Renault Captur Review – Hands-on
It's a good compact crossover that drives well, but it's a bit boring
The awkwardly named Renault Captur is a supermini crossover vehicle designed to compete with the very popular Nissan Juke. Indeed, it shares the same powertrain as the Juke due to a Renault and Nissan partnership.
The version we drove had a 1.5-litre, four cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that develops a maximum output of 90bhp at 4,000rpm, as well as a manual five-gear transmission. Although it looks like a 4×4, it’s front-wheel drive, as are all other Captur models. That doesn’t really matter, though, as the Captur is designed to provide the space and versatility of an MPV, the high driving position and looks of an SUV and the small form factor of a supermini.
It certainly looks the part, with its sporty yet conventional styling and 200mm ground clearance. The Captur’s more mainstream in appearance than the Juke, and we think it’s prettier, but the Juke’s quirky styling is a big part of its attraction and character.
However, a big selling point of the Captur is the ability to personalise it with two different colour tones, which does add a little quirkiness to the Captur. You could, for example, have an orange body and black roof or vice versa. Inside, you could then have a predominantly dark interior with orange plastic trim around switchgear and on the seats. It’d be easy to dismiss this personalisation as a gimmick, but it’s actually a very good way of livening up the interior of your car and adding a little bit of individuality.
For instance, we initially drove a black Captur with dark trim, and it felt miserable, boring and uninviting. Later, we drove a Captur with a black and orange trim, which really lifted the feel of the car and made it a much nicer and pleasant place to be.
The Captur’s cabin is on par with the trim levels of a typical supermini. It’s predominantly plastic, but it feels solid and well built. It looks modern and stylish, if a little spartan. The three rear seats should carry adults comfortably over short distances. Conveniently, you can adjust the rear seats to provide more luggage space in the boot or more legroom for your passengers.
Its boot has a maximum capacity of 377 litres, which isn’t huge, but that can be increased further to 1235 litres if you fold the rear seats down fully. You can also split the rear seats if required.
PERFORMANCE
The captur doesn’t have great acceleration, but it’s quick enough not to feel sluggish. Renault claims the manual Captur that we drove will reach 60mph in 13.1 seconds, which feels about right. Indeed, it’s an easy car to drive, coping well with corners, hills and roundabouts on our test route. There’s a slight bit of body roll, but nothing you wouldn’t expect. The driving position is higher than that of a regular supermini, but not so high that you feel conspicuous.
Its claimed fuel economy is good, with a combined fuel consumption of 76.4mpg, making it an economical alternative to a traditional SUV.
COST
The Captur starts from £12,495 on the road for the basic 0.9-litre, three cylinder Expression model, rising to £18,895 for the 1.5-litre dCI 90 model with EDC automatic transmission in Dynamique S MediaNav trim. All Captur models are turbocharged.
The car we tested costs £19,095 on the road, up from a basic £16,395 due to the options fitted, such as heated seats, metallic paint, rear parking camera and Renault R-Link.
We like the Captur, but it isn’t as exciting to drive as its looks suggest. It’s great as a compact crossover, and the ability to personalise your car is big plus in its favour, but we did find it a bit boring to drive. Saying that feels harsh, as the base model is pretty cheap and the Captur will suit a good many people, but that’s how it felt.
To configure your own Captur and arrange a test drive, go to the Renault website.
