The French have at all times executed automobiles a bit of in another way than most and with the brand new Captur, now in its second era, Renault has managed to supply a subcompact crossover that feels simply pretty much as good as its rivals whereas retaining its quirkiness.

The primary-generation Captur was produced between 2013 and 2019 and was based mostly on the fourth-generation Clio. It was a strong performer and whereas it wasn’t a giant vendor in Australia, they continue to be a frequent sight on native roads, particularly these with a number of the hanging two-tone paint finishes that had been out there.

This second-generation mannequin may be very completely different. Discovered beneath the pores and skin of this new mannequin is the CMF-B platform from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and along with it being bigger than its predecessor, it additionally appears to be like and feels way more refined.

French type

When wanting on the new Captur in particular person for the primary time, it’s onerous to not be struck by simply how dramatic it appears to be like. Renault has not performed it secure within the styling division, giving the crossover a youthful and exuberant design that ought to ring a bell with prospects.

Making the entrance of the Captur stand out are the lobster claw-shaped LED headlights, the flowing black grille, and the big Renault badge. Examined right here in flagship R.S. Line guise, the Captur provides a very hanging entrance bumper with a gray chin spoiler and black air consumption surrounds.

Numerous different trimmings have been added to the Captur R.S. Line. For instance, it options distinctive silver and black 18-inch ‘La Castellet’ alloy wheels and has a tweaked rear fascia housing twin tailpipes. Talking of the rear, the C-shaped LED taillights are a selected head-turner. It’s not simply the outside that differentiates this new-generation Captur from the previous one, although.

The inside of the crossover has been overhauled and is now strikingly much like what’s discovered within the Arkana, a mannequin first launched for the Russian market however since rolled out all through Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Instantly catching the attention is the 9.3-inch portrait-oriented infotainment system. This display screen is discovered on each the R.S. Line variant we examined in addition to the Intens however is eschewed in favor of a smaller 7.0-inch show on the lower-end Life and Zen fashions. The display screen within reason aware of the contact and affords loads of scope for personalization. It additionally homes Renault’s Multi-Sense settings the place you possibly can select between Sport and Eco driving modes or arrange your personal ‘My Sense’ by personalizing numerous parameters, such because the powertrain’s mapping, steering, and the ambient lighting. Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come commonplace.

All Captur R.S. Line fashions come geared up with the Simple Life package deal that may be a AU$2,000 (US$1,383) possibility on the Intens. This provides an outstanding 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with crystal clear graphics, hands-free parking, aspect parking sensors, automated high-beam, and a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror.

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Renault’s ‘flying’ heart console provides to the edginess of the crossover and homes the shifter and a big storage tray with easy accessibility to 2 USB-A ports and a cigarette lighter. Positioned above these connection factors are pretty controls for adjusting the local weather whereas positioned beneath the flying heart console is a wi-fi charging pad that may accommodate even the biggest of smartphones.

Numerous different vital options come commonplace on the Captur R.S. Line. These embody a 360-degree digital camera, nine-speaker Bose premium sound system, eight-color ambient lighting, privateness glass, two USB ports for rear-seat passengers, and automated ‘walk-away’ door locking. Security options additionally are available abundance and embody autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle owner detection, ahead collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keep help, site visitors signal recognition, and adaptive cruise management.

Some particular touches that you just received’t discover on different Captur variants are additionally included within the R.S. Line. For instance, the fabric and leatherette seats have contrasting crimson stitching and stripes, as do the seat belts. There’s additionally a small Renault Sport badge on the steering wheel and Renault Sport aspect sills. Purple accents are additionally discovered on the air vents, whereas fake carbon fiber trim is discovered on the door panels.

A heated steering wheel has additionally been added to the R.S. Line however curiously, the heated entrance seats of the Intens have been eliminated.

The rear seats are fairly spacious and even tall passengers can have sufficient room. One significantly neat characteristic is the truth that the rear seats can slide ahead to extend boot house or again to extend legroom. The boot itself can also be very properly thought out and features a false ground and a space-saver spare wheel. All up, there’s 422 liters (14.9 cubic-feet) of cargo room, a determine that climbs to 1,275 liters (45 cubic-feet) with the rear seats folded down.

A charming drive

All Renault Captur fashions offered in Australia include the identical 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This powertrain was co-developed with Mercedes-Benz and can also be used within the A 180. It produces 113 kW (154 hp) and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) and is coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

This engine packs a surprisingly hefty punch. Pin the throttle and the Captur R.S. Line accelerates with extra ferocity than you’d anticipate by merely wanting on the spec sheet. What’s extra, the crossover’s front-wheel drive structure prompts fairly a little bit of torque steer with the steering wheel tugging and making an attempt to drag you to the aspect whereas accelerating. This isn’t one thing you’d anticipate to come across in something aside from a scorching hatch but it surely’s an odd quirk we additionally encountered with the Renault Kadjar we examined a pair years in the past.

Renault’s declare of a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 8.6 seconds appears spot-on. Mixed gas economic system sits at 6.6 l/100 km (35.6 U.S. mpg), though we averaged 8.2 l/100 km (28.6 U.S. mpg) throughout our week with the crossover that consisted of a few 70 km (43 mile) freeway jaunts and a few inner-city driving.

The twin-clutch transmission is sweet, though it’s not wonderful. Once you’re up and working, the gearbox shifts by means of the gears seamlessly and quietly. Nevertheless, it may be a bit of overly keen from a standstill, significantly when the Captur is chilly and might generally be caught holding on to gears for a bit of too lengthy. There isn’t any guide shifting mode lock-out however a pair of paddle shifters do give drivers the choice to shift gears on their very own. Curiously, we couldn’t discover a solution to have the instrument cluster present what gear we had been in at any given time.

The remainder of the driving expertise is excellent. Whereas lots of the Renault’s rivals really feel lazy as quickly as you strategy a nook, the Captur R.S. Line truly feels fairly sporty. The steering is well-weighted and exact, making the crossover fairly pleasing to drive at average speeds. The journey is on the firmer aspect of the competitors however stays comfy over all street surfaces.

When in comparison with rivals such because the Mazda CX-3, Kia Stonic, Ford Puma, VW T-Cross, and Hyundai Kona, the Renault Captur is among the many most pleasing to drive.

Crossover consumers ought to significantly think about the Captur

Renault is a comparatively small participant in Australia’s crowded automotive market however present gross sales figures of the Captur and the model, generally, are encouraging. Via the primary 4 months of 2022, Renault offered 3,151 autos, an enormous 98.6 per cent over the identical interval final yr, rising its native market share from 0.4 per cent to 0.9 per cent. The Captur accounted for 533 of those gross sales and was the automaker’s second best-selling car after the bigger Koleos.

The Renault Captur vary kicks off in Australia with the entry-level Life, priced from AU$31,300 ($21,744). This variant is adopted up by the Captur Zen beginning at AU$33,300 ($23,133) and the Captur Intens out there from AU$38,300 ($26,607), whereas the flagship R.S. Line begins at AU$40,800 ($28,343). All of those costs are earlier than on-road prices.

The Captur R.S. Line is a really compelling crossover. Not solely is it loaded with options, wrapping them up in a really enticing package deal, however it is usually among the many finest in its class on the subject of driving dynamics.

Photograph Credit: Brad Anderson/CarScoops