Renault Captur - thought out to the smallest detail

The small crossover segment is booming. Every self-respecting brand has or wants to have such a car in its offer in the near future. Renault is also following suit with its Captur model.

I have to admit that Renault is bold when it comes to the looks of its latest models. The cars look fresh and trendy and can be personalized with various accessories. It's the same with a small crossover called the Captur. In terms of style, the car surpasses all competitors, including the Nissan Juk. In addition, unlike its Japanese competitor, it is not only interesting, but also cute. The many ways to personalize the Captur are dizzying – suffice it to mention 18 two-tone body styles, 9 single-tone options, optional exterior color customization, dashboard and seat steering wheel customization. impression. Although the village, but I'm sure that the fair sex will be delighted.

A first glance is enough to reveal a lot in common with the Clio, especially when it comes to the front and sides of the car. A black grille with a large manufacturer's logo combines large headlights in a smile, and characteristic side moldings and plastic sills that extend high above the door are the hallmark of a small Renault. The Captur, however, is larger than the Clio. And in length (4122 mm), and in width (1778 mm), and in height (1566 mm), and in wheelbase (2606 mm). But what really differs the most between these cars is the ground clearance, which the Capture has of 20cm. This increases our ability to climb higher curbs without fear of damaging the oil pan. Because, of course, no one in their right mind will take Kapoor into the field. Firstly, because in its pure form the car looks much better, and secondly, the manufacturer did not provide for the possibility of equipping it with a 4 × 4 drive.

If you look inside Captura, it turns out that good design work has also been done here. The version we tested was fitted with orange accessories that definitely spice up the look of the interior. The steering wheel is finished (in addition to leather) with very pleasant to the touch plastic with patterns similar to those seen on the seats. However, the plastic of which the dashboard is made is difficult to praise - it is hard and, although it does not creak, it is easily scratched. An interesting idea is to use seat covers that can be removed very simply and quickly, if suddenly our children, instead of politely drinking juice, spilled it around them.

It turns out that interesting interior design ideas can be combined with functionality and proper ergonomics. It takes some time to assume the correct and comfortable driving position at the same time. We sit a little higher in Capture, so it's easier for us to sit down and we have a pretty good view of what's going on around the car. A sufficiently deep built-in clock is read both day and night, and a large LED using colors (green and orange) informs us whether the driving mode that we are currently practicing is more or less economical. We have a 7-inch touch screen multimedia system R-Link at hand. It provides easy access to the navigator (TomTom), trip computer or phone. I especially like the way that several selected pieces of information are combined on one screen.

Potential users will certainly be interested in information about the storage compartments that we can find on board the Captura, in particular the largest one, called the trunk. Again, I have to commend the engineers from Renault - despite the relatively small size, many compartments, shelves and pockets were found. We even find here, which is rare for French cars, two cup holders! Oh mon Dieu! However, a real surprise awaited me when I accidentally opened the glove compartment in front of the passenger - at first I thought that I had broken something, but it turned out that we had a large box with a capacity of 11 liters. You can't call it a glove box unless we wear boxing gloves in there.

The luggage compartment of Captura holds from 377 to 455 liters of luggage. Does that mean it's made of rubber? No. We can simply move the rear seat back and forth, dividing the space between the second row of seats and the trunk. If there is still not enough space for parcels, then, of course, DHL or folding the rear seat back can help out. The choice is ours.

Under the hood of the tested Captur was the most powerful engine from the range of motors offered in this model, the TCe 120 with a capacity of 120 hp. The drive, combined with an automatic 6-speed EDC transmission, accelerates the crossover weighing almost 1200 kg to 100 km/h in less than 11 seconds. In the city it won’t interfere much, but on tour we’ll probably feel a lack of strength. In short, Captur is not a speed demon. In addition, it burns an indecent amount of gasoline. On the road, with three people on board, he wanted 8,3 liters of gasoline for every 56,4 kilometers (driving at an average speed of 100 km/h). Well, it can not be called economical. I also have some comments on the gearbox, because although it runs very smoothly, it is not too fast for a dual clutch gearbox. Well, there are no cars without flaws.

Renault Captur prices start at PLN 53 for the Energy TCe 900 Life version. The cheapest model with a diesel engine costs PLN 90. Taking a closer look at the price lists and offerings of competitors in this segment, we must admit that Renault has very reasonably calculated the price of its functional urban crossover.

So if you're not bothered by the slightly higher fuel consumption and the slightly sluggish EDC transmission, then feel free to test drive Capur, because it is very pleasant to drive. The car, despite the higher center of gravity, rides very predictably, and we don't have to pray for a good maneuver before tight corners. The suspension focuses on traveler comfort rather than sporty experience – which is a good thing, because at least it doesn’t want to pretend to be anything else.

Pros:

+ Driving pleasure

+ good visibility

+ Ease of travel

+ Functional and interesting interior

Cons:

– Very dim biconvex lights

– High engine fuel consumption 1,2 TCe