Loaded Renault Captur will aim for compact SUV crown

Its reinterpreted name is likely to turn out to be either an apt moniker or an optimistic one when it is time for raking in the numbers. We will get to know that when the Renault Captur is officially launched next month just before festival season.

But, writing about it live from the India-spec Captur’s first unveil, I would say that this premium crossover is already difficult to ignore. It will be a seriously capable competitor in the space where currently the Hyundai Creta, Jeep Compass and the top-spec Duster are the only options. Renault’s alliance partner Nissan will also have its own version in the premium compact sports utility vehicle currently being called ‘Kicks’. That will probably see the light of day early next year.

The Captur that comes to India is a bit different from the versions sold in some of the other markets. The India-spec version is built on the same MO platform on which the Duster is based on too. That can make the Captur less expensive to produce thanks to the lower cost of the platform. Renault has also managed to localise a lot of the key parts of the Captur.

The Captur is being positioned as a premium sports utility vehicle. It has a strong crossover flavour. The most premium ‘platine’ version of the Captur is being brought to India first before it debuts in other markets.

The Captur is currently available in markets such as Brazil, France and Russia. Renault India has also decided to go with 210 mm ground clearance especially to suit local driving conditions. There won’t be a stripped down variant at all. Instead Renault is attempting to differentiate the Captur by giving it an elevated position. So even the base variant will have features like dual airbags, ABS, entertainment system, alloy wheels etc. There are a lot of premium trim elements in the car including cross-stitched leather like seats. There is also what Renault calls the Infinity instrument cluster, which is basically a design that sets the instrument binnacle's design apart from the competition’s vehicles.

After facing a lot of flak for the poor crash test results from the Global NCAP test for the Kwid, Renault India has gone the whole hog with its safety focus for the Captur. Renault officials claim that the Captur is certified to exceed frontal and lateral crash test parameters.

Both the powertrains in the new Captur have been borrowed from its platform sibling — Duster. Again a smart move to keep costs low and then again both these are tried and tested powertrains, which already deliver great value to customers who have bought the Duster. For the petrol option, it will be powered by the 16 valves, 4 cylinder 1.5L H4K petrol engine mated to a five-speed manual gear box, producing 106 PS at 5,600 rpm and 142 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.

The diesel version will be powered by the 1.5L K9K diesel engine (common rail injection), mated to six-speed manual gear box, delivering a maximum power of 110 PS at 4,000 rpm and peak torque of 240 Nm at 1,750 rpm.

Renault India is also backing the Captur’s positioning pitch by offering a big range of customisation options. Contrast roofs, slap on chrome panels, some new alloys and contrast coloured seats are some of these options. Some of customised variants look really cool.

Bookings for the new Captur are being opened today. More details like rated mileage, the number of variants and, of course, the prices will be announced closer to the launch of the vehicle in early October. We expect prices to be in the range of ₹10-18 lakhs.

You can read our full test drive report in these pages next week. In the meantime, check out the comparison between the Captur, its sibling, the Duster and the one key competitor it will be facing off with — the Jeep Compass.