Renault Captur (2020) Review

July 2019

2020 Renault Captur revealed

Renault revealed its new Captur crossover and announced plans to offer it as a plug-in hybrid model. Prices for the standard car start in the region of £16,000 when orders open later this year.

Cosmetically, it's chunkier than before, while LED headlights are now standard across the range. Extra chrome gives it a more upmarket appearance than before, while the lights have been redesigned in-keeping with the rest of the Renault range.

Bigger changes are inside, where Renault has added high-grade materials and soft coverings for the dashboard.

There’s also a new Smart Cockpit featuring an optional 9.3-inch portrait infotainment screen along with a digital instrument cluster available in either 7- or 10-inch layouts.

As before, the new Captur features a sliding rear bench which allows you to prioritise space for rear passengers or luggage. Boot capacity is up 81 litres taking it to 536 litres in total - bigger than the Honda HR-V, SEAT Arona and Ford Ecosport.

Buyers can choose from three petrol and two diesel engines. The petrol options include the new TCe 100 turbocharged three-cylinder 1.0-litre which made its debut in the new Clio, along with 130 and 155 versions of the 1.3-litre TCe engine.

The diesel line-up is made of a Blue dCi engine with 95 or 115PS, with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

E-tech plug-in hybrid model from 2020 combining a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and capable of covering up to 28 miles under electric power alone. Its 9.8kWh battery "will always retain enough charge to move away at low speeds under electric power", while a strong regenerative braking system means you'll be able to resort to one-pedal drivin

In a bid to appeal to a youthful market, the new Renault Captur is offered in as many as 90 different colour combinations, with buyers able to choose from different colours for the bodywork, roof, door mirrors and skid plates.

December 2019

Renault Captur prices announced

Renault has revealed UK pricing and specification for its Captur, available to order now, with prices starting at £17,595 and first customer deliveries in March 2020.

In line with Renault’s familiar EasyLife trim line-up, the new Captur is available in three trim levels: Play, Iconic and S Edition.

At launch the new Captur is available with five engine options: three petrol and two diesels. Transmission options run to five or six-speed manuals, plus a seven-speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) automatic. In 2020 these powertrains will be joined by a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid.

Starting the range is the three-cylinder TCe 100, which packs 100PS and 160Nm of torque and is fitted as standard with a five-speed gearbox. Combining sprightly performance with efficiency it promises up to 54.3mpg and emits 118g/km of CO2 (NEDC).

Next up is the TCe 130 that has already been seen in the new Clio, as well as Mégane and Kadjar. It provides 130PS and 240Nm of torque and can be combined with either six-speed manual or seven-speed EDC transmissions.

The TCe 155 is the flagship engine for performance, with 155PS and 270Nm. It’s available exclusively with the seven-speed EDC transmission.

Both the diesel engines are based on the well-proven 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit. In dCi 95 guise it offers 95PS and 240Nm, while the dCi 115 increases these outputs to 115PS and 260Nm. While the former is available exclusively with the six-speed manual, the dCi 115 can also be ordered with the seven-speed EDC.

From 2020 All-New Captur will become the first model in its class to be offered with a plug-in hybrid engine. Called E-TECH Plug-in it has been designed to appeal to customers where the new Captur will be the household’s only vehicle, capable of driving up to 28 miles at speeds of up to 83mph in pure electric mode.

Captur Play - from £17,595

• Full LED headlights
• Automatic climate control
• Cruise control and speed limiter
• EasyLink multimedia system with 7-inch touchscreen, FM/DAB tuner, 4x20W speakers, sound auditorium, 2 x USB and 1 x Aux, Bluetooth, smartphone integration including Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™
• Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) with Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Active Emergency Braking and Traffic Sign Recognition and E-Call.
• 4.2-inch Driver Information Display
• Hands Free Key Card access
• Electric front and rear windows - one touch operation on driver’s
• Unique 17-inch flex wheels
• Automatic windscreen wipers
• Body coloured door handles and mirrors
• Synthetic leather steering wheel
• Driver’s seat height adjustment

Captur Iconic - from £19,095

In addition to Play:

• EasyLink multimedia system with 7-inch touchscreen, satellite navigation, FM/DAB tuner, 4x20W speakers, sound auditorium, 2 x USB and 1 x Aux, Bluetooth, smartphone integration including Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™
• Rear parking sensors
• 17-inch ‘Bahamas’ alloy wheels
• LED front fog lamps
• Two tone paint
• Dark tinted rear windows and tailgate glass
• Longitudinal roof bars

Captur S Edition - from £20,595

In addition to Iconic:

• EasyLink multimedia system with 9.3-inch touchscreen, satellite navigation, FM/DAB tuner, 4x20W speakers, sound auditorium, 2 x USB and 1 x Aux, Bluetooth, smartphone integration including Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™
• 7-inch instrument cluster display
• MULTI-SENSE driving mode selector with 8 ambient lighting settings
• Automatic control headlamps (including high beam assist)
• 17-inch ‘Bahamas’ diamond cut alloy wheels
• Front parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Premium leather steering wheel
• Black and light grey synthetic leather upholstery with dark grey stitching

December 2019

Five year 100,000 mile warranty announced

Available on all New Captur models. The five-year warranty applies to both retail and fleet cars and features an unlimited mileage limit during the first two years and up to 100,000 miles up to 5 years old.

January 2020

Renault Captur E-Tech plug-in hybrid announced

With a 9.8kWh battery, the Captur E-Tech can run under electric power for 30 miles with a top speed of 85mph.

The Captur E-Tech is fitted with a new driving mode: ‘Pure’, allowing for all-electric driving.

It also has a special feature, available in Sport mode. If the battery has enough charge, and by fully depressing the accelerator pedal, the electric motors and the petrol engine work together thanks to the series-parallel architecture. The vehicle can then tap into the powertrain’s full potential; especially useful when overtaking, for example.

Another feature called ‘E-Save’ limits the use of the electric motor and draws power from the combustion motor, thereby saving battery power (at least 40%) allows driving electric whenever the driver wants for example, to drive into city centres.

In mixed cycle, the Captur E-Tech is expected to return 188mpg and emit about 34 grams of CO2/km (WLTP). This requires an optimised usage of the 100 per cent mode.

‘E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid’ logos are affixed to the hatch of the Captur's boot and centre post. The petrol tank is on the left-hand side of the vehicle; the charging socket, located on the right, which has a light that gives colour-coded information as to the state of the charging process: blue (charging), green (charged), orange (waiting), red (no charge).

Inside, the seating remains unchanged with the rear seat still able to slide 16cm. A space under the hinged false floor allows to store charging cables without encroaching on the boot volume.

E-Tech markers are also located on the ‘Smart Cockpit’ and come with unique personalisation elements and an ‘E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid’ badge on the gear stick. The Stop-and-Start button has been replaced by an ‘EV’ button to switch directly to ‘PURE’ mode while driving. The electric gear stick ‘e-shifter’ (no mechanical cables) comes with a ‘Brake’ function to get the most out of regenerative braking.