The facelifted Renault Captur is now on sale in South Africa.
The French B-SUV launches with three trims, namely the entry-level Techno, mid-tier Iconic and range-topping Esprit Alpine. The urban romper range started life in 2013 as a larger, more practical family option than the Clio hatch. The second-generation was launched in 2019, and the latest is a comprehensive update of the latter model.
Changes start with the design. The new front aesthetics have angles and shiny inserts and wedge daytime running lights together with new 18-inch and 19-inch alloy wheels, depending on specification, make for the best-looking Captur yet. The signature silhouette remains familiar, though, while light touches on the rear include a new-style bumper and skid plate, the new Renault badge and black lettering for the Esprit Alpine.
The Esprit Alpine replaces the GT-Line, but all three new trims manifest as premium interior upgrades on the old model. The Esprit Alpine has a colourful 10.4-inch touchscreen, 7-inch digital instrument cluster displays and a stubby transmission lever fitted across the range as standard. The new OpenR Link multimedia system supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and there’s new upholstery on all models.
The Esprit Alpine, which was exclusively available for drives at the media launch, looks the sportiest. It’s differentiated by the French national flag in the side piping, seatbelts with blue top-stitching, aluminium-plated sports pedals and branded door sills, 19-inch Elixir wheels, aerodynamic splitter, and front and rear skid plates with Slate Grey matt paintwork.
Passenger comfort and practicality features include a 7l glove box and split-folding rear seats that can slide back and forth more than 16cm. Maximum boot volume is 616l with the rear bench pushed fully forward, a gain of 132l. With the rear seats folded completely, the capacity is 1,596l.
The enhanced Captur continues with the four-cylinder 1.3l turbo petrol engines producing 113kW and 270Nm driving the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (EDC). Four driving modes of Eco, Comfort, Sport and Perso are available to tailor the mechanicals to suit the driver’s mood.
Safety and driver aids include airbags, blind spot warning, hill start assist, 360° parking sensors, speed limiter and cruise control. Still on safety, Renault SA says the latest Captur achieved an NCAP four-star crash rating.
The first drive impression revealed much of what we’ve come to know and expect from the Captur. It’s sufficiently powerful for daily drives and for longer journeys, and it can be frugal at urban speeds. The model is rated with more than 700km on a single tank of fuel.
It’s also poised and confident when cornering fast and is a fair progression of the model in some aspects, and a resounding one in others, especially in the looks and technology departments. The Captur model range is available with five body paint colours, which include Arctic white, Flame red, Iron blue, Oyster grey, and Urban grey.
It’s sold with a standard five-year/150,000km mechanical warranty and a three-year/45,000km service plan.
Pricing
Renault Captur 1.3L Techno EDC — R515,999
Renault Captur 1.3L Iconic EDC — R544,999
Renault Captur 1.3L Esprit Alpine EDC — R614,999
