Not known to many here, the Renault Captur is the best selling B-segment SUV in Europe, where it competes with the likes of early bird Nissan Juke, the Peugeot 2008 and Opel’s Mokka.
Meanwhile, Asia is dominated by Asians, and the Honda HR-V is all-conquering in our part of the world. In Malaysia, it brought attention to the class without even being first to market (the 2008 and Ford’s EcoSport predate it). The HR-V will soon be joined by Mazda’s sharp-looking CX-3, and judging from pre-launch interest, it’s set to create waves.
There are smaller C-segment SUVs priced in the vicinity, too. Mitsubishi’s recently facelifted ASX now starts from just RM105k, while the Kia Sportage 2WD can be yours for RM119k (with insurance). The more desirable Mazda CX-5 starts from not much higher at RM126k. Both segments overlap in price.
Previewed in July, the Captur will be launched before 2015 ends. Three months ago, a competitive estimated price of RM118k-RM123k was quoted for this Spanish-made Renault, but the Malaysian ringgit has lost further ground since then. Here’s hoping that the Captur won’t be handicapped by something out of TC Euro Cars’ control. That will be a shame, as it’s an interesting addition to our market.
Parking the Renault Captur in the porch for the first time, I realised that the compact SUV is larger in size than expected – its girth and pronounced ground clearance stood out.
The spec sheet reads 4,122 mm long and 1,778 mm wide, which makes the Captur 60 mm longer and 46 mm wider than the Clio IV it shares Alliance B underpinnings with. The fourth-generation five-door hatchback (available here as the Clio RS 200 EDC hot hatch) is one of the largest cars in its class.
At 1,567 mm, the Captur is also a significant 119 mm taller than the Clio; height emphasised by the generous ground clearance of 200 mm. Still, my eyes are playing tricks because the petite-looking HR-V is actually 38 mm taller still. Sleight of hand from the designers, it must be.
A compact SUV is the perfect canvas for car designers to be bold. Raised hatchbacks like the Captur fight for the same buyer as conventional ones in Europe – where the small hatchback is the default car – so there has to be enough differentiation on offer. Those who want a plain ol’ supermini are already very well catered for.
Renault seized the opportunity with both hands, creating an urban machine that only the blind won’t notice. The wide-stretched insect-like face is dominated by a large lozenge flanked by bulging eyes (in slimmer casing, unlike the Clio’s oversized headlamps). Below that, the LED daytime running lights and foglamps are fenced by a ring of chrome, and the license plate is attached to the lip, a lower than usual location.
The customary raw black plastic lower body panels are rather prominent on the Captur, accented by Renault’s signature upward curve between the wheels (also seen on the larger Kadjar crossover and the Clio, slimmer on the latter). The black portion at the rear is also relatively substantial.
All of the above contribute to the bold styling, but the Captur won’t be so eye-catching without the dual-tone paint scheme – signature Arizona Orange and Diamond Black in our tester’s case, as per official photos. There’s also white/black, blue/white and beige/black, but this is the combo to have.
The A- and C-pillars plus rear spoiler are also painted black for the “floating roof” effect that’s now in vogue. The duel between gloss black and shiny chrome continues on the 17-inch alloys, funkily styled and the largest available for the model. Clearly, this is not merely a Clio on stilts, and the Captur is not a car to go about unnoticed. Bold, for those with a similar outlook on life, we’d imagine.
Those with the active lifestyles Renault is trying to capture (sorry, I really tried holding it back!) would have no shortage of gear and friends to ferry around, and the Captur tries hard to please.
The rather flat rear bench has a 160 mm fore/aft sliding range, which varies the boot volume from 377 to 455 litres. Pretty useful for the occasional trip to Ikea or even when you want the the kids to be nearer to you/within range.
The boot floor is removable (on for partition, off for max height) and reversible (carpeted on one side, washable hard plastic on the other), and the cargo area is nicely square with no wheel well intrusion. The rear seat backrests fold flat 60:40, of course.
For human cargo, rear passengers get decent knee room with the seats in the rearmost position (215 mm, 75 mm more than the Clio) and feet can slot in under the front seats. More apparent is the higher seating position – 100 mm loftier than the Clio for the driver – that provides a better view out for all. The Captur is spacious in the Euro hatch context but if your B-segment reference point is Asian (eg. City, Vios), it’s adequate. For ultimate space utilisation, turn to the Honda Jazz.
In terms of storage, there’s a lidded bin on the dash top, which compensates somewhat for the deep but narrow glovebox, with half its width taken up by the fuse box. Quite a stretch, though. The front door bins can hold 1.5 litre drink bottles and there’s a removable 1.6 litre open tub between the front seats in lieu of a centre console box. The latter is inserted into a (small) cupholder and isn’t the easiest to access.
Overall, there aren’t enough hidden/covered cubbies for this user. You might have also noticed from the pics above that instead of conventional map pockets, Renault employs a couple of tensioned strings for you to strap in stuff. Another case of nakedness that I’m not entirely comfortable with. Not hipster enough, I know.
Another unique feature is the removable and washable Zip Collection seat covers, which are secured like a wetsuit by a combination of zippers and velcro. Our orange test car had matching orange/black seat covers in a robust fabric for a sporty vibe. Part of Renault’s personalisation programme for the Captur, there are different designs and colours for owners to experiment with.
The centre stack, air con vents and speaker grilles can have orange rings as well, but whoever specced this unit didn’t go overboard, choosing to contrast piano black trim with chrome instead. The combo is everywhere, but Renault may have gone a step too far in lining half of the steering wheel’s face with the less than smooth, fingerprint-baiting plastic. It’s a unique touch that some might like, perhaps.
Taking a step back, the dashboard is actually unique to the Captur, even if elements like the AC controls and instrument panel are shared with the Clio. The latter’s binnacle is unique, and this car’s central air vents are like elephant ears to the touchscreen, instead of sitting below the head unit.
Perhaps the funky design is to distract one from the lack of soft dash plastics we’re accustomed to in European cars, but at least the dimpled texture is pleasant to the touch. For many, that would be less of an issue than the key card system Renault has doggedly stuck to – sticking the card in a slot before pressing a button isn’t the fastest way to get going.
Our Captur will get a seven-inch MediaNav system with AUX, USB, Bluetooth, reverse camera and navigation. We didn’t get to try it though – this demonstrator is a Japan-spec unit which is yet to be fitted with the factory MediaNav, and what you see here is just the shell. With no music to distract, I could solely focus on the drivetrain refinement and noise levels. The result is a mixed bag.
Our Captur is powered by Renault’s TCe 120 engine, a downsized 1.2 litre four-cylinder turbo unit. With 120 hp and 190 Nm at 2,000 rpm going to the front wheels, it does the 0-100 km/h benchmark sprint in 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 192 km/h. Performance is akin to a 1.8 litre naturally aspirated engine, Renault says. An ECO mode manipulates torque, shift pattern and climate control to reduce consumption by up to 10% – we didn’t try it.
Acceleration is stronger than the figures suggest, and the Captur gets up to highway speeds with relative ease – any doubts on whether a 1.2 litre engine is enough for an SUV should be cast away. The TCe doesn’t sound anywhere near sporty though, unless you find the noise made by home appliances sexy.
If the engine-gearbox duo was singing Smooth Operator, it would be out of tune. The drivetrain occasionally emits a noticeable whine in the urban crawl below 50 km/h, as if in reverse. The issue is compounded by the Efficient Dual Clutch automatic’s tendency to hold on to a gear too low, resulting in unwanted engine braking and noise. Smooth progress in start-stop conditions is hard to achieve.
The six-speed dual-clutch ‘box also suffers from apparent lag from standstill, which could prove hairy in cut and thrust urban driving. I probably wouldn’t have heard the clutches engage with the radio on, but everything else was hard to miss. Reputation aside, Volkswagen’s DSG is still the benchmark in response and wit, and the EDC falls short in this application.
Personally, I see Ford U-turning to a regular slushbox for the Focus facelift and Peugeot turning to Japan’s Aisin for autos as a good sign. Their efficiency is well-documented, but if dual-clutch transmissions can’t be made to feel “normal” enough, and work with high reliability across the globe, then a rethink is needed. Of course, some do it very well.
Things get much better with speed. The previously recalcitrant EDC is now doing smooth overlaps, and the engine’s strong mid-range comes to the fore. With the drivetrain in sync and settled, the Captur’s decent motorway refinement and good high speed stability can be enjoyed.
Speaking of high speeds, this tall Renault is surprisingly flat cornering. Body control is tight and grip levels are good. There’s a price to pay for the agility though, and ride comfort is not a Captur strong point. The firm suspension is rather unforgiving on roads scarred by endless digging and patching (such as the loop around Petaling Jaya), and is something that doesn’t quite fit the Captur’s mini SUV brief, in my humble opinion.
The Captur’s suspension and drivetrain seem to prefer the open road to the urban crawl, and that raises some questions. More than any other genre, the compact SUV was designed for the city, where the upwardly mobile desire a lofty seating position and a more robust image/size, without sacrificing a regular car’s ease of use. The ladies love it.
The Renault fulfils the above and boasts five-star Euro NCAP safety (four airbags, ESC, Hill Start Assist) and a five-year unlimited mileage factory warranty. It’s likeable and unique, and for some, that will be all they need. It doesn’t navigate the rough and tumble of Klang Valley life as slick as some though – as things stand, the Captur stands out but is not outstanding.
TC Euro Cars will launch the Renault Captur before the end of 2015. The estimated price range quoted in late-July is RM118,000 to RM123,000. Units are already in showrooms for preview.
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I saw a registered Renault Captur in a parking lot during the Alami Proton event earlier this month. I was like “Eh, since when the Captur launched here ?!?! Grey import maybe ??”. Went back and checked, and yes, I believe ETCM/ TC Euro Cars is trying to gauge market feedback, so they’ve imported a few of these for said purpose.
I think it’s a nice car, in so far as looks. In pictures, it doesn’t look that special, but it’s quite unique in the metal, it looks expensive.
I doubt this will sell very well here unless if ETCM CKD-s it like the Fluence currently. And even so, still no guarantee it will sell (how many Fluences can you find?)… truly hit or miss.
I can buy 2 of Great Wall M4 with this price
Your 2 M4 will be condemned way before this Captur does.
Renault salesman?
Experienced with assembling China vehicles
yeah, not only the M4 but the people inside also.
Safety 1st ;)
lantak lah. I rather get our Proton than this junk. I am proud of our Proton and I hope all the readers in PT give their full support to our national pride.
RBA john! My good friend! Where have you been all day!
Where got suv range in proton.. ertiga compact mpv also rebadge!…U own preve (cfe turbo full spec)??…i got 1..engine responce sux…braking system like shit..cant stop the car if u turn the steering/wheel…traction control gone crazy..all engine mounting kapuk oledy…vibrate n shaking n noise inside n out like hell!..berqpa kali asyik nk apply cuti saja nak hantar SC?..bukan nk kondem… I got savvy …BLM….cfe turbo full spec Preve…fuel consumption so-so.. All braking system problem!!!..engine response n acceleration proton savvy saja bagus….latest Proton handling much better than mitsubishi..
Why did you reply to yourself
hmm, kinda remind me of Proton Iriz especially from the side profile. Orange is the new black I guess.
My son saga has better RV.
Hopefully it will be priced competitively compared to the HRV or will it end up dead on arrival like the CX-3.
Hmm so this baby does not like stop and go situations haha maybe those European engineers need to come over to SEA and experience our crappy jams. Driving this in Indonesia will be suicide with all the holes n traffic on the road. I guess having no sound system in this test car has revealed something else instead lol.
You must be very proud of your second hand f30.
2nd Hand F30 still cost more than pathetic 2nd hand recon alphard. What more your pitiful junk vios.
Obviously you never own alphard before. Work hard you kimchi driver.
Unless a/t becomes mainstream in Europe, impossible to expect them to bother.
M/t still the popular choice in Europe, they literally call it standard transmission. A/t is deemed as luxury, reserved for expensive cars.
Wanna enjoy conti the way they do, gotta drive like they do: row the stick yourself.
AT is not just luxury, many think if you drive auto that’s because you can’t drive. I’m one of them. MT is just way more fun.
Usually only drivers that drive A LOT, say 40, 50k a year or more may prefer AT. Usually they only want DSG though (company cars that are only kept for 3-5 years). Torque converters have a bad rep.
You think there are no traffic jams in Europe? Funny. There are. Plenty, and some super long ones. Record in Germany were a 44 km long traffic jam. And pot holes… got that too in Germany, though usually it’s more rough surfaces, cause the holes usually at least get fixed, sort of.
Nice straight to the point review.no belok belok.miss this kind of article
this b segment will capture your wallet at rm 123K for top spec,the price should be around honda city and vios range to competitive grab sales. the engine 1.2 will it be the last time twingo with a update turbo version?
Look at that ugly interior. Even worse than proton suprima. The only saving grace for the interior is the digital speedometer. Exterior wise, Beautiful!
To be fair though, the Captur is not as bad as say, the 2008 and EcoSport. Among the continental baby SUVs, it’s the best of the three. the 2008 is nice but cramped, and the crappy transmission (4 speed automatic wtf Peugeot) and anaemic engine is no match for the baby Renault. The EcoSport on the other hand should be named Economy Sport, it feels like it was designed by people who were in a boardroom – sea of poor plastics, low fit and finish quality and not to mention the hot mess of the PowerShift transmission. By far Ford’s most disappointing product in recent times.
The Renault here isn’t half as bad. I have sat in one in France last year at L’Atelier Renault, with the Clio next to it, and I can say it actually feels nice. Sure it is not as big as the HRV, but it is well thought out. Not very practical, but you know, the French and practicality…
As for the engine and transmission, I suspect it is probably cause the car is new still, or the transmission calibration is not right on this unit. I personally drove the Clio 1.2 TCe as well as the Megane 1.2 TCe with the EDC transmission abroad a fair bit, in both cases, there was no judder at low speeds, unlike say a VW DQ200. There wasn’t much whine as well, and I too didn’t have the audio on. I did however find the transmission holding on to gears more compared to a DSG at low speeds, which causes a fair amount of engine braking, and shifts in general are not as snappy and lightning quick as the VW DSG as well.
If priced well and paired with a good warranty and aftersales package, I think the Captur can possibly sell reasonably well. I won’t expect big HR-V like numbers, or even CX-3 numbers for that matter. But I don’t think the Captur will fall flat like the EcoSport. That itself should be an achievement for TC EuroCars, and it is a well deserved one, cause really, the Renault lineup isn’t half as bad as what some of the rest (read Toyota’s economy lineup – besides the Camry which is now not a bad deal) are peddling to us consumers.
Nice info man, thanks for sharing. :] I agree with your last paragraph especially, the Captur could be just what the doctor ordered for TC Euro Cars.
I also think TC Euro Cars has done a far better job at representing Renault in Malaysia, compared to Naza with Peugeot. TC Euro Cars’ CKD models are better built and their aftersales are far ahead of Naza. Also, they have no preferential ‘national car status’ treatment… something which Naza had until very recently. Which is why Naza is dying now… their sales for 2015 is absolutely abysmal.
Naza is now reaching a plateau really.
Think about this, 5 years ago, not a single Asian manufacturer had a C and D segment car with full safety. On the other hand, Naza came in with Peugeot, with full safety, and most importantly, at a very offensive price. Peugeot 508, priced at a Camry 2.0G, yet featured stuff like 6 airbags, LED headlights, and better performance and body control than the Camry 2.4V. Plus the 5 year warranty too.
But now, with Mazda, Honda, Toyota and Nissan all having well equipped (for the most part) models that compete with what Peugeot is offering, there’s nothing much going for the Pugs, except for the French style. And with Mazda’s Kodo design, not even French avant-garde can keep up.
TC EuroCars has been decent – leveraging on the Renault-Nissan Alliance, but they don’t have enough marketing and presence really.
What do you mean, French and practicality? The French invented the MPV. They also invented the car category the Kangoo belongs to, with it only being second to the Citroen Berlingo/Peugeot Partner (IIRC those came without sliding doors at first though, which the Kangoo had). They can do practical.
I drove the 1.2 TCe 115 in a Megane, and it’s a gem of an engine. Refined, quiet, powerful enough. Was a manual car though.
If they CKD it I see a chance for it. It is attractive, especially when you see it in person, and a very successful car in Europe.
europeans do love their dual clutch , it makes zero sence here , the amount of slow driving we do over here,and the weather we have , those two shred any dual clutch gearbox in no time….but a 1.2T makes alot of sence rather than a big NA engine in their type os vehicles..
i like the interior , u dont have to charge so much money for some bright and clever ppl to do your interior , being clever doesnt cost much…something very out of the box , big RESPECT!
The dual clutch units have become more reliable. In the beginning they were very troublesome in Europe too.
Traffic jams can be a common sight too in Europe, depending on where you stay and need to go.
Also, usually Europeans only tend to like automatic (and then only DSG) when they drive A LOT… basically company cars for business men etc. Those aren’t kept very long, maybe 3-5 years. Normal people prefer MT.
IMHO AT only becomes interesting when the car has adaptive cruise control with a traffic jam function, so the car does all the accelerating/slowing down/starting/stopping automatically. Otherwise it’s not worth getting AT.
so, it uses a Lagging Dual Clucth, noisy and not smooth.
Old Tech Dual Clutch?
or More durable Dual Clutch?
Test drove it. Handling is very good for such tall vehicle. Acceleration is good. Ride not as bad as the article potraited. Gearbox didnt really whine as the article potraited. Dont drove it slow traffic, so cant comment on the gear change. People at the back find it comfortable. And the rear seat is moveable i.e. can move it forward n back (for more rear legroom or more boot space).
Dont like the seat cover.. zip everywhere. Look cheap n not hip. They should conceal it. Need more soft touch plastic. Do hope it is tropicalised. At least the engine/gearbox cooling system should be strong enough to handle our ‘harsh’ hot n humid climate challenges.
Price-wise, a bit expensive but then it’s CBU. Its a good package but i’m sure most buyers in Bolehland would still go for the hr-v nonetheless.
Tan Chong should CKD it if CKD kit is made available by Renault.
Gti doesnt have a comfortable ride, and smooth gearbox.
when compared, this renault is ‘good.
Danny Tan compare it within segment, which all are new cars.
Have you drive it?
Spanish made? Epa Epa Andale!
Went and test drove it yesterday in Renault PJ branch. Actually its quite a practical car for those on the go and fun to drive as well. Things worth mentioning here is that the whole back seat is adjustable in terms of pushing from front n back. I’m 180cm tall and i couldn’t even sit comfortably in a cx3 but i love the back space in the Captur. if fully extended to the back, there is still ample space to put stuffs in. Engine is quite responsive as well compared to cx3. Power delivery is good as well.. took this car for a drive with 4ppl in it and it handled well in terms of power and handling. i like the 6speed gearbox as it transitions quite smoothly.. has manual mode as well. Car locks up when you walk away just incase you forgot to lock it. Worth just going for a test drive if you and getting a feel for yourself.
Im about to be delivered with this car today. Not sure much how it going to perform on the road, but design is beautiful for ladies especially. The blue white gives u the feel of mini if you cant afford one. The dashboard is simple n nice. The body is sleek and looks muscular. Please dont compare the price with asian cars. Overall i think this car will not disappoint. One of the best selling compact SUV in Europe.