many bells and whistles. Other than things like rear aircon vents, premium white leather upholstery, and keyless entry and go, the new SUV-crossover also offers a large touchscreen infotainment system. This is the same unit that the Duster and even the Lodgy offer. The touchscreen doubles up as a display for the rear camera. YOu can also connect your smartphone to the system via Bluetooth. Unfortunately, there’s no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Chapter 3: Engine & Transmission

The India-spec Captur shares its engines with the Duster, which means it gets 1.5-litre Petrol and Diesel engines. For our test drive review, we drove the Diesel version, which comes with the critically-acclaimed 1.5-litre K9K Diesel engine. This engine puts out a maximum power of 110 PS and a peak torque of 260 Nm. It comes mated to a 6-speed Manual Transmission.

There’s no surprise here, the Captur drives almost exactly like the Duster. There’s a pronounced lag till around 1,800 RPM, after which this car charges forward with an almost ferocious velocity. The new crossover-SUV offers lower NVH-levels. Some of the Diesel engine clatter does find its way into the cabin, but only at really high engine speeds. It’s pretty easy to trod along at really low speeds in second gear, but a downshift is definitely required for an instant burst of acceleration. The six-speed transmission offers well-defined gear ratios and slick shifts. We really don’t have much to complain here, but an automatic gearbox should make the Captur an even more accomplished cruiser. Also, an auto ‘box should further help the company project their latest model as a really premium offering.

Chapter 4: Ride & Handling

Based on the Duster’s M0 platform, the Captur crossover-SUV behaves much like its donor sibling in this department. The ride quality is decent, and the Captur exhibits decent handling manners. The new car offers a comfortable ride over most of the surfaces and it can gobble up even some of the bigger craters without really upsetting its composure. Again, nothing surprising here as it’s much like the Duster in this aspect. Handling manners, too, are highly reminiscent of those of the Duster. However, the India-spec Captur offers a really high ground clearance of 210 mm. This has resulted in a fair amount of body-roll on pushing the car really hard in the corners. The steering is decently weighted and offers sufficient feedback. The steering dead-zone is a bit too pronounced though.

There is no 4×4 on offer and it doesn’t look like a 4×4 variant will ever go on sale in India. Given the low popularity of 4x4s, it definitely doesn’t make too much sense to offer a 4×4 model of what is essentially a crossover targeted at D-segment sedan and small SUV buyers. The high ground clearance of 210 mm does help the Captur make short work of small obstacles and slightly rough terrain.

Epilogue

Prices of the new Renault Captur start at Rs 9.99 lakh. At this price point, the new SUV is costlier than the entry-level Creta. However, the middle- and high-level variants turn out to be slightly cheaper than corresponding variants of the Korean crossover. What’s more, even the base models are really feature-laden. Well, the Captur comes across as a one-of-a-kind product that aims to blur the gap between small SUVs like Hyundai Creta and C2-segmenters like the Honda City. The Captur impresses with its distinctly European looks, sufficiently spacious interior, tried-and-tested mechanicals, and decent driving dynamics. True, the interior does have a few rough edges that need to be sorted out, but a few niggles apart, the new model has a lot going for it. A starting price of roughly Rs 10 lakh should definitely help the company attract quite a few small SUV and mid-size sedan buyers. Moreover, an automatic transmission, when launched, should make the deal even sweeter (Are you listening, Renault India?).  Even with the manual transmission, the Captur comes across as a very capable and comfortable highway cruiser. It won’t be wrong to say that the new model offers just the right mix of the comfort of a sedan and practicality of an SUV.

Renault Captur Test Drive Review – Images

Renault Captur Test Drive Review – Prices

The Captur costs more than the Duster. With a starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh for the base Petrol, and Rs 11.39 lakh for the base Diesel, the Captur goes on to rival the Hyundai Creta. Its top-end variants also challenge the entry-level models of the Mahindra XUV500 and Tata Hexa.

Also See- Upcoming New Renault Cars in India 

Renault Captur Test Drive Review – Specifications

Also See- Renault Captur vs Hyundai Creta | Renault Captur vs Mahindra XUV500 | Renault Captur vs Duster

Renault Captur Test Drive Review – Mileage 

So, what do you think of our new Renault Captur test drive review? Do you think the Captur will become the next ‘game changer’ from Renault India? Share your views with us by penning them down in the comments section below. Stay tuned for more reviews like the Renault Captur test drive review we have here.