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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #1
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Renault Captur : Official Review

The Renault Captur is on sale in India at a price of between Rs. 10.00 - 14.06 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you'll like:

• Striking design! Unique styling that stands out from the crowd
• Carries forward the Duster's robust, abuse-friendly build & construction
• Well-equipped. Even the base variant gets a fair number of features!
• Fuel-efficient 1.5L diesel with adequate power on tap
• Good ride quality with sorted handling & 210 mm of ground clearance
• Safety kit includes 4 airbags, ESP, ABS + EBD, BA, hill start assist, ISOFIX & more

What you won't:

• Too expensive for a crossover based on the Duster's old platform & mechanicals
• Unimpressive interiors; basic design & quality are a turnoff
• Horribly tuned steering. Strong kickback in fast corners, firm while parking...
• Ordinary rear seat legroom. Also, boot is noticeably smaller than the Duster's
• Missing essentials like a dead pedal, auto-dimming IRVM, rear seat split, Android Auto etc.
• No AWD or AT. Duster gets both of these options

This review has been jointly compiled with Eddy. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

Last edited by GTO : 11th March 2018 at 19:05.
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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #2
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Review Index:
Exterior

Interior - Front

Interior - Rear

In-Car Entertainment

Driving the 1.5L Diesel MT

Other Points

The Smaller yet Significant Things

Last edited by GTO : 12th March 2018 at 09:52.
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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #3
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Exterior



Renault has been selling cars on its own in India since 2011, starting with the Fluence. Through the years, the French company has been bringing cars from their international portfolio to the Indian market. In the last 7 years, Renault has introduced 8 cars here, out of which only the Kwid was designed from the ground up for India. The latest addition to that list is the Captur, which was the sole launch from the company last year.

The Duster was the first hit for Renault in India (Kwid was the 2nd). And thus, the Captur is an important product for the company. That is especially so because of our country's newfound fascination with SUVs which makes it a high growth segment. Renault also needs additions to its product line right now. They started out with the Fluence sedan, followed by the Koleos SUV. In 2012, they came up with 3 new cars - the Micra-based Pulse hatchback, Duster SUV and the Sunny-based Scala. The Lodgy was added to the portfolio later. However, the only lucky charm for the company came in the form of the Duster and all the other cars were later discontinued as they found it hard to roll off the showroom floor (despite huge discounts offered by the company). Of course, 2015 was the year of the Kwid which became a smash hit, giving the French company previously unseen volumes.

The Captur made its global debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The production version displayed was based on the B-platform which also underpins the Clio hatchback in the international market. The Clio based Captur went on sale in April 2013. In March 2016, Renault introduced the Captur in Russia and renamed it as the Kaptur. It was based on the old M0-platform (used in the Duster) which has a longer wheelbase and higher ground clearance than the Clio based Captur. This Duster based Captur was introduced in the Brazilian market at the beginning of 2017 and badged as Captur. All of this is very confusing, yes. And it became more so when Renault India decided to retain the Captur name (unlike the Russian market's Kaptur). In simple terms, what we get in India is a Duster based car which has the European name. This still wouldn't have been much of a problem until Renault India tried to market the achievements of the Clio based Captur as that of the Duster based Captur. The move didn't go well with BHPians (Related Thread). Our suggestion - the Captur should have been the new 'Duster' for India and badged as one. After all, the Duster brand now enjoys good recall. Plus, the current Duster has gotten old and doesn't have a long life ahead of it anyway.

In the first month, the company sold 1,119 units which dropped to a mere 227 cars in the month of December. These numbers are not something to be judged on as year ending sales are usually low, but the months of January & February also saw her slide. Merely 376 & 333 units (respectively) were sold and hence, it is safe to say that the Captur has flopped. The car is available with 2 engine options and 4 variants - RXE, RXL, RXT and Platine. The top-end Platine variant is an India exclusive. Renault has increased the number of features right from the base variant itself. The features include LED DRLs, automatic temperature control with rear cooling vents, integrated audio system with USB & Aux-in and Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, start/stop button with remote central locking, dual airbags and some other safety features. Other than this, Renault claims that the Captur offers the maximum level of customization in its segment. Wouldn't disagree on that, considering the fact that other players in this segment are too focused on volumes, and having a high customization level might increase the complications. Currently, there are 2 themes which you can choose from - Diamond Deck and Urban Connect which have been created by the design studios in India and France. Renault claims that there are over 40 categories that you can personalize and have 120 aesthetic and utility add-ons as well. They even have a cool personalization page on their official website.

At the time of launch, only a manual transmission is on offer with the drive given to the front wheels. AWD or automatic variants haven’t been included at the time of launch. That sucks because the Duster itself has both of these options. The price difference between the class-topper Creta and the Captur is something that might be of a concern to Renault. The Creta with a 1.6L Diesel engine in the top-end SX(O) variant is just ~Rs. 45,000 more than the top-end variant of the Captur! Pricing it so close to the market leader was a bad strategic decision. In fact, the Captur's overall pricing is one of the reasons why it hasn't taken off.

Renault Captur : Official Review-spec-sheet4.jpg

The Captur is 4,329 mm long, 1,813 mm wide and 1,619 mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2,673 mm and the ground clearance in laden conditions is 169 mm (unladen = 210 mm). As you would expect, it is very close to the Duster in terms of dimensions with the same wheelbase. Compare the dimensions of the Captur with the Creta, and the Captur is noticeably bigger and only loses out in terms of the height due to the lack of roof rails. Yes, the Captur has quite the road presence over the Creta. Even 2 months after the launch, the car managed to draw attention anywhere we went during our test drive, thanks in no small part to its funky styling.

The fit and finish of the Captur are good. The panel gaps are even and consistent as well, although on the wider side. The paint quality isn't up to the mark for a flagship product and the orange peel effect is clearly visible on close observation. There is slight flex on the door panels - the doors open and close in a three-stage action. The Captur diesel MT Platine variant which we had for testing has a kerb weight of 1,375 kg which is over 100 kg heavier than the Duster AWD. Good news is that the heavier kerb weight is reflected in the build quality as well. The doors feel heavy and close with a reassuring thud (although not as reassuring as the Europeans). The bonnet feels heavy to lift, but there are no gas struts to lift the bonnet up which even the Duster had when it was launched in 2012!

The Captur is equipped with quite a few safety features even on the base variant. These include driver and passenger airbags, ABS + EBD + BA, ISOFIX child seat mounts, rear defogger & wiper and impact sensing auto door unlock among others. The top-end Platine variant gets some additional features like side airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), hill start assist, rear parking sensors & camera and uniquely - "walk away locking" which automatically locks the car when you walk away from it in case you forget to manually lock it. Super cool! The Indian variant hasn't been tested yet, but the M0-platform based Captur which is also on sale in Brazil recently scored a 4-star rating in the Latin NCAP test (official report here).

The Captur has an attention-grabbing face. The company badge in chrome stands out at the first glance. The grille gets a chrome border as well which is in unison with the ends of the headlamps. A wide air dam sits at the bottom which has C-shaped DRLs on either side. Talking about proportions, they're just alright. Some might find the air dam too wide and the headlamps a little too small for the width of the vehicle:


The rear of the car is more reminiscent of the Kwid rather than the Duster. Chrome bits are seen here as well. Other than the chrome plate with the Captur branding, there is a chrome line below the tailgate at the top portion of the bumper. Overall, a simpler looking rear end as compared to the front:


The side profile reveals a sloping roofline towards the rear to give the car a squat stance. The character lines are smooth, and the wheel arches are flared. The shoulder line continues till the tail lamps and the doors carry a character line which starts at the bottom of the front door and ends on the rear wheel arch. This character line in particular is more prominent than the shoulder line and gives a nice flow to the side profile. With a wheelbase of 2,673 mm (same as the Duster) and a length of 4,329 mm, the Captur is the longest crossover in the segment:


The Captur is based on the same platform as the Duster:


The overall build quality is satisfactory, and the car has even panel gaps, albeit slightly wider than some of the German cars. Although the Captur has more of a crossover look, it has good presence on the road due to its dimensions & styling:


The top-end Platine variant gets a full LED headlamp setup with the follow-me-home feature. If you look closely, there is quite a bit of chrome inside the headlamp cluster as well. Two chrome strips at the bottom to separate the headlamp pods look nice (note single one on the top). Lower variants get projector headlamps (even the base variant!):


The automatic headlamps do not have auto-levelling. A chrome strip runs above the two pods of the headlamp cluster which is in continuation of the upper line of the grille. The Captur also gets floating indicators, similar to the dynamic turn indicators in Audis. The lower variants get a halogen turn indicator next to the projector lamp (reference image):


Turn indicators in action. When the vehicle is locked, the indicators blink twice (once when unlocked):
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The LED DRLs are standard on the Captur. They're placed on the lower part of the bumper at the ends of the air dam in a C-shaped chrome cluster. LED strips are placed at the top and bottom as well, and the foglamp is situated just above the lower part of the C-shaped cluster. The black ribs above the foglamp look weird as they are closed (would have made more sense if they let some air inside). Also note the neat integration of the tow-hook cap according to the design:


With the foglamps and DRLs in action at night:


The front grill is wide and in continuation with the headlamps. The lower part of the grille gets a chrome strip. The top chrome accent however is available only on the Platine variant. Note the classy looking piano black base on which the Renault badge has been placed. I found the bonnet shut-line wider than what we are used to seeing on most cars, however it's uniform:


The air dam is wide and tall as well since the grille doesn't allow much air inside. The satin finish faux skid plate is placed at the bottom to add that 'SUV' look:


The front underbody is clean with good protection extending towards the rear of the vehicle:


Sharp bonnet lines! Two ribs that protrude on the side give the front an aggressive look:


Wipers aren't concealed under the bonnet and neither are the washers. The black washers on the body coloured bonnet are an eyesore:


The windshield washers squirt out good sprays (rather than jets) of water. The wipers cover the windshield area well:


These small flaps have been placed ahead of the front wheels to aid aerodynamics:


Wheel wells at the front get a good amount of plastic cladding…


…as do the wheel wells at the rear:


17-inch crystal cut alloy wheels are available on the RXT and Platine variants, while the mid-variant (RXL) gets 16-inch alloys. The base variant gets 16-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers. The alloys on the top end variants have a love it or hate it design. The 17-inch wheels are shod with 215/60 Apollo Apterra HP tyres. These are reasonably high-profile tyres, although the overall wheel-tyre size is the same as that of the Duster's 16-inch wheels with 215/65 profile tyres (more on this in the ride and handling post). The lower variants come with 215/65 R16 tyres. The front wheels are equipped with ventilated disc brakes…


…and the rear wheels have drum brakes. The wheel-tyre combo fills the round wheel wells nicely:


The rear wheel arches have this slight protrusion like the ones we'd seen on the Tata Tiago. These help in controlling splash (reference image):


Even the rear wheels get these aero flaps like the front:


The ORVMs are roof coloured with integrated turn indicators. The blinkers have halogen bulbs standard across all variants. It would have been nice if the Platine variant got an LED lighting strip here:


Even the passenger side door handles come with request sensors for keyless entry and exit. The request sensors don't work once you have used the keycard to lock/unlock the vehicle. For them to work again, you will have to restart the vehicle. One cool feature of the Captur however is the walk away lock which as the name suggests, locks the vehicle as you walk away from it after the drive. Seriously cool!


The window-line swoops upward quite sharply and the same is reflected in the smaller size of the rear windows. It further continues to go upwards to merge with the roof mounted spoiler. The B-pillars are blackened on monotone as well as dual-tone exterior colour options:


A closer look at the small quarter glass just beyond the C-pillar. Also check out the mix of shiny & non-shiny black surfaces:


The glossy dual-tone roof option is only available with the RXT and Platine variants. Roof rails would have been a nice addition to the Captur:


The weird looking antenna is similar to the one we'd seen in the Fluence (reference image):


Front overhang is a little on the longer side. You will have to tread carefully on rough terrain:


The Platine badge has been placed on both front fenders:


Zooming in on the paint quality to show the orange peel effect. Just doesn't feel premium:


Just look at how the side and the rear are smoothly integrated. Also note the flared rear wheel arches:


The sides get this black moulding at the bottom as a part of the crossover look. Only the base variant doesn't get the chrome strip in the middle:


210 mm of unladen ground clearance is more than enough to get you around rough roads (Duster FWD is 205 mm). The laden ground clearance is 169 mm:


The roofline slopes downwards which gives the rear a squat stance. The lower part of the bumper juts out slightly, and the tailgate isn't recessed inside. Thus, any rear impact from another vehicle might make a dent in the tailgate as well:


The wraparound tail-lamps are similar to the Kwid's. The tail-lamp cluster gets LEDs on the side as parking lamps. The tailgate splits the tail-lamp cluster into two, but there is no lighting element on the tailgate portion:


With all the lights in action. The brake lamp is placed at the bottom and the turn indicator sits above that:


Renault says that the LED pilot lamps are arranged to display a ripple effect. They look good, but should have been a size bigger:


The spoiler is neatly integrated along the roofline. The gap between the spoiler and the rear windshield is filled with this black applique:


The rear windshield washer juts out of the HMSL and squirts out a single jet of water. Would have been nice if this was concealed properly:


The wiper is adequately sized and covers a healthy area of the rear windshield:


The big chrome plate with CAPTUR on it is similar to what we've seen on the Duster & Lodgy:


Rear camera sticks out from the Captur-badged chrome plate:


The rear bumper gets a chrome edge on the top which is available only on the RXT and Platine variants. You miss out on the 4 parking sensors only in the base variant. The bumper gets a gentle crease in the middle and houses a reflector strip on each side. The left one is accompanied with a reversing light, while the right one is put together with a foglamp:


The silver skid plate and chrome-tipped exhaust look good together:


The chrome tipped exhaust is wide only on the outside; it narrows down inside. Since the Captur is available only in a FWD configuration, the spare wheel has been placed at the bottom. 5th wheel is a regular steel wheel. Note the heat shield between the spare wheel and exhaust:


The Captur has a twist beam suspension with coil spring twin tube at the rear which is similar to the Duster's setup:


Here, you can see the bottom of the MacPherson strut suspension with lower transverse link:


Alongside its sibling that it shares a LOT with (including the underpinnings). It would be safe to say that the Captur is an improved, more contemporary Duster:


The boxy shape of the Duster is more evident from the rear:


Both cars have the same wheelbase, but the Captur is longer, and has a very modern-urban shape as opposed to the rugged looks of the Duster. The Duster is definitely more 'SUVish' which might put off potential Captur customers when viewing them together in the showroom:


With the segment's champion. We feel that Renault has priced the Captur too close to the leader. Interestingly, the Creta also rides on the same tyre and wheel size as the Captur (215/60 tyres on 17-inch rims):


If budget isn't an issue, this 7-seater monocoque is also an option worth considering:


A parting shot:

Last edited by GTO : 11th March 2018 at 19:04.
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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #4
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Interior - Front



The front doors of the Captur open and close in a three-stage action. They're heavy as well and close with a reassuring thud (although not as reassuring as the Germans). Getting in is easy and you can just slide on to the seats. Although, the A-pillar is steeply angled, and tall people will have to be careful while getting in. Getting out isn't much of a problem. The interiors aren't exciting at all and previous Renault owners will draw a lot of comparisons. The dashboard has a dual-tone theme and the lines overall are smooth and curvy. The dashboard feels slightly raised and the interiors don't feel as spacious or airy as in a Duster. The plastics used on the dashboard and in the cabin are hard, but they aren't reflective like the WR-V's. For a car that should feel a step over the Duster, the interiors lack the ability to do so. They are better, but not '2018'.

Renault has put in efforts to not make the base variants look basic. Features like automatic climate control, rear A/C vents, driver side auto up/down window, push button start, steering-mounted audio and phone controls and 4 speakers etc. are available even on the base variant. Talking about the ergonomics, the French car has some issues and people used to German / Japanese / Korean cars will have some relearning to do. Still, there are many ergonomic improvements over the Duster. Renault should have done better in terms of fit and finish, as some of the parts don't seem to be held together properly on the inside as they are on the outside. If you observe closely, you will find that some of the plastic edges haven't been finished smoothly either. Several cheaper cars offer better fit & finish.

A lateral shot of the dashboard. The top part is finished in black and the bottom in white. The white bits are prone to get dirty in Indian conditions:


The high seating position gives you a good look ahead. You can see the bonnet slightly and the wipers are also visible at the bottom. However, the view is obstructed by...


...this thick A-pillar which swoops aggressively:


Look towards the left, and you will realize the thickness of the A-pillar. Also, due to the high seating position, the IRVM also seems to be placed right next to your face. So, you'll be looking just sideways to get a view of the rear rather than slightly upwards. The small quarter glass aids in visibility, but is slightly hampered by the thick ORVM housing:


The steering wheel, though not a direct lift from the existing or earlier cars, is reminiscent of Renault's designs. It gets a leather wrap in the RXT and Platine variants. The horn pad is easy to reach but is a little firm to press. The steering is good to hold, and the thumb contours are positioned perfectly as well. The steering isn't one finger light at parking speeds which will be an area of complaint for those spoiled by super-light EPS systems. Most of the other steering characteristics don't deserve any praise either (more on this in the ride and handling post):


A closer look at the leather stitching on the steering wheel:


The buttons on the steering wheel look old and boring. The left ones are used to set the speed for cruise control and the speed limiter. The right ones are used to 'resume' or 'disable' the aforementioned functions. You even get a voice command activation button. Note the classy looking chrome border for these buttons:


The bottom spoke gets the 'Platine' variant badging. Note the SRP airbag on the hornpad (we usually see SRS badging). Renault says SRP is an integrated safety system that decides airbag deployment based on certain parameters of the seat, seatbelt, pretensioner & load limiter. We hope SRP doesn't mean the Duster's smaller & cheaper airbags being used - related post:


The Captur only gets tilt adjustment for the steering wheel! Nothing for reach. The steering adjustment has a pull-type mechanism to unlock the steering and you have to push to lock it in the desired position. It's worth mentioning that the operation of the lever is stiff, and it takes some effort. Women especially will not like it at all:


The twin pod instrument cluster has a tachometer on the left and fuel gauge on the right. The digital speedometer in the middle is a nice touch. It's a smart attempt to modernize what is an old car, and it does the job. Also check out all the warning lights on start-up. The MID is placed above the digital speedometer:


The dashboard extension to provide a shade over the instrument cluster:


The MID provides some basic information like the total distance covered and trip distance. Other information displayed includes - fuel used since the last reset (unique & useful), average fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, distance to empty, distance travelled since last refuel, average speed and some warning messages:


When you try to start the vehicle in Neutral gear, the MID will display a message to Press the brake. If you try to start in the first gear, the MID will display a message to Press the clutch. Long pressing the door lock button on the center console switches on/off the auto door lock function. Pressing the window lock button on the driver side locks only the rear windows and not the passenger window like most cars. If the key fob is taken away from a running car, a message appears on the MID showing that the key card is not detected. At this point with the key away from the vehicle, if you try to turn off the ignition, you get the next message, "NO KEYCARD PRESS AND HOLD". This message means that you must long press the start/stop button to turn off the car and not just one touch like any other time. After switching off the car and opening the driver's door, a message asking you to remove the keycard is displayed on the MID along with a warning beep. The speed limiter or cruise control speed is also displayed:


The control stalks are similar to the ones on the Duster except for the Auto option for the headlamps and wipers. The turn indicator and lighting controls are on the left stalk (LHD orientation). The turn indicators blink 3 times when you tap the stalk lightly. The wiper controls are set on the right stalk. Pull the stalk towards you to start the front washer. The wiper does three strokes after you leave the stalk, and one final sweep after a pause. There are 4 levels of sensitivity for the auto wipers that you can set. You can operate the rear wipers and washer by turning the end part of the stalk. Even the rear wipers have a delay function like the front and do one last sweep after you release the rear wiper knob. Impressive small touch! When in Auto mode, if the front wipers are operational, engaging the reverse gear activates the rear wiper as well:


These two buttons on the side of the right stalk are used to cycle through the options on the MID. Long pressing either of these resets the selected option on the MID (e.g. trip, fuel used, average fuel consumption, etc.):


Audio and telephone controls are carried forward from the Duster and placed behind the steering wheel. It's very convenient to use once you get used to it. Volume up/down buttons are of pull-type. Pull them together to mute, this doesn't pause the audio though like most cars. You can choose the source of audio and receive/cut the call from the two buttons at the top. Pressing the Mode/Ok button at the bottom scrolls through the different menus on the ICE. Take a look on the left of this pic - how the plastic panel is fitted is such an eyesore!


There's a roller at the back which is used to scroll through the tracks. The response while changing tracks varies quite a bit. Sometimes it's quick, and sometimes it's dead slow (we tried with multiple smartphones). Just like the other controls on this stalk, even this is user-friendly to operate:


Two tweeters have been placed at the end of the dashboard. These are missing only on the base RXE variant:


On the sides, you get these circular AC vents with a bronze-like finish on the outside. Renault calls it the 'Platine Gold' finish. There is a thin chrome lining just next to the bronze finish. Notice the dent on one end of the AC vent cover for you to press...


...and open the vent to let the air out. Even with the vents closed, some air still seeps out. Don't miss the hexagonal plastic web on the inside of the vent:


Below the right side air vent, you'll see the controls for headlamp levelling, interior illumination, ECO mode and controls for the speed limiter & cruise control. The speed limiter & cruise control button has 3 steps and both functions are disengaged in the middle step:


The bonnet release lever has been placed on the right. The finishing between the footwell and the bottom part of the dashboard is imperfect:


An unnecessary gap between the steering hub and dashboard:


The front door pads also carry forward the dual tone theme. The black part has all hard plastics, while the part in white is leather-finished and soft to touch. Quarter glass is on the door itself:


The door lining has a felt finish:


A closer look at the elbow rest area. This area is covered in leather and is good to use. Although, being white, it's easily soiled as well:


Full chrome door handles as seen on many Renault cars. Funky styling!


The window controls are placed on a satin finished base which looks nice. Although, the plastic base of the controls wasn't fixed well on our test car and was shaky! Only the driver side window gets auto up/down with anti-pinch function. As mentioned earlier, the window lock button doesn't lock the front passenger's window (only the rear, which is sensible as kids should be at the back only). All variants get this panel with all these functions, except for the foldable ORVMs which are available only on the RXT and Platine variants:


Speakers are placed at the bottom:


The door pockets are smaller than what we are used to seeing in recent cars. The door pocket can hold a 1-litre bottle (that too flat only), but nothing more if a bottle is already in:


The door sill isn't that wide and there shouldn't be any problem while getting in and out of the car:


The seats follow the dual tone theme of the dashboard and have golden stitching for contrast. They offer decent support overall (but not excellent). Bolstering on the side and the base will help keep you in place while driving. The seats aren't soft, but firm which is better for long drives. The underthigh support is also average and tall people (5' 10" and above) will find it lacking:


The driver seat gets height adjustment which is a little more conventional unlike the Duster where you have to get off the seat to adjust the seat height (reference image). Although, the car misses out on adjustable lumbar support which the Duster and Lodgy offer (reference image)!


The seats have a healthy fore and aft adjustment range:


The seat is set a little on the higher side, even at the lowest position. Most drivers won't feel the need to even adjust the seat-height. Unlike most cars where the whole seat is lifted for height adjustment, in the Captur, only the seatbase is raised. A point to note is that the seatbase is slightly angled upwards at the end. Although this is the case in most cars, I felt that the angle was a bit more (might be uncomfortable for you - check it on your test-drive):


A look at the golden stitching pattern on the seat. Must say, a good design:


The headrests have a welcome depression where you would rest your head:


The driver gets a fixed armrest which is also wrapped in white leather with golden stitches. This is more of an elbow rest rather than an armrest for shorter drivers, and there is no storage space underneath it. Top part isn't soft either:


The seatbelts are adjustable for height. The housing and push button seemed very flimsy:


The front passenger gets a grab handle (driver doesn't) with a damped folding action:


First comments about the footwell would be that it's cramped. There is no dead pedal & no space to the left for resting your foot, which is a bummer. On long drives, the driver will have to rest his/her foot below the clutch pedal. Moreover, with the clutch pedal fully pressed, the top part of your foot will hit the steering column and you can feel the movement of the steering:


The fuel flap release lever is placed on the floor. Note the curve on the floor mat for the release lever:


The ORVMs are decently sized, although I wish they were a size taller. The ends have a convex area (beyond the dotted line) which extends the coverage area:


ORVMs are India-friendly as well. Look closely and you will see the dotted line for the convex area:


The IRVM is decently sized and covers the rear windshield well. However, since the rear windshield is slightly smaller in size, the view is restricted:


Yikes - the IRVM gets a manual switch for dimming! For a car equipped with auto headlamps and auto wipers, adding an auto-dimming IRVM should have been a logical move:


The rear view from the driver's seat is hampered by the small rear windshield and thick D-pillars. Also, the headrests will obstruct the view when in their uppermost position. The length of the cabin is clearly visible in this picture:


While the orientation of the center fascia is neutral, the gear console is tilted towards the driver:


Other than the glovebox, this is the other closed storage space available in the cabin (on top of the dashboard). A Team-BHP wallet is placed for size reference . The thick lid needs extra effort to close:


The center console gets a piano black finish with a bronze trim on the edge. The central air vents are not adjustable for vertical movement (only sideways). Also, we felt that the central vents weren't as powerful as the side vents:


The hazard light and door lock buttons have been placed at the top. Long pressing the door lock button (when the engine is running) switches on/off the auto door lock function. The doors automatically lock when you cross the speed of 10 km/h. See the horizontal line above the lock symbol? It turns red when all the doors are locked:


The 7-inch touchscreen is very similar to what we've seen in other Renaults (Kwid, Duster & Lodgy). It gets a chrome outline and the USB/Aux ports are exposed. Should have been covered. The screen reflects a lot of light and its visibility during the day is mediocre. The power button switches off the system, but not the display. The base variant gets a 2 DIN audio system with USB, Aux-in and Bluetooth connectivity (reference image):


Funky climate control panel! The AC controls are a direct lift from the Duster with minor tweaks. See the 'air re-circulation' button? When the yellow light is glowing, the system will let outside air inside the cabin (should have been the opposite). The blower can be adjusted to 9 speeds. The knobs for temperature control and fan speed get a sweet silver finished ring (unlike the Duster's chrome ring) and the center part carries forward the piano black finish of the center console. The AC performed well on a hot day in Goa and kept the inside temperature cool. Sometimes though, the AC sent out bursts of warm air. This was very random & we noticed it in our Goa & Mumbai test-drive cars, both:


The AC controls are illuminated by a white LED border at night. Looks classy:


Ugly, too ugly. The Captur gets a keycard instead of a conventional key, the same as the Fluence (reference image). The metal key is concealed inside and as Moderator Ajmat had mentioned earlier, we'd suggest that you avoid putting the key in your back pocket, as many French drivers have had to replace the key over time. Also, do not keep it in close contact with a mobile phone as it may cause some problems in operation (owner's manual mentions this). Apart from the lock & unlock buttons, the key gets a tailgate unlock button and a remote interior light operation button. Pressing this button will activate all the interior lights for 30 seconds:


A dedicated slot for the keycard has been given below the center console. Insert the keycard in the slot and the electrical accessories are activated (like a hotel room!):


A sad looking start/stop button besides the slot for the keycard. Look closely and you will see that even the text isn't consistently printed. The good thing about the start /stop button is that it's backlit in white and is available even on the base variant:


An open storage space in the center fascia has two different sized cupholders - similar to the Kwid (reference image). Because of the enclosed design, it is difficult to put in and take out tall coffee cups. No rubberised base, so loose change will rattle. It also gets a 12V power supply...


...and is illuminated as well. Very nice. The Russian Kaptur skips the cupholders and gets an AWD knob on the base (besides the 12V power supply):


I'm glad that Renault didn't carry forward the gear knob from the Lodgy and Duster. This gear knob looks classier. It's nice to hold and the gear shifts are short. The gear knob on the Platine variant gets a piano black top with a brushed silver finish ring on the side, and a leather finished base too:


The stem gets leather wrapping along with contrast stitching. The base gets this bronze finished trim:


The lower variants get a different gear knob with a silver finished top & no leather finished base:


The handbrake release button gets chrome only on the RXT and Platine variants. Strange that a car having projector headlamps even on the base variant misses out on a tiny bit of chrome. We understand manufacturers need to differentiate the higher variants, but they should only where it makes sense:


When the front passenger seat was adjusted to a position that I was comfortable in, my right knee hit the center console (I'm 5'10"):


The glovebox is placed a little lower than usual:


On opening, you will notice that half of the glovebox is not usable at all. It is deep, but wouldn't be able to accommodate too much:


Deep towards the end, you will see the OBD port:


Pleased to see that it gets a cover when even some Volkswagen cars have exposed OBD ports (image of Tiguan):


The glovebox is cooled and...


...illuminated as well. The latch of the glovebox lid goes in the rectangular hole next to the light:


Couple of coin holders on the glovebox lid:


The sunvisors feel sturdy and are of good quality. Both sunvisors get ticket holders, vanity mirrors & lights. Flip open the mirror cover and the light on the roof comes on automatically. The flip cover also prevents light from falling directly on the mirror which gives a better view:


The front roof console consists of 2 LED map reading lights and a Bluetooth mic. The buttons for the cabin lamps are backlit in white. These map lights turn on if a door is opened. You cannot turn them off unless all the doors are closed. I personally like it this way as why would anyone want to keep the cabin lamps off when the doors are open. The only way to turn them off is by pressing the buttons individually when the main roof lighting console is in Off position. The seatbelt warning and passenger airbag off lights are placed at the bottom. Note that you cannot manually turn off the passenger side airbag in the Captur. Just as well as if you have a child, he/she is safer on the backseat. That said, the presence of an 'airbag off' light makes us believe that the seat might have a child-detecting weight sensor:


Driver and passenger airbags are standard across all variants:


The side airbags on the Platine variant are SRS (not SRP like the front ones). There's not much of a difference in the deployment of airbags and you can find details about their operation in this awesome thread (click here):

Last edited by Aditya : 13th March 2018 at 11:07.
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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #5
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Interior - Rear

The rear doors open and close in a three-stage action too. They open wide and there is enough space for you to just slide onto the rear seat. These are placed slightly lower than the front seats:


The door sill isn't that wide, but the gap between the B-pillar and seatbase is limited. Might be of slight discomfort to the elderly:


Even while getting out, you will have to lift up your leg and step out. Just look at the height difference between the floor and the door sill edge:


These doors don't get the white patch above the elbow rest like the front doors. All hard plastics here and the rising window line is in contrast with the downward sloping design elements of the door:


The elbow rest gets a leather cover like the front doors and is the only soft touch element here. No pull-up locking knobs means that rear passengers cannot individually lock their doors:


The rear doors are good enough to hold 500 ml bottles with very less space for other stuff:


Once the doors are closed, it's not that easy to remove the bottle and even more difficult to reach the other stuff in the doorpad. To remove the bottle, you will have to slide it out from the passage above the speaker:


The rear seats carry the same theme as the front seats. They are nicely contoured, although the bolstering & contours could have been better. The seatback angle is slightly upright, and the base doesn't extend forward as much resulting in ordinary underthigh support. The width is good enough for 3 adults to sit (unlike some competitors):


The headrests have only two positions of adjustment. In the bottom position, the base of the headrest is way too low and not many would like to use it like that. In the upper position, it is quite usable. Look closely and you can see that it has a slight indent where you'd rest your head. Also note the contrast gold stitching on the border:


The center passenger gets a fixed headrest. This is just an extension of the seatback and has the same firmness as the seat:


The legroom is just about adequate for tall people. You'd expect more legroom in a car of these exterior dimensions:


With the front seat adjusted to my 5'10" driving position, I had about 3 inches of knee clearance. With the front seat pushed all the way back, my knees hit the seatback. There is decent space below the front seat to slide your feet under:


A look at the maximum and minimum legroom:


Seated at the back, I had about 4-inches of headroom to spare. The headrest adjusted on the top position was perfect for my height. Shorter folk might find the headrest a little too high, while even taller people will complain about the base of the headrest hitting their neck. The seatback angle is a little too upright for most people's liking:


The center armrest is set at a perfect height for me. I felt the elbow rest on the doorpad was on the higher side, but nothing to make things uncomfortable:


A point to note is that the base of the armrest (back support for middle passenger) isn't that soft and hence could prove of discomfort over long journeys for the middle passenger:


The center armrest is wide enough for both rear passengers to use comfortably. It has two cupholders:


The seatbelts aren't mounted on the pillar, but are directed from the platform next to the parcel tray:


Slots on the C-pillars to hook-up the seatbelt buckles when the rear bench is folded:


On the left, you get a 12V power socket for charging smartphones:


Middle passenger gets a lap belt:


The front headrests aren't very tall, but are wide enough to obstruct frontal visibility:


The glass area is somewhat hampered by the rising window line. Also, if in a laid-back position & looking out the window, your view is directly obstructed by the C-pillar. The quarter glass brings in a decent amount of light:


This is the maximum position to which the rear window rolls down. It's still better than the Duster (reference image):


The seatbacks are scooped and have pockets to keep the loose stuff in:


Rear passengers get grab handles with a soft closing action. No coat/bag hook here:


The cabin lamp controls have been placed slightly towards the front seats. They can be operated while being seated in the front seat as well. The two lights on the sides are map reading lights (just like the front) and can be switched off using the buttons above them. The light in the middle is activated by the button above it. The button has 2 steps. In illuminated stage, it activates all the cabin lights (including the middle one) whenever the doors are unlocked, and also turns them off after a delay of a few seconds when all the doors are closed. Starting the engine will turn off the cabin lights immediately. In "off" step, you can switch off the map reading lights even with the door open:


The rear AC vents look very old and basic. They have a chrome lining around them and an air volume control knob below. Even when the vents are shut off, there is still a little bit of air coming out:


The floor hump isn't so high, but it is wide enough. Makes for a good platform for the middle passenger to place his/her feet (especially if it's a kid):


ISOFIX for mounting child seats:


The roof lining doesn't feel premium at all. IMHO the Tiago/Tigor gets a better roofliner than this:


Pull on these to fold the rear bench:


The tailgate is light and opens up easily:


It gets full cladding on the inside, without anything being exposed:


Spot welding joints on the tailgate don't look good at all. So many cheaper cars these days have all their welds covered up:


The twin-tray parcel shelf is similar to the one in the Duster. It has a good border and will also act as a luggage cover:


You can lock the rear part of the parcel shelf to the tailgate using these:


The loading lip is on the higher side. This means that you will have to lift up your luggage while loading:


Just look at the difference between the highest point of the lip and the boot floor. This proves to be uncomfortable while loading & unloading luggage:


The boot space is at 392 litres which is considerably lesser than the Duster (475 litres). The French should really learn a thing or two about interior packaging from the Japanese & Koreans:


Folding the rear seat increases the boot space to 1,352 litres:


Nope, the rear seats do not fold flat. No 60:40 or 50:50 split either:


The boot lamp is placed on the left:


Just behind the boot lamp, you have a compartment. Pull on the slot at the top...


...and you will see a tow hook inside:


A similar compartment on the right houses the tools for a tyre change (wheel brace and jack):


To remove the jack, just loosen the nut on the top and flip it upwards:


The under-belly spare is a smaller 16" steel wheel wearing a 215/65 section tyre:


Insert the wheel brace on the lip to lower the spare wheel:


The top tether hook (child seat) has been placed on the boot floor:

Last edited by GTO : 11th March 2018 at 19:02.
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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #6
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In-Car Entertainment

The Captur is equipped with the ULC 3.0 infotainment unit with a 7-inch touchscreen. The system supports navigation and comes with an Arkamys sound system with 4 speakers and 2 tweeters. You get USB, Bluetooth, Aux-in connectivity, but you miss out on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (very sadly). The system also gets voice recognition, but only for iOS users. It basically mirrors the Siri voice assistant on to the system.

In terms of usability, the touchscreen is strictly average. There is a bit of lag felt while operating, and the screen is reflective which makes it difficult to see under direct sunlight. The volume controls are on top near the power button. Sound quality is again average and there is some distortion when you play music loud. The system welcomes you with the company name on start-up:


2 speakers on the front doors...


...and 2 on the rear:


The 2 tweeters at the end of the dashboard are there on all variants, except the base:


The main menu layout is simple with multi-coloured tabs and a simple font. The tabs are big and easy to read as well. Outside temperature and time are displayed on the top right corner of the screen. Press on the moon tab on the top left...


...and the screen goes blank (in case it distracts you from driving). The system will still display the time, temperature and also the media information. The screen is backlit, and doesn't go off completely:


The radio screen display is sorted with the station name display on top. It even displays the catch-phrase of the radio station at the bottom! You can preset over 12 radio stations as per your preference:


The Bluetooth song display is simple with no information on the current track. What I found a little too basic was the fact that it didn't even display the play time of the song!


There are a bunch of options for the audio system. It gets speed dependent volume control. It's good to use at levels 3-4 where the transition is quite smooth. At level 5, it gets a little too sensitive. While adjusting the sound balance and fader options, you will have to press the arrow keys to make the desired changes. Dragging your finger on the slider to increase or decrease the bass, mid or treble won't work. The circle with a cross on the top left is to re-center the balance of the system:


The system downloads your phone book as soon as you connect your phone via Bluetooth. You can also view the call log, while the numeric dialpad has big numbers which makes it easy to use. When on the call, switching over to private mode is easy. That said, the Bluetooth call quality isn't that great. We tried on multiple phones and the voice at the receiver's end was very unclear:


When you access the Maps, the system shows this warning sign. You must 'Agree' to proceed:


The home screen has two separate tabs for maps and navigation. Usually, cars have maps as a part of navigation since there are a lot of options that are common for both the tabs. On choosing the Navigation tab, you get this screen:


You can even search for parking spaces around you!


After entering the destination, you have multiple options for the route to be taken. You can edit a particular route or find an alternate one. There are a number of options to choose from to alter the navigation settings as well. After you are done with all that, you can have an overview of the route:


On the navigation screen, you have the street name on top, with the nearby street names also displayed on the map. The instructions to the next direction are displayed on the right with the distance to destination and time of arrival in a smaller font at the bottom. If you have any media playing, it is displayed on the bottom right corner of the screen. Tapping the options button pops up the menu shown in the second picture. You can check the itinerary and see the road list which is also quite informative. It shows the length of road till the next instruction, time left and arrival time. Look closely and you will see a compass on the left as well. Alternative routes show you the shortest, fastest and most economical options of reaching the destination:


You can even simulate the navigation:
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In the Maps option, you can explore the nearby area. As I mentioned earlier, there are a few options that get repeated in Maps and Navigation. The route settings allow you to choose the planning method (fast, short or eco) and some of the things you want to avoid or include (tolls, motorways, ferries etc.). Clicking on options asks you if you want to reset all the preferences to default. The map settings include the display (2D or 3D) and the default zoom:


You could select the different points of interest markers on the map. There are a lot of options which you can choose, and they will be displayed on the map:


Found a new place? Just click 'Where am I?' and you get the name of the area, state and country. You also have co-ordinates and altitude on display. Click on options and you get an option to add the place to your favourites. Click on 'Country information' and the map shows the speed limits in different road conditions (within town, countryside, etc.) and the country phone code (+91) with the emergency number. Uniquely, it shows the maximum blood alcohol content level permitted! If you are stuck somewhere, you can click on Help Nearby and the respective points of interest are shown. You can sort them by distance and have them displayed on the map:


The navigation voice can be selected in many languages and it's good to see Hindi listed here. At any point of time, you can check the number of satellites that are available which would determine the accuracy of the GPS. The maps are provided by C.E. Info Systems Pvt Ltd. which is basically MapMyIndia and not Navteq (Nokia) like in the Kwid (reference image). The system needs to be updated from time to time and it also has information regarding how & why to update:


Different display options. You will have to keep the brightness at high when driving under the harsh sun. You can set the Maps in day/night/auto mode and even switch off the rear-view camera (don't understand why anyone would do that). Connecting your Bluetooth is easy and quick. You can connect multiple devices and choose which device should be used for audio playback and which one for phone operations!


Voice commands are available only when you pair an Apple device via Bluetooth. The system basically mirrors the Siri voice assistant:


There are different options for you to set your preferences for the system settings. The system also shows information about the open source software (123 pages long!!):


The AC cannot be controlled from the ICE. On operation of the physical buttons on the center console, you get notifications on the screen about the change:


The reversing camera quality is good with colour-coded static guidelines. As mentioned earlier, the display under direct sunlight isn't that great as seen in this picture:


On pressing the power button, the system turns off, displaying the time and outside temperature. This screen stays on for 3 minutes after you step out of the car and lock it:

Last edited by GTO : 11th March 2018 at 19:01.
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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #7
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The Captur has been launched with 2 engine options - a 1.5L H4K Petrol and a 1.5L K9K Diesel. The engines are carried forward from the Duster with minor tweaks. The diesel has been the popular choice among Duster buyers and Renault expects the same trend with the Captur as well.

Driving the 1.5L Diesel MT



The Captur's diesel engine is an inline 4-cylinder cast iron block with an aluminium head. The transversely mounted motor churns out 108 BHP @ 3,850 rpm and 240 Nm @ 1,750 rpm. Even though the power output of the engine is the same as the Duster, the engine rpm at which maximum power is made is lower by 150. The peak torque figure is also down by 5 Nm (Duster - 108 BHP @ 4,000 rpm & 245 Nm @ 1,750 rpm). The K9K dCi engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission has a CMVR rated fuel efficiency of 20.37 km/l. Owners of the same engine will testify to its fuel economy & long-term durability (it's also seen in the Verito, Sunny etc.). The base variant of the Captur weighs 1,349 kg which gives it a power to weight ratio of 80 BHP/Ton and a torque to weight ratio of 178 Nm/Ton. Compare these figures with two cars in direct competition and the Captur seems to be running out of steam. The lighter Duster powered by the same engine has power to weight and torque to weight ratios of 90 BHP/Ton and 213 Nm/Ton, while the comparatively powerful Creta stands at 97 BHP/Ton and 199 Nm/Ton. This in no way means that the Captur is underpowered though, but it's the heavier kerb weight (relative to the Duster) bringing it down. That extra weight has also brought a better & safer build, so we won't complain.

The diesel engine idles at 950 rpm and you can hear it inside the cabin as well. Minor vibrations are felt on the pedals and gear lever. The NVH levels are average on the move and the age of this engine shows - especially at higher revvs. There is absolutely no comparison with the Creta's smooth & contemporary 1.6L diesel. Engage 1st gear, let go of the clutch and the Captur crawls forward at ~8 km/h. There is a little amount of turbo-lag; it's not excessive, but it can catch you out in certain urban conditions. The engine really starts coming onto its own past 1,800 rpm. The lag won't bother you much when starting off from a standstill, thanks to the short 1st gear ratio. You can also tackle inclines at low rpm without bogging the motor down. Even on the highway, there's no need to spool up into turbo-friendly revvs before an overtaking manoeuvre. Just put your foot down, and the power comes in smooth. Driving around in city traffic however can get tedious on account of a clutch that's on the heavier side - it's not super light like some competitors.

Keep the engine on the boil and the Captur will reward you with brisk performance on the open road. You need to firmly hold the steering as torque steer does set in under hard acceleration. When the turbo kicks in at 1,800 rpm, you feel a mild boost and the engine accelerates clean thereafter. The mid-range is punchy, and you won't face any problem while overtaking slow traffic. This 1.5L diesel feels best between 2,000 - 4,000 rpm, after which there isn't much progress. The redline starts at 4,500 rpm and the engine will revv to 5,000 rpm if required, but you'll do well by upshifting at 4,000 rpm tops. The diesel starts getting loud above 3,000 rpm and it's very noisy past 4,000 rpm. Again, it's a much older engine than that of some competitors and the age + rudimentary nature show. One interesting thing we noticed was that the accelerator travel feels like it ends at a certain point. It actually doesn't! If you push your right foot down a bit harder, the accelerator goes a noticeable bit further (just like a kick-down in an automatic car). This results in a little more acceleration on the Captur.

The Captur gets a 6-speed manual gearbox that makes for relaxed expressway cruising. 100 km/h in 6th gear sees the engine spinning over at 2,200 rpm and right in turbo zone. 120 km/h is seen at 2,600 rpm in the same gear. The gearbox's throw is short enough, but it still has a rubbery side to it. The box has well-defined gates though and is eager to slot; we didn't encounter any mis-shifts during our drive. The clutch on the Captur is on the firmer side...should definitely have been lighter. It does require some effort. That, combined with the heavy steering & funny ergonomics, doesn't make the Captur the most city-friendly crossover.

As mentioned earlier, the engine's NVH levels are average and you can hear its mild thrum on the move. The road noise is average and not of much concern. Wind noise, on the other hand, is terribly prominent over 100 km/h. Even at speeds as low as 80 km/h, you can hear wind turbulence from the A-Pillar area. The sound is annoyingly similar to when one window is left slightly open at speed. We had commented on this in the Duster as well.

Apart from the cruise control and speed limiter, the Captur gets an ECO mode. Pressing the ECO mode button lights up a green 'ECO' sign on the instrument cluster. There's not a large or perceivable difference & performance here doesn't feel crippling at all. ECO mode is very usable for city driving and fine for highway runs too, if you're just cruising (as opposed to a lot of overtaking and speed variations). However, you can see a considerable drop in A/C performance in ECO mode. Frankly, considering the excellent fuel economy this engine anyway gives, we doubt many owners would use ECO.

The cruise control works well. A green light below the cruise control sign indicates that the function is activated and that the vehicle is cruising at the set speed. The speed limiter is a good option to have if you want to avoid over-speeding/getting caught by a speed camera. Note that this feature is easy to activate, adjust and deactivate and isn't like the more discreet "valet mode" speed-limiters found on some cars. To engage the speed limiter, press the button on the right side of the dashboard. Press the buttons on the left spoke of the steering wheel to adjust the speed (in increments of 2 km/h) that you don't want to cross (range is 30 - 200 km/h) and the speed limiter is enforced. Pressing the 'O' button on the right spoke of the steering wheel will pause the system and you can go above the set speed limit. If you want to resume the speed limiter, you will have to be at a lesser speed than the earlier set speed and press the 'R' button on the steering wheel. In case of an emergency, you can override the speed limiter function as well. For this, you will have to depress the accelerator pedal fully beyond the last point (there is a slight allowance even beyond the last point), the MID will flash the speed limiter display and you can go beyond the set speed limit. The speed limiter is automatically restored once you get the vehicle below the earlier set speed limit (say, once you are done with the overtaking manoeuvre).

Ride & Handling

In a car that shares so much with the Duster, you expect the ride quality to be excellent...and it is. Although I must add that the low-speed ride quality of the Captur is a bit stiffer as compared to the Duster. Reason being the larger 17" rims and shorter sidewalls. You'll feel bumps a little more than in the magic-carpet Duster, yet overall ride quality is still good. At speed, the Captur flattens bad roads like few cars do. You won't even feel the need to slow down for a bad road at speed. What's more, on a flat highway, the suspension rides flat. The mid and high-speed ride quality is just fantastic and there is none of that rear end bounciness that some competing SUVs suffer from. The dampers & springs are well-tuned while the suspension travel over broken roads is impressive. We just wish that the Duster's wheel size had been retained as that would've taken comfort to the 'benchmark level' (note: lower variants of the Captur do come equipped with the Duster's tyre size). Another strength of this suspension is that it isn't noisy when doing its work. There are no unnecessary clunks & thuds heard on the inside. We'd like to add that, at such a price premium over the Duster, the rear suspension should have been independent (like the Duster AWD). That would have further improved the Captur's ride quality & road manners.

The Renault Captur has a front-wheel-drive (FWD) layout. This, along with the monocoque body construction, makes the Captur very car-like to drive. The turning radius is the same as the Duster & Creta at 5.2 meters. At expressway speeds, the Captur's behaviour is safe & predictable. Body roll is well controlled under all driving conditions. The Apollo Apterra HP on-road tyres provided good levels of grip, even with a heavy right foot. A sedan driver doesn't have to go through a learning curve when driving a Captur for the first time, unlike the body-on-frame SUVs that entail a change in your high-speed driving style. Yes, there is some top heaviness felt at 100 km/h, but it's within acceptable limits. Straight line stability is par for the course. It isn't exceptional however, and you do need to keep a firm hand on the steering wheel.

One major gripe I have is with the steering wheel. Simply put, this is possibly the worst steering on sale today. The only positive thing about it is that it weighs up nicely on the highway to give you a planted & stable feel. But owners will find it to be on the heavier side in the city, including at parking speeds. Then, while taking fast corners on mountain roads, the steering's center-back action is way too aggressive. On expressway turns, the steering provided a lot of resistance and interfered with the smooth inputs that I was trying to dial in. Over quick ghat sections, you literally have to fight with the steering at times. Leave aside enthusiasts, the layman will hate this behaviour the most. On some of the technical corners, you just cannot corner fast as the steering kickback is so strong that you might actually end up changing lanes!! Things get worse if you encounter bad roads on such turns as the feedback is excessive.

The brakes of the Captur are confidence inspiring. Brake modulation is easy, and the car stops without any drama. I was pleased with how the Captur maintained its composure in an emergency braking situation. The Captur comes with 'Hill Start Assist' as well along with ABS, EBD and BA. The hill start assist basically gives you some time to release the clutch and accelerate when starting off on an ascent. The vehicle won't roll back for a handful of seconds.

210 mm of unladen ground clearance (laden GC is 169 mm) ensures that the underbelly doesn't scrape anywhere. In fact, we took it off the road among some rocks and still, the underbody didn't scrape at any point. Do keep in mind that the Apollos are made strictly for tarmac. They lose grip easily on the likes of mud & grass. As the Captur is a 2WD, you shouldn't attempt anything remotely close to off-roading with it. Hopefully, Renault will introduce the AWD variant at a later stage for touring enthusiasts. The Duster AWD is damn capable by crossover standards.

The transversely mounted 1.5L K9K diesel engine produces 108 BHP @ 3,850 rpm and 240 Nm @ 1,750 rpm. The intake and exhaust are at the back of the engine:


The bonnet gets insulation underneath. A sad thing about the bonnet though is that there is no assistance. It is heavy, and you will need both hands to open it up fully! Even the Duster during its launch had gas struts to help open the bonnet up!


Bonnet gets these goose-neck hinges:


There is a huge gap between the fender and the frame. This should have been covered up like the front part of the engine bay:


The ECU is mounted next to the air filter box:


Air filter is very easy to remove for cleaning purposes:


The firewall gets partial cladding:


Battery is a size smaller than the tray meant for it:


Vertically mounted intercooler on the right:


The washer fluid reservoir has been placed at the top. It even has a filter on the inside:


Some 'Made in Germany' parts in the engine bay. Here's the air-flow meter from Continental:


Sweet looking gear knob:


Pull up this dog collar to engage reverse gear. It's effortless to use when you are shifting from reverse to first and back in a parking lot:


A prominent upshift/downshift indicator for newbies, right next to the speed display:


The ECO mode display on the tachometer:


The speed limiter and cruise control have the same display sign on the right (Duster had separate lights). When the speed limiter is activated, the sign turns red, and when cruise control is selected, the sign turns green:


The green light below the cruise control symbol comes up when the vehicle is cruising at the set speed:


A single diesel sticker inside the fuel flap. There's a slot on the lid to hang the cover while refuelling. Most Indian & Japanese cars have the fuel flap on the left, while European cars have it on the right (related thread):

Last edited by GTO : 11th March 2018 at 19:00.
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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #8
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Other Points

• The first concept Captur was shown at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The production version based on the Clio platform was later showcased at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Sales began in April 2013 in France.

• The M0 platform-based Captur with an AWD started sales in Russia from March 2016. We're pretty sure of seeing the AWD in India.

• The Clio-based European Captur carries a Euro-NCAP safety rating of 5 stars, while the Duster-based Captur has a Latin-NCAP safety rating of 4 stars. We're hopeful & confident of the Indian Duster-based Captur to be a safe vehicle as there doesn't appear to be much of a difference between what we get & the one tested in the Latin-NCAP.

• You drive the Captur, and you know that it's an old platform dressed up in contemporary clothes. The driving experience doesn't give you the feel of a modern car at all. You can tell this is an old model under the skin. No escaping it.

• In 2017, Renault added 50 new dealerships across India. The total has now reached 320 dealerships, while the number of service facilities in the country is 269.

• Mumbai is a top 2/3 market for most manufacturers. Yet, the closest dealer from South & Central Mumbai is in Juhu! A potential customer from SoBo has to drive 90 minutes to the Renault showroom.

• First service is at 2,000 km/2 months and the second at 10,000 km/1 year. Subsequent services are at every 10,000 km/1 year, whichever is earlier.

• The Captur comes with a standard warranty of 50,000 km/2 years which includes road side assistance. The warranty can be extended to 80,000 km/4 years.

• Renault recently launched the My Renault app for Android and iOS (related thread). The app can be used to book service appointments, get personalised reminders and has digital vaults for document storage. At the time of the app's launch, Renault had used a picture of the Honda City - Click here to read the hilarious discussion. Heads must have rolled, we're sure.

• Renault has also launched a cool configurator app for the Captur. You can book the car from the app. An online configurator is also available on the official website.

• The dual tone body versions are available on the RXT and Platine variants only, at an extra price of Rs. 17,000. Fair price for a factory dual-tone (roof & ORVMs).

• 4 variants on offer - RXE, RXL, RXT and Platine. The price difference between the RXL and base RXE variant is ~1 lakh. Looking at the features list, the base variant (RXE) seems VFM as it has a lot of essential features. Check out BHPian sameer sultan's RXE petrol - click here. If you're planning for the RXT variant, for just ~80k more, you might as well upgrade to the Platine variant which offers side airbags, ESC and Hill-start assist among other aesthetic & feel-good features.

• Fuel tank capacity of 50 litres. CMVR rated fuel efficiency of 13.87 km/l for the 1.5L petrol variant. That of the 1.5L diesel engine is 20.37 km/l.

• If the Captur has been unlocked, but you don't open the doors or tailgate, the car locks itself after two minutes.

• After locking/unlocking the car using the keycard, you cannot use the request sensor for locking/unlocking. To use the request sensor again, the vehicle needs to be restarted. Weird.

• You cannot turn off the traction control manually in the Captur. Good for India; however, if you ever start off on snow, you will miss that 'TC Off' button.

• The ambient light in the cupholder area glows when the pilot lamps are switched on. You cannot switch off this ambient light (some cars give you that option).

• You can see the car's body colour from the inside, on the door frame. This is similar to the Duster, but rather unusual with cars of today.

• The Captur has a drag coefficient of 0.390. That's unimpressive by current standards.

• RXT & Platine variants are equipped with 'battery discharge prevention'. The feature doesn't allow any electrical accessories to run for more than 3 minutes after the engine is switched off.

Disclaimer: Renault invited Team-BHP for the Captur test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

Last edited by GTO : 11th March 2018 at 18:59.
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Old 11th March 2018, 18:53   #9
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The Smaller yet Significant Things

Here's a list of all the manufacturers supplying the Captur's different components. Image credit to AutoTechReview:


Foglamps double up as cornering lights (they light up in the direction of the steering):


A single reversing light on the left. Also check out the rear foglamp in action (on the right):


The LED headlamps get this 'LED Pure Vision' badge on the side:


Headlamps have a good throw in low beam...


...as well as high beam:


Nice detailing inside the tail lamps:


Splash guards are available as an accessory:


There is a wide gap between the tailgate and loading lip (on the inside). Don't really understand the reason for providing such a HUGE clearance area:


After turning off the engine, push the wiper stalk down to move the wipers into 'service position':


Sensor for the automatic wipers:


17-digit VIN can be found on the B-pillar on the driver's side, and in the engine bay on top of the right suspension strut:


Tyre pressure information is given on the driver side door:


Since the instrument cluster is shared with the international model, a number of features are seen as blanks on the screen. The foot on brake pedal sign is for the automatic variant and the number below it is the gear indicator in Manual mode. The auto start/stop sign on the bottom left and different drive modes (Sport, Race) are all blanks on the Indian variant. Look closely and you will see the 4WD lock option on the screen above:


The door open warning light is basic. It doesn't tell you exactly which door is open. It lights up if the tailgate is unlocked, but not when you pop open the bonnet. The wrench warning light on the right comes on if there is a problem in a particular system. This is in addition to the lights on the instrument cluster (reference image). The 'Stop' warning on the left lights up only when things get really critical and you shouldn't be driving past that point:


Fine bits should have been finished in a better way. The plastic edges on some of the dashboard parts were sharp:


A few dashboard elements aren't fitted properly and there are some irregularities seen as well:


Even the Styrofoam in between the dashboard and windshield wasn't tucked in perfectly:


The floor mats are held in place by these press-type locks:


The front part of the seats gets this extension to cover up the hardware underneath:


The seatbelt pretensioner wire however is visible. This should have been covered up as well:


Ball joint for the IRVM looks ancient. Should have been covered up in a premium-priced crossover like this:


The air-vent was not aligned properly on our test car. See how the bottom part has come off! A glaring miss by the QC team:


Airbag sticker warning at the back of the sunvisor as well. You should never place a child/child seat on the front seat:


Camera visibility in dark areas isn't great. Single reversing light could be a contributor:


Another miss by QC. The housing on the rear seatback release lever came off in our test car! It wasn't fitted properly. Frankly, we remember seeing such things in Mahindras & Tatas 10 years back (no longer):


The Renault-Elf partnership clearly extends beyond motorsport. However, Elf doesn't sell engine oil for cars in India (it does for 2-wheelers). Rather, Elf's parent company - Total - does:


A bunch of accessories were displayed by Renault at the media drive:


Note that the 16" alloy wheel design is different from the 17-inchers. You can check out the full list of accessories here:


The Captur offers a wide range of personalization options. Check out the list here:


A look at the dual-tone & monotone colour options. Do note that they differ by variant too. Damn confusing - good luck choosing! Our personal favourite is the orange body with black roof:



The Captur, Kwid and Duster standing next to each other. Thanks to BHPian Moto$apien for sharing this pic on our forum:

Last edited by GTO : 11th March 2018 at 18:54.
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Old 12th March 2018, 09:54   #10
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Re: Renault Captur : Official Review

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Official Reviews. Thanks for sharing!

Awesome review, rating thread a full 5 stars. Can't say the same about the Captur though - I found the car to be mediocre & Renault has clearly missed the mark on this one. I wouldn't buy or recommend it. The Captur feels old & outdated (to drive as well) and it's priced too close to the segment's godfather, the Creta. A ~50k difference between the top variants, but if you get a discount from the Hyundai dealer, it's effectively even. Although I'm an enthusiast and don't find the Creta exciting at all, I'd buy it over the Captur. Simply put, the Hyundai is a properly 'sorted' product; the Renault has many flaws.

When the Duster arrived, it had literally zero direct-competition and sold very well. Different story with the Captur though - if the initial 3 to 4 months of sales are anything to go by, it's sunk like the Titanic. Shows how our market has moved in only 5 years. IMHO, Renault should have launched the Captur as the 'New Duster' out here at the Duster's price point. Brand 'Duster' still commands respect in the market place and its price level would be more suitable for the Captur. Sure, Renault would have to retire the old Duster in order to do this, but anyone would rather have 1 car that sells than 2 that don't.

To me, the Captur represents a missed opportunity in a market that is moving to SUVs & Crossovers in a big way.

Last edited by GTO : 12th March 2018 at 09:58.
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Old 12th March 2018, 10:15   #11
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Re: Renault Captur : Official Review

Thanks for coming up with an impartial review (strange that Captur has more paid reviews outside this forum). Still feel that interest in this car can be revived, but it is up to the decision makers. I am sure this review will answer all the questions related to poor market response for India's Captur
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Old 12th March 2018, 11:05   #12
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Re: Renault Captur : Official Review

Captur's biggest problem is its sibling - the Duster. I think when a prospective customer weigh them up side by side, the Duster clearly got the upper hand - rugged looks, relatively more space and a proven product at a lower price point. Add AWD and AMT to the mix, and it hard to dismiss the older UV.

The Captur looks good on the outside, but it looks archaic on the inside. The low quality bits just crushes it further. And then there is no option for an Automatic which was a really stupid move in the current market.

For a regular customer, the Duster is too old now and the Captur cannot even better that. I think the buyer will just walk out of the showroom ditching both products. There is no wonder the product has tanked.

I think Renault shouldn't have bothered with the Captur. They should have just brought forward the new generation Duster to replace the current one.

And while you are at it Renault, please don't screw up the interiors of the new Duster. Or the safety aspect. The market has really moved on from the past.
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Old 12th March 2018, 12:44   #13
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Re: Renault Captur : Official Review

After reading the review, I think one can only consider buying the Captur if it is priced the same as Renault Duster, add to that, things like the bad steering feel mentioned in the review, parts quality compared to competition etc will make it easier to negotiate with the dealer. I see Renault offering massive discounts on the car soon.

PS: the rectangular hole on the glove box mentioned in the review is to hold the latch of the glovebox lid when it is closed.
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Old 12th March 2018, 13:38   #14
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Re: Renault Captur : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Omkar View Post
Exterior
Our suggestion - the Captur should have been the new 'Duster' for India and badged as one. After all, the Duster brand now enjoys good recall. Plus, the current Duster has gotten old and doesn't have a long life ahead of it anyway.
+1 - this was indeed being echoing in my brain for quite a long time. Why did they even being a stand-alone product besides having a strong product like the duster?! They could’ve just introduced this as an upgrade and discontinued the current duster which would’ve atleast got them some good sales.

Duster no doubt has a strong fan following because of its stance. Not sure if the Captur would’ve received the same response if introduced as an upgrade over duster. Perhaps, Renault themselves were skeptical of the success the Captur would make like the duster did and hence they didn’t want to meddle with the success or the title of the duster, I presume.

But the car looks way better as a crossover keeping the price tag aside. The full LED headlamps looks sweet alongside the DRL and LED fogs.

Looking at the sales numbers it’s garnering, I wonder if Renault has already planned to prepare the museum to preserve the car there in future!

Rating 5***** Omkar for the wonderful review!
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Old 12th March 2018, 14:22   #15
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Re: Renault Captur : Official Review

Thanks Omkar for the expansive review. Very detailed and well written!

As a Captur owner I was eagerly looking forward to this review.I was finding the A/c cooling a bit less in mid day temperatures. Here in Chennai the heat has already intensified in March. The Air Circulation mode light was on in my Captur as the SA said during delivery if this light is on it means inside air is under inside circulation and that is the case in most cars including my Cruze. I left it that way and the A/c was not optimal I was thinking of getting it checked with the service centre.

Thanks to this TBHP review where Omkar has mentioned that if the light is on in the Air Circulation switch it means outside air is being let in!

Usually when outside air is let in the A/c effect is not optimal.I am going to switch off the light and test.I am sure the A/c would work well now.
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