Being the ideal model for Renault’s “Drive the Future” plan, the Captur is one of the best-selling small-SUV across Europe after its first launch in 2013. The new Captur arrives with revised mechanics, updated looks, and it is more practical and tech-heavy. But should you consider it over the Kia Niro and Mazda CX-3? Let’s find out.

Overview

Since its launch, the Captur has been massively popular across Europe and also in the Asian market where its compact form factor makes it easier to get around in traffic. However, Renault has been planning for the future of the Captur and tried to be strategic as the company is calling it the “three pillars of mobility”

Electric-powered - It is stated that by the end of the program, the all-new Captur will be the first be powered by the E-TECH plug-in hybrid engine.

Connected - Renault ensures that all of its cars will come with a modern connectivity system and the new Captur represents all of it from the EASY CONNECT platform and an advanced multimedia system.

Autonomy - By 2022, the company plans to implement some sort of autonomous driving capabilities to their 15 B-segment cars, and the new Captur will be one of the firsts besides the Clio to have any function like that.

All these strategies seem to be very effective as it is seen that the company is making efforts to implement them as guided. The new Captur starts at around $21,000, gets a plug-in hybrid variant which we will talk about a bit later, and other multimedia functions such as a 10-inch TFT instrument cluster as optional add-ons.

Trims And Features

With the previous three trims on the market - Play, Iconic, and S Edition, Renault recently added two more trims - SE Limited and R.S. Line. The Play starts at around $20,000 and has features like:

- 1.0-liter turbo three-cylinder engine

- Cruise control

- Automatic climate control

- Lane-keeping assist

- 17-inch alloy wheels

The new SE Limited sits between the and Play and the Iconic and comes with features, including:

-7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment screen

- Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

- Navigation

- Automatic emergency braking

The S Edition, and the new R.S. Line are very similar but the latter is more expensive as it has a more powerful engine as standard. The plug-in hybrid powertrain offers best fuel economy in the range. Apart from these, the front has the F1-styled bumper, enhanced interior like a leather steering wheel, sport seats, and other goodies.

Renault Captur Trims And Features

Exterior

It seems that Renault has made the Captur attractive in every possible way, and the exterior design is one of them. The overall looks are very sharp and sporty. The updated front fascia now has all-LED headlamps with C-shaped DRLs that elevate its sportier looks and a decent-sized chrome intake grille. The front bumpers sport two air deflectors which enhance aerodynamics as claimed by the company and help in getting better fuel efficiency. The rear gets similarly designed C-shaped LED taillights that are sleek. The rear bumper is silver-colored and has a single exhaust outlet under it. As standard, the Captur comes with 17-inch alloy wheels and can be upgraded to 18 inches wheels.

In terms of dimensions, the Captur is compact like a budget hatchback but holds a few key features like an SUV, including the 6.8-inch ground clearance that is quite good. It is 166.4 inches long and has a wheelbase of 103.8 inches, which is longer than the previous generation.The curb weight is quite low at 2,624 pounds, which is also a key to a good economy.

Renault Captur Exterior Dimensions

Interior

Jumping into the cabin seems quite surprising as the new Captur has been reworked from its earlier generations. The cabin materials are majorly soft to touch that includes the dashboard and door panels. The new addition is the “Smart Cockpit” which includes a 9.3-inch optional touchscreen display at the center and a 7-inch driver information display which can be upgraded to a 10-inch panel for better suite and accessibility. As standard, the steering wheel is faux leather-wrapped and the seats are cloth-covered. The R.S. Line gets sports seats with leather upholstery as standard. Overall the cabin experience is pretty good for the segment and offers good comfort and outward visibility which is a must if you are driving it around the city.

Renault has offered the consumers to customize the cabin according to their choice, and that makes the Captur a very modern-looking SUV even if you opt for the base trim with proper customization. The cabin can hold up to 5 people and will be fine for city commutes. Up to 4 people are recommended for long highway drives. The cabin is spacious to an extent and the wider body and longer wheelbase ensure a bit more legroom at the rear. This small SUV is more practical than ever with 19 cubic-feet of cargo capacity. Here are a few interior features worth mentioning:

- Dual-zone automatic climate control.

- 10-inch driver information display.

- Leather-wrapped steering wheel.

- Leather seats. (Optional)

- Heated seats.

- 12V accessory socket in the rear.

The infotainment system is Renault’s “Smart Cockpit” which offers a 9.3-inch touchscreen display that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard. The user interface is quite easy to use but there are a few lags that are noticed while toggling through the settings and menus. There are features like Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio, satellite navigation, and many more as standard. A few of the major infotainment system features are as follows:

- 9.3-inch touchscreen display.

- Satellite navigation.

- DAB radio.

- Bluetooth connectivity.

- Ambient lighting.

- Wireless charging.

Powertrain And Performance

Renault has offered up to 3 engines for the Captur. The smallest engine of the bunch is the 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that pumps out a modest 90 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque. It comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The next in line is a 1.3-liter turbocharged inline-four engine puts out 140 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. This engine comes mated with either a seven-speed EDC which is basically a dual-clutch transmission or a six-speed manual depending on your choice. The last of the bunch is a plug-in hybrid setup where a 1.6-liter inline-four engine is coupled with two electric motors and a 9.8kWh battery. Both when combined, put out 160 horsepower and a whopping 256 pound-feet of maximum torque. There is no all-wheel-drive option available even as an optional extra.

But what about performance? Well the base engine does knot to 60 miles an hour in 11 seconds which is acceptable given the lower power figures. The 1.3-liter turbocharged engine does better in acceleration and takes 9.2 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. The plug-in hybrid is slightly slower despite holding bigger power figures and does accelerate up to 60 miles an hour in 10.1 seconds. In terms of fuel economy, the WLTP estimates that the base engine will deliver about 47.9 miles per gallon combined which is slightly lower than what the 1.3-liter has to offer. The latter engine delivers about 48.7 miles a gallon. The best among the bunch is the plug-in hybrid engine which delivers about 188.3 miles combined economy where it can run 28 miles on battery power.

Renault Captur Performance

Competition

While the new Renault Captur is pretty for the sub $20,000 price tag, there are a few competitors which are not backing off anytime soon. The Kia Niro and the Mazda CX-3 are already on sale in the US market and both of them are quite consistent in their existence. The Kia Niro starts at around $26,000 and packs similar specs to the similarly priced Captur. The Mazda CX-3 is priced similarly to the Captur and packs a powerful engine but misses out on interior quality and electronics.

Conclusion

Renault has grown its small-car segment with the Clio and Captur and the latter has been one of the bests if you see it from a value proposition. But that said, it is recommended to opt for the 1.3-liter engine to gain the extra power figure over the base model, and also the highly customizable interiors are not seen much in the segment.