Renault aims to Captur the supermini SUV market
IT’S barely a month since Renault revealed its supermini crossover, the Captur, to the work at the Geneva Motor Show.
And they’re not hanging around in trying to get you to buy it… the French firm has confirmed the specs and pricing for the UK market.
You will be able to pop in to your local Renault dealer and order one from May 1 — not long now.
The French marque’s chic new entrant will be looking to emulate the impressive start for New Clio, with which it shares its underpinnings and much of its style.
With keen pricing and a series of life-simplifing features up its sleeve, it will also be looking to make serious inroads in the booming B-segment crossover class. Led by its sister Alliance car, Nissan Juke, the market’s already growing fast on the back of the MINI Countryman and the slightly larger Chevrolet Trax and Vauxhall Mokka. It’s expected to explode even more with the future launches of rivals such as the Fiat 500X, Ford EcoSport and Peugeot 2008.
Renault’s latest compact car, Captur (pronounced “capture” in the usual British way, without the ‘e’), takes its name and inspiration from the striking three-door concept from 2011.
The newcomer is both attractively priced versus the competition, not to mention very well equipped right from the entry trim level. Across the range and options list, clever features for daily life and personalisation abound.
Captur’s simple four version range is powered by a series of all turbo petrol and diesel engines, all of which have either been recently launched or revised. They include the 0.9-litre TCe 90 and 1.5 dCi 90, through to the brand new 1.2 TCe 120, mated exclusively to EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission, which has only just debuted in Clio GT-Line.
Renault’s new entrant combines the best of three worlds: The style and driving position of an SUV, the cabin space and versatility of an MPV and the driving experience of a compact hatchback. Its also been designed in such a way that its beauty is more than just skin deep.
It is offered in a choice of four trim levels — Expression, Expression+, Dynamique MediaNav and Dynamique S MediaNav. Its level of specification is impressive right from the start.
The likely UK bestseller, Dynamique MediaNav, brings in the world of personalisation in the form of a chrome Colour Pack (combining both Interior Touch and Exterior Gloss) covering the headlight surrounds and tailgate strip, plus centre console, air vent and gearlever gaiter surrounds among others. Naturally, the mid-range trim, befitting its name, features MediaNav, the integrated multimedia tablet with seven-inch touchscreen, including Navteq Nav ‘n’ Go satellite navigation, 4x20W Arkamys radio, Bluetooth, USB and handsfree technology. It also has cornering lights and a leather steering wheel (with gloss insert) and gearknob.
Buyers looking to express their personalities still further can choose from a wide array of options. Firstly, it becomes the third Renault to benefit from the innovative R-Link system (including TomTom satellite navigation, 4x35W Arkamys 3D Sound) £450, reversing camera (Dynamique MediaNav and above) £350, City Pack, heated front seats (£250) and metallic paint £495 (including i.d. Arizona and Tahoe Blue £595). The huge personalisation trend which already started with Clio, and is clear to see several trim levels as standard equipment, becomes even more evident on the options list. Ensuring that Capturs can be made as individual as their owners, several exterior and interior looks are split into three easy-to-understand themes: Arizona, Manhattan and Miami.
In turn, each of these themes is available with four packs:
■Exterior Gloss Pack £350: Arizona, Gloss Black or Ivory side sill protector inserts, tailgate strip, foglight surrounds and co-ordinated coloured insert 17in ‘Explore’ alloy wheels
■Interior Touch Pack £350: trim on centre console, speakers and air vents
■Style Pack £150: details on seat upholstery and steering wheel
■Colour Pack £550: contrasting roof colour, Interior Touch and Exterior Gloss Packs
Arizona, as its name suggests, with looks inspired by the colour of desert sand, contains styling touches or bodywork featuring any combination of the bright orange with black, ivory and oyster grey. Manhattan naturally revolves around a slick monochrome theme, taking in black, grey and ivory combinations, while Miami unsurprisingly, completes the trio by grouping together any look with a blue marine shade.