[volkman10]

Renault's CUV OR SUV , started with a controversy in its name, brought a version Kaptur and calls it Captur, mixes the Euro NCAP safety ratings but not sure if it will match the LATIN NCAP safety results.

Whatever it is, looks like the Indian car buyers have rejected the 'STYLISH SUV' and could be Renault India's biggest FLOP.

If numbers has anything to say then the verdict is clear. In November it does 1119 units while in December it reaches a low 3 digit of 227 units.


Source:Auto punditz

[CarguyNish]

Dear BHPians,

Last Friday Had a close look at this "Stylish SUV".

There were 3 cars on Display & a TD car as well. More on the TD later.

The Display Cars were 1 RXT Petrol in Mahogany Brown/White Roof, 1 RXT Diesel in Orange/White Roof & 1 Platine in Silver shade. The brown looked best, it's quite a unique shade. Didn't take picture as I had pending work.

I had a detailed look at RXT variant.

My observations are as below

The car is a looker from the front. Even the side look is good with round shape compared to Square one's on other SUV's. The best angle is the Front 3 Quarter Look.

The Rear somewhat felt bland. There is lot's of familiarity with Kwid which is way cheaper. While the Duster & Koleos looked nice from rear, the Captur doesn't match them.

The Side profile looked good especially on silver color. The contrast roof will definitely add to the look if one opts for it. The Alloys are very nice looking and they seem just about right size for the profile of the car. RXT & Platine come with 17" Alloys, RXL gets 16". RXE gets wheel caps similar to Duster RXE.

Interiors were a mixed bag, while the design is good with round theme, some bits like Center AC Vents design, Overdone instrument cluster, confusing stalks were a bummer.

Quality though improved over Duster, doesn't trounce the Creta. There is no wow feeling in this car's cabin.

The Media NAV infotainment looks damn cheap in this big car. It doesn't support Apple Car Play/Android Auto. Interface is acceptable for Kwid but not for 10+ Lakh Captur.

AC controls are same as Duster, should have had a different design. While the AC is effective, the Central Vents blow air directly onto your fingers on the steering wheel. Design Failure !

Seats are large & Supportive with good view of the road. View is definitely good from Driver's seat without altering the height.

Rear seats can accommodate 3 persons and the bench itself is flat for that purpose. But, legroom is just about ok, it's nothing great. The smaller Jazz & Baleno are easily more spacious then this.

Boot is smaller than Duster, but is well shaped.

Now about the Drive.

Only the Diesel MT was available for TD. It was a Platine variant.

One needs to insert the smart card in its slot. Post that, the system will detect it and a beep is heard. The start/stop button beside it has to be pressed with the clutch engaged. The engine is refined. There are no vibrations, but there is slight sound that you can sense it as Diesel. The clutch felt heavy, while the gearshifts were smooth and throws were short.

The engine is as good as it always was. There is slight turbo lag, but the engine is punchy enough. You can amble it in traffic at 3rd gear. Floor the throttle for overtake. Power delivery is good throughout the range. Post 4500rpm, the engine sounds vocal. The drive was good and the engine was impressive just like in Duster.

The road I was driving had some potholes, rough edges, smooth stretch. The Ride quality was excellent. I could hardly feel anything and the suspension was silent. Steering was bit light, but it did give some feedback.

Verdict - The Captur is Good Looking, has Excellent Ride and the Engine is very responsive, the high ground clearance helps in tackling big bumps on city roads. Where it could have been better is in Interiors, there is just no wow feeling in it to match the asking price. Also, the Rear Styling isn't that appealing as front. The lack of Automatic & AWD doesn't make it an SUV/Crossover it's launched for. The cabin also doesn't feel spacious despite being the biggest car in its class. Renault have their work cutout. This car won't see numbers that Kwid & Duster managed to bring.

If I was thinking of one, I would pay same price and get a Creta or save some and get a Well rounded Ecosport. If the recent sales numbers are anything to go by, I would rather look at the latter cars purely for their good resale.


So, who's the Captur for ?

It's for those who want a Good Looking Crossover/SUV with Punchy Engine & Ride and decent equipment and are ready to compromise on Interior Space & Quality.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

Dear BHPians,

So, who's the Captur for?

The cabin also doesn't feel spacious despite being the biggest car in its class.

It's for those who want a Good Looking Crossover/SUV with Punchy Engine & Ride and decent equipment and are ready to compromise on Interior Space & Quality.

I had raised the same concern about this biggest car in its class. They only looked at the external dimensions and ignored the interior space management. The legroom for taller passengers is pathetic which is also same for Ecosport. Renault seems to have an adamant attitude towards the pricing, this Dacia vehicle is grossly over-priced just like the Duster.

[RAHS]

DEC-2017 sales numbers are out.

1. Brand new product Captur stands at merely 227 units & 6 years old product Duster stands at 1369!

2. This tells us that, Indian customers still like old school & butch SUV ( Duster ) & not many takers for crossover ( Captur ) despite of the bling factor

3. With New Gen Duster coming to India in 2019, Duster market and sales is only going to increase and I don't see any positive signs for Captur. Worrying times ahead for Renault to manage sales of Captur.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Whatever it is, looks like the Indian car buyers have rejected the 'STYLISH SUV' and could be Renault India's biggest FLOP.

Originally Posted by RAHS

DEC-2017 sales numbers are out.

1. Brand new product Captur stands at merely 227 units & 6 years old product Duster stands at 1369!

Renault India is basically a one trick pony. They have launched another starting at "9.99 lakhs" model. If you are planning to position a product as a stylish SUV, please don't start your ad campaign with your starting at 9.99 lakhs Bata Shoe advertisement.

Today, the Indian consumer expects decent interiors. The Hyundai Creta has raised bar in this segment and if you can't beat the Creta don't bother to launch another 9.99 Lakh product.

Renault should have positioned it above the Duster with AWD and DCT. I seriously think it is time to fire the senior management at Renault India and get a team that understands the Indian Market. We don't need another "Starting at 9.99 lakhs" CUV. This space is getting really crowded.

[motorworks]

Renault did not launch the Captur the way they should have. First up, they should have launched it with a petrol and diesel automatic. If they are going up against the Creta then they should have been able to match it variant to variant, engine gearbox combo to combo.
But the most important factor is this, in india you need SUVs or cross overs to look like a proper SUV and nothing else. You can see the past and current flops, even the S cross hasn't really been able to clock any serious numbers due its cross over looks. Look at the Brezza and the Eco sport, really small cars but made to look like proper SUVs and they are doing very well. Duster too was a very well accepted SUV design, and even the Creta as well. But cars like the Captur are in serious trouble.
And Renault did not do itself any additional favours by launching it in just a 1.5 Diesel variant.

[vishnurp99]

Looks like Renault may just decide to pull the plug on Captur. This is just one horribly managed launch. The initial marketing was just dumb. The CEO was just going on and on how this is the longest ,widest car in class without letting the car do the talking.

Just pinged GTO the other day and came to know that Captur is going to reach teambhp only later in January for review.

For a car which was launched in October this is ridiculous delay. Sad because after enjoying the ride quality and driving package of Terrano it's difficult for one to convince himself to go for Creta's wallowy ride(of course much improved over earlier Hyundai iterations). It also feels ridiculous to shell out 8 lakhs more for the Jeep. Looks like I will just have to go for the Scross and save some money in the bargain.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by vishnurp99

Sad because after enjoying the ride quality and driving package of Terrano it's difficult for one to convince himself to go for Creta's wallowy ride(of course much improved over earlier Hyundai iterations). It also feels ridiculous to shell out 8 lakhs more for the Jeep. Looks like I will just have to go for the S-Cross and save some money in the bargain.

I know you were very eager to buy the Captur, wait for a couple of months at least until April, you may get more choice in the market. I had predicted this kind of apprehensive situation for Renault during my interaction with GTO in 2016. My BIL's Duster continues to be plagued by oil leak issue, we saw moderator Jaggu writing about injector failure in a used Duster bought by his friend. Nothing is lost still, Renault can price it realistically to boost the sales.

[arunramaswamy]

Once a product gets on its wrong foot, it is very difficult to get back on its stride, Especially in India. Renault should have been careful while launching a premium product given that you Renault have already been cheating Indian customers with Inferior and unsafe vehicles like Kwid and Duster.

Trying to cheat gullible Indian customers with Captur as well eh Renault? That CEO guy must have thought Indians are stupid enough to believe all garbage Renault was barking about this Captur. You can get away with your deceits in the mass market segment because all these customers look for is "Fuel Efficiency". However you simply cannot get away with your treachery in the premium segments.

Good luck with all your inventories!!!

[Mad Max]

I don't the design is the issue. Personally, I think it looks swell from the outside. The interiors are a rather rude shock. For the company who probably heard a million different feedback on how terrible their interiors are, they could've done something better.

But, the sales are not even fully reliant on the above two. It's purely a market shift towards automatics and Renault being arrogant to ignore that. I can bet if they launch a petrol and diesel automatic, they will have a really good product in their hands. For the urban jungle commuter, that is basically the template I'd want - diesel or petrol, a good automatic (not a sleazy AMT), a few airbags and some good interior space management for kids / long trips (read - foldable seats / pockets / sockets etc.) Give them this, and they would definitely get with the program. Want to be segment leader? Throw in some funky gizmos (TPMS?) and a panoramic sunroof. This is no different for other manufacturers as well. I think they all use Maruti as their template but sorely lack the sense to see how the market differentiates between them and the giant.

[nikipedia87]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

For the urban jungle commuter, that is basically the template I'd want - diesel or petrol, a good automatic (not a sleazy AMT), a few airbags and some good interior space management for kids / long trips (read - foldable seats / pockets / sockets etc.) Give them this, and they would definitely get with the program. Want to be segment leader? Throw in some funky gizmos (TPMS?) and a panoramic sunroof. This is no different for other manufacturers as well. I think they all use Maruti as their template but sorely lack the sense to see how the market differentiates between them and the giant.

This is why the Honda BR-V is doing fairly reasonable numbers (around 1 - 1.2k per month). It has both petrol and diesel engines, a CVT that is well coupled with that 1.5 L i-VTEC, loads of space with foldable 2nd and 3rd row seats, airbags, ABS, EBD, etc. It only misses out on two accounts - lack of bells and whistles like touchscreen, sunroof, TPMS etc, and that it looks like an MPV from the side. But that aside, the combination of a good engine + auto transmission + practicality is something that a lot of urban dwellers are looking for at this price point.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by nikipedia87

This is why the Honda BR-V is doing fairly reasonable numbers (around 1 - 1.2k per month). But that aside, the combination of a good engine + auto transmission + practicality is something that a lot of urban dwellers are looking for at this price point.

I am more than a well built person and could not find the ideal driving position on BR-V when I went for the TD and ended up buying a WR-V. So making a vehicle for India is a difficult task as there is no consistency about our height and weight. My cousin and his family are so short that I asked him why do you need a 7-seater when the entire family can be seated in the front row. I wonder how many Duster and Lodgy can Renault actually sell without discounts.

I am also the preferred person in my family to test the rear seat width and legroom of a car.

[nikipedia87]

Originally Posted by deehunk

My cousin and his family are so short that I asked him why do you need a 7-seater when the entire family can be seated in the front row.

Yikes!


Well I guess you had the issue because it comes only with tilt and not telescopic steering adjustment. A well-built person might also find the front seats to be a bit too smug. But that aside, I think its a very practical car, with those foldable seats, additional third row and the CVT.

Captur with a good petrol/diesel automatic might see some traction. If they launch it with an AMT though, the Renault design team should be Captur'd and sent back to do their homework right.

[JediKnight]

Originally Posted by nikipedia87

This is why the Honda BR-V is doing fairly reasonable numbers (around 1 - 1.2k per month). It has both petrol and diesel engines, a CVT that is well coupled with that 1.5 L i-VTEC, loads of space with foldable 2nd and 3rd row seats, airbags, ABS, EBD, etc. It only misses out on two accounts - lack of bells and whistles like touchscreen, sunroof, TPMS etc, and that it looks like an MPV from the side. But that aside, the combination of a good engine + auto transmission + practicality is something that a lot of urban dwellers are looking for at this price point.

Around 1K monthly sales for a 7 seater honda at this price point with multiple driver train options, is not reasonable, it is more like a market dud. The BRV feels cheap and flimsy and screams mobilio in your face. No amount of "features" can compensate for that.

[RAHS]

Duster v/s Captur: Tough times ahead for Renault to manage both these products together under the same showroom