Renault has come a long way since first importing their product into Australia decades ago. The poor cousin in sales for a while to the other French marques Citroen and Peugeot,the company is now hitting its straps again with a host of new models.
One of them is this spunky little Captur SUV.
It's a cute looking thing, with its two tone paint job and rides on the same underpinnings as the Clio hatch.
Never mind the minor spelling issue with the name, (leaving off an E at the end,) it makes the car just that bit more quirky as most French cars can be. Another quirk is the position of the cruise control on/off/speed limiter button. It's on the central console instead of up or near the steering wheel. It's not hard to use however.. just different.
There are several engine combos to choose from three cylinders to four.
This is the top of the line Captur TCe with a 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol four.
Not overly endowed with power or torque..88kw and 190 nm, the engine is, shall we say, a "relaxed" performer. Even with just the driver on board, the engine needs a good bootful to get away from the lights, and when passing on the highway.Fully loaded it would struggle.
It's quiet and frugal however. I averaged around six litres per 100 kilometres in my week of city/highway driving. The six speed auto gearbox always found the right ratio without hunting or surging.
I was pleased to see that Renault has seen fit to install not one but two gas struts to hold the bonnet open, unlike the crude rod found on other vehicles.
Renault hasn't bothered to hide the engine's plumbing under a cosmetic plastic shroud.. and that's a pleasant change.. it's good to see what's attached to what under the bonnet.
Entry and start is keyless.. pressing a button on the door handles opens and locks the car.
The "key" for when you might need it, is a flat credit card shaped device, unique to Renault.
The controls are well placed and easy to use.. steering effort is light and there's a small 10.2 metre turning circle for city work. The wheel is adjustable for reach and rake and I liked the combination of surfaces on the steering wheel..leather and piano black plastic.
The interior is a nice place to be.The seats are comfy and the rear row can be slid forward for more cargo space if needed,providing a generous flat floor.There's reasonable storage in the cabin including a deep dashtop cubby. But there are no vanity lights in the sunvisors, and no sunroof on the test car.The only window to have an auto up- down function is he driver's.
The ride is quite firm however and there's not enough rebound damping in the suspension over undulating surfaces.On some roads the Captur can be uncomfortably bouncy.
Unlike almost all small cars these days the Captur has disc brakes at the front only..the rears are drums.
They work well, but discs all round would be a much better fade free option..
So overall, a smart looking, practical small SUV with a lot going for it..including the price for this top of the line model, of just under 28K.
Peter Sellen
