Renault Captur 1.6 E-Tech Plug-in hybrid 160 Techno 5dr Auto

Ten Second Review

Renault's little Captur crossover model has matured nicely with this smart update of the second generation design. It's now a little more visually arresting but as before, is a Clio-based design offering super-economical engines, some genuinely clever interior touches and no small dose of style. It'll appeal to supermini buyers wanting extra versatility as well as family hatchback customers in search of something more interesting and affordable. And it's the kind of car that'll certainly drive sales in this segment.

Background

New cars don't come much more important to Renault than this one, the Captur. To be completely accurate, this isn't actually a 'new' car but a heavily facelifted version of the second generation Captur design we first saw back in 2020. It's one of the European sales leaders in the popular SUV B-segment for supermini-based small crossovers. So as before, it's essentially a more versatile version of the French brand's little Clio hatch and sits on the same CMF-B platform, also shared by a close B-segment SUV rival, the Nissan Juke. Whereas the Juke has been quite subtly updated for its mid-term wash-and-brush-up, this Captur gets a package of significantly more far-reaching changes, both inside and out. And the result is the most visually arresting Captur we've seen since a concept version of the successful first generation design was shown back in 2011, two years before the start of production. The idea is to widen this Captur's appeal - maybe even enough to take in the Juke crowd. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

Mid-term updates don't usually come with significant engineering or handling changes but in this case, Renault has tried to improve the rather forgettable handling characteristics of the original version of this second generation design. So the steering's been recalibrated for improved response and control. And the steering geometry and shock absorbers have been modified for what the brand believes is a 'more dynamic ride'; see what you think. There are no engine changes in the petrol-only line-up (diesel was banished long before this facelift). So this Captur range still kicks off with a 1.0-litre turbocharged three cylinder TCe 90hp unit only available mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It develops 160Nm of torque and makes 62mph in 14.3s en route to 104mph. Ideally though, you'd stretch to the alternative auto-only full-Hybrid drivetrain - of the self charging sort; there's no longer a PHEV Captur. That remaining self-charging non-plug-in 'E-tech Hybrid 145' powertrain is what we tried and, as before, mates a 1.6-litre four cylinder engine with a couple of electric motors, one to drive the front wheels, the other to act as a starter generator to fire up the engine. The e-motors are energised by a tiny 1.2kWh battery, which can power the car alone for short distances in urban traffic. And via a new 'E-SAVE' function, you can save battery charge for later in your journey if you want to. The whole confection still isn't particularly smooth or refined, the steering's quite light and the auto gearbox isn't particularly eager to kick down. But total system output is a competitive 145hp and 62mph occupies 10.6s en route to 106mph. There are four 'Multi Sense' driving modes provided - 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Comfort' and the configurable 'Perso' setting.

Design and Build

This might be merely a facelift but this second generation Captur looks very different in this updated form. Borrowing cues from the Scenic E-Tech Electric, there's now a much less rounded front end with a more complex front grille bearing the brand's redesigned logo. Plus the smarter front bumper features vertical lighting strakes on either side. Two-tone paint schemes and are now offered and the rear gets transparent tail light housings, plus a simpler rear bumper and diffuser. Inside, your Captur will come with a higher tech 10.4-inch 'Open R Link' central screen with a raft of fresh connectivity functions and wireless smartphone-mirroring. Google Maps and Google Voice Assistant are built into. Another tech upgrade (providing you avoid base trim) is the 10.25-inch digital driver's display, plus there are a couple of USB-C ports both front and rear - and better models get a wireless charging mat. Leather and chrome have been banished from this updated Captur to reflect Renault's sustainability ambitions and recycled fabrics feature heavily. As before, the Captur features a sliding rear bench (still not that common in the segment) and there's a little more legroom than you usually get in a supermini-based crossover. Boot space depends on the engine you've chosen and the position of the rear bench. With the conventional TCe 90 engine, there's 484-litres when the bench is slid back or 616-litres when it's pushed forward. With this E-Tech full hybrid, the figures fall to 348-litres and 480-litres. It's a pretty practical space with a useful adjustable-height boot floor, a dim light on the left and two bag hooks. Fold the rear backrest down and the TCe 90 offers 1,596-litres of space; with this hybrid, it's 1,458-litres.

Market and Model

Prices haven't changed too much, so it's fair to think in terms of Captur asking figures starting from around £21,000 - or around £25,000 upwards for the full hybrid version. There are three trim levels - 'evolution', 'techno' and 'esprit Alpine'. The latter top trim level has 19-inch wheels, sporty features and elegant nods to the Alpine brand. Avoid base trim and your Captur will come with Renault's latest 10.4-inch 'Open R Link' central screen with wireless smartphone-mirroring, Google Maps and Google Voice Assistant built in. Plusher versions get a 10.25-inch digital driver's display and a wireless charging mat. With its new electronic architecture, this updated Captur is now on a par with the best for active and passive safety. New-generation driving aids, such as Active Driver Assist, with Level 2 autonomous driving, and Predictive Hybrid Driving (with the hybrid powertrain) optimise efficiency by maximising the use of electrical energy while driving. The European General Safety Regulation (GSR2) requires some ADAS features to be activated by default every time the car is started. For this purpose, a new function to the left of the steering wheel - My Safety Switch - lets drivers enable or disable their preferred settings for five ADAS at the same time, at the touch of a button.

Cost of Ownership

The TCe 90 base manual model returns up to 47.9mpg on the combined cycle and up to 134g/km of CO2 and is BiK tax-rated at 31%. An LPG variant based on this engine will be offered in other markets but not here. The E-Tech full hybrid 145 powerplant achieves up to 60.1mpg on the combined cycle and up to 105g/km on the WLTP cycle. It's BiK tax-rated at 26%. This hybrid variant's useful new E-SAVE function maintains battery charge at 40% minimum. This ensures optimum performance when driving uphill, for example. There's an unremarkable three year / 60,000 warranty package; Renault used to provide longer warranties than this. You also get UK emergency breakdown recovery and three years' worth of European cover as part of this warranty deal. Plus we'll tell you that scheduled servicing is every 12 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. As usual, pre-paid servicing plans are available. Industry experts reckon this second generation Captur will be worth around 49% of its original value after 3 Years/36,000 miles, which is reasonably class-competitive.

Summary

Historically, in our market, the Captur has never sold quite as well as it does in Continental Europe, but such is the step forward represented by this updated MK2 model that we think there's scope for that to change. It's passionate, practical and pretty stylish; as a result, many target customers will find it quite an endearing thing. Of course, there's always a danger with this class of car that in its mix of SUV, MPV and family hatch, you end up with a confection lacking the core strengths inherent in any of these three genres. Broadly speaking, this is a trap Renault has avoided here - provided your expectations in each of these areas aren't too great. Like its rivals, this car doesn't have 4WD, you can only just carry five people and you won't want to drive it on its door handles. None of which will bother most buyers at the smaller end of the Crossover segment one jot. Yes there are some things we'd like to see Renault work on - some minor cabin quality issues, the driveability of the EDC auto gearbox and perhaps a fractionally more comfort-orientated damping set-up. But we can't see much of this deterring likely buyers. They'll love the buying personalisation - and trendy touches like the clever infotainment system, the sliding rear bench and the double-height boot floor. True, this Captur faces strong competition from a growing band of very talented rivals. But it's a model you must consider before buying any one of them. A cleverer Crossover. If you really want a car of this kind, then you'll really want to try it.