- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.2T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
88kW, 190Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 5.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2017 Renault Captur new car review
What is it?
Renault has given its Captur a mid-life nip and tuck, tweaking the exterior styling and adding equipment across the range to keep it fresh in the face of increasing competition in the city-sized SUV field.
How much does it cost and what do you get?
One of the changes is new names for each trim level. Zen and Intens replace the previous Expression and Dynamique.
We tested the top-grade Intens model which is priced from $30,990 drive-away, positioning it at the higher end of the market.
Standard equipment on the Intens includes 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome front grille, LED headlights, tinted rear windows, a panoramic sunroof, leather trim, an Arkamys sound system, digital radio, navigation and a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Two-tone paint is now an option too, to further help the little Frenchie stand out from the crowd.
What’s under the bonnet?
A 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It offers up 88kW of power and 190Nm of torque which feels modest on the road and is not helped by a lazy gearbox.
The engine feels flat when low in the rev range and needs to be pushed hard to extract its best performance. The gearbox, also, feels reluctant to shift down at times, often hesitating for a few seconds before dropping ratios and allowing the engine to rev.
It feels okay around the suburbs or city but when you get on the motorways it can struggle to keep pace with traffic at times, especially when the pace of the traffic picks up suddenly.
What’s it like to drive?
Disappointing engine aside, the rest of the Captur is pleasant on the road. The ride is firm, in typical European fashion, but feels well composed. The steering is nicely weighted and responsive, making the Captur feel agile in traffic.
What’s it like inside?
It’s a nice cabin but the styling is more conservative than the exterior. Everything falls easily to hand and the infotainment system is intuitive to use.
A plus point for would-be SUV drivers is the height. Even though it is still a compact car on the outside it sits quite high, so you don’t feel dwarfed by larger SUVs.
For a SUV this size, the interior space is good, which is to say adults won’t want to go for long journeys in the rear but they’ll fit for short trips.
Is it safe?
Like the Clio that it’s based on, the Captur misses out on potentially life-saving rear curtain airbags, instead offering only front and side protection for the front seat occupants.
All Captur models come with autonomous emergency braking and a reversing camera though, and the Intens adds blind spot monitoring, front, side and rear parking sensors as well as hands-free parking to the equation.
Would I buy it?
I’d pass on the Captur. As much as I find the styling appealing, living up to the funky, French vibe Renault is obviously aiming for, the powertrain lets the Captur down.
Even with the drive-away pricing there are better value and more enjoyable options for baby SUV buyers.
What else should I consider?
The most obvious rival is the 2016 Drive Best City SUV winning Suzuki Vitara Turbo. It’s priced from $29,990 drive-away and drives better, has a better engine and a more spacious cabin than the Renault.
Of course there are plenty of other options as the baby SUV market booms including the Mazda CX-3 (from $20,490), Toyota C-HR 2WD (from $26,990), Subaru XV (from $27,990), Fiat 500X (from $26,000) and the new Hyundai Kona (from $24,500).
2017 Renault Captur Intens EDC pricing and specifications
Price: From $30,990 drive-away
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol
Power: 88kW at 4900rpm
Torque: 190Nm at 2000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive
Fuel use: 5.8L/100km