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Renault Captur Review

The bigger, comfier and more appealing Captur uses the platform of the Clio but can it win over the hearts of hatchback drivers?

Starting price:
From £14,575

From £14,575
Pros:
  • Easy to get in and out
  • Plenty of oomph in the 1.5 dCi 110
  • Contemporary interior
Cons:
  • Nice dash but still some scratchy plastics
  • Body roll on fast bends
  • Colour options are a bit dramatic
More On This Car
Take one for a spin or order a brochure
Request a Renault Captur brochure
Request a Renault Captur test drive

Introduction

The B segment SUVs have become incredibly popular over recent years and it is now time for a new wave of models. With the likes of the 2008 receiving a fresh facelift and high trim levels, can the Renault Captur compete? After all, this is a car that Renault hope to become their second best seller in the UK. I lived with one for just under a week to see how we got on, here’s what I found...

On The Road

Performance

The Captur is available with a nice range of engines, all of which are turbocharged, giving enough whoosh to keep you going. Our pick of the bunch is the 1.5dCi 110bhp diesel, although there is a 90bhp available too. Petrol options include a 0.9tCe and 1.2tCe units.

The 1.5 dCi is a familiar engine for us, we’ve reviewed it a number of times. See our Dacia Duster review, Dacia Logan review, Mercedes A Class review, Nissan Qashqai review and countless others. It’s a tried and tested unit the return up to 76mpg and is available with £0 road tax thanks to the thoughtfully low emissions. We found the higher powered 110 version was necessary for the Captur because although its dimensions are cute it still weighs a bit and the extra power helps the car comfortably get up to speed on the motorway, which is always handy when merging. If you do most of your driving in suburban territories though, the 1.5dCi 90 will be suitable and if you do sub 8k miles then the 0.9tCe is also a very good powerplant. 

Ride Handling

The car shares its underpinnings and platform with the excellent Clio, which is good pedigree for a B segment SUV because the Clio is a genuinely great car to drive. There are a few compromises though; firstly, there is notably more body roll thanks to the raised ride height and equally raised centre of gravity, it’s not horrendous and this isn’t the kind of car you really want to be throwing into corners, but it is worth noting. Happily we can report that that lifted suspension does a brilliant job even on the most compromised British B roads. The Captur will glide over potholes, manholes and speed bumps with relative comfort. The car is a marked improvement over the Clio on the motorways. The Captur sits planted and sturdy while chewing up the motorway miles, in total control when switching lanes and doesn’t really break a sweat under normal driving circumstances. Hatchback owners who are unfortunate enough to spend a lot of time on our clogged motorways should certainly consider a Captur for their next car, gridlock will become far more comfortable.

Styling

As mentioned we drove the 1.5 diesel Captur and as mentioned we drove the same engine in the Dacia Logan. In that review I noted that there was quite a potent grumble, the pedals would shake quite violently as would the car upon a cold start. Happily we can report that the magicians at Renault have done a sturdy job of taming this aggressive beast that is the 1.5dCi engine. There is little engine noise put through to the cabin except for when you’re a bit too high in the rev-range. The power delivery is smooth and predictable, as too are the gear changes and also the ride quality. Wind noise picks up when you go above the speed limit on a motorway, maverick safety assist technology at its best.

Inside the cabin, everything is well dampened. The doors shut instead of slam, the seat belts click instead of rattle and everything is pleasant. Top marks here, Renault.

In The Car

Behind the Wheel

The Captur features the R-Link technology which does an excellent job of controlling all your in car entertainment, satellite navigation and much more. Connect your iPhone up via USB and you can operate most things you’d ever need on your phone via the responsive touch screen.

The seats are nice and comfortable and can be easily unzipped and thrown into the washing machine; just in case the kids decide to be, well, kids. I did notice that I was leaning across the seat quite noticeably when cornering though due to the lack of significant side-bolstering. Not the end of the world, as this car isn’t built to take Eau Rouge flat-out, but again it is worth noting.

My favourite touch, our touches, from the interior was the piano black on the centre console, surrounding the R link screen and also on the steering wheel. Renaults of old were simply never available with these sorts of pleasantries and motoring journalists often asked ‘why not?’. It’s hardly expensive materials. Thankfully Renault have answered our requests and it makes a more family friend environment through most simple of touches.

Space & Practicality

The most obvious practicality perk of the Captur is the ride height. You simply step into the Captur, whereas you’d step down into a Clio. This might not sound like a big deal really but to those who want easier access to their car it helps an awful lot. Another perk of the Captur over the Clio is the increased headroom you get, thanks to the lofty roof, but you do also get more legroom in the rear too which is helpful. The Captur can fit 4 adults in comfort or, alternatively, you wouldn’t struggle getting 3 kids in the back.

Boot space is good. The Captur has 377 litres to offer which is just shy of the Volkswagen Golf, a whole segment above the Captur. This boot will extend to 1,235 when you fold the seats flat too - large enough for a good few bags of golf clubs, a mountain bike, flat pack furniture or most other large objects you’d ever think of chucking in your boot!

Ownership

Running Costs

Firstly, the 0.9tCe petrol will deliver you 55.4mpg, you can also get this with stop/start technology and it is free to tax. The real high MPG-seekers will go for the 1.5dCi unit though as it returns up to 74mpg and if you choose the 90bhp over the 110bhp model then it is free to tax each year too.

Insurance shouldn’t be too bad, as all the 0.9 models are in group 9, which is low. The 1.5 dCi 90 goes into 11E for the Dynamique and Expression trim levels and ever 1.5 dCi 110 is group 15. All of these should be relatively easy to insure.

Quality & Reliability

Renault have certainly come on leaps and bounds in the last 5 years or so. Interiors are now far better built than previous and the engines have been tried, tested and approved fit for purpose. The Captur is based on the 4th generation Clio which has proven itself as fairly reliable

Safety & Security

Renault have done it again. Another full 5 star rating on the Euro NCAP safety chart. After all, this is a family car and therefore passenger safety is at the forefront of priorities. The Captur scored 88% for adult safety and 79% for child safety - does that put our mind at rest?

All models come with ISOFIX seat fittings in the front and rear as well as seatbelt warning indicators and whiplash-reducing headrests too.

More On This Car
Take one for a spin or order a brochure
Request a Renault Captur brochure
Request a Renault Captur test drive
By Phil Gardner
Jul 29, 2016

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