We have tested a good few crossovers this year however I think I can safely say none look quite as funky as the new Renault Captur. Renault has come to the crossover market slightly late this time round and with brands like Nissan leading the way with the Juke, it’s a difficult field to make headway in. So what will make the Captur different from the Juke or indeed the Peugeot 2008? Well, it’s all about personalisation with the Captur and there is a range of eye-watering colour schemes that incorporate alternative painted roof options, funky graphics and lots of chrome. In many ways the king of Crossover personalisation is the Mini Countryman but you need much deeper pockets to get personal in one of those!
Kicking off at a reasonable €19,390 the Captur is well priced and hoping to emulate the success of this years Clio which it shares the same underpinnings with. I’m driving the TCe 90, which is an 898cc three-cylinder petrol engine. It might sound small for a vehicle of this size but if you are prepared to work the gearbox in a sensible fashion you should see well over 50mpg. The other engine option available here in Ireland is the dCi 90, which is the diesel equivalent that can return up to 78mpg whilst emitting just 95g of CO2. There are also two choices of trim level that include Life and Intense. Both offer adequate standard features with the Intense I drove, being the higher spec’d option of the two.
Driving the Captur for a week was a pleasure. It’s not quick by any means but the little three-cylinder thumps along nicely once you are up in the rev range. Inside, the Captur is comfortable and well appointed with Renault’s cool Media Nav multimedia system with 7-inch touch screen, R-Plug & Radio+, navigation and Bluetooth. It’s simple to use and the Tom Tom nav is clear and concise. The rear bench seat slides to offer either more legroom or additional load space but for practicality all seats have a zip removable lining that can be washed, ideal for young families! The boot space was also generous with 377 litres of space and a further 455 litres when the seats are folded down. I certainly had no problem getting my little girl and all her bits loaded for a weekend at the grandparents.
My press car included the style pack which had 17-inch black alloys and tinted rear windows at an additional cost of €250. For piece of mind a five year unlimited mileage warranty is also available on the new Captur and as always Renault Finance are on hand to put the perfect payment plan in place to have you driving a 141 Captur. Personally I liked the Captur, I think it’s cool, well appointed and better looking that its competitors. The only change I would make is for the diesel power plant. Hell I’d even choose the Arizona Orange with Ivory Roof!
[table “155” not found /]
