Style and suds-sense will sell the new Renault Captur.
The latest entrant into the supermini-sized crossver sector was unveiled at the Geneva motor show and is arriving in dealerships now.
Crafted to compete in the corner of the market holding the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman, and now vying for room as well with the Peugeot 2008, the new Renault Captur is particularly eye-catching with its bold styling, accentuated highlights and bright colour palette.
And that’s just the outside because inside it comes with quickly removable seat covers secured by zips and touch fastening and which are designed to be pulled off and stuck in a washing machine if they get dirty.
Now I am not sure if mums will welcome this additional washday workload, but dads will delight in it to rid the Renault of a weekend spent in a muddy field or coping with a lively canine.
Gradually, Renault is rolling out a wide range of Captur models, beginning at £14,495 and rising to £18,695 initially with choice of 1.2 petrol and 1.5 diesel engines. Later this year a cheaper entry-level model will arrive and next year we might see an intelligent all-wheel-drive derivative using technology developed from the 4WD Juke.
Renault UK product manager for Captur, Alice De Wend Fenton, said its appeal would be as an SUV, MPV and Hatchback.
“It pitches straight into the B-sector with design and style, technology and efficiency,” she said.
“It will take five adults very easily, the driving position is slightly higher, it has removable seat covers and dual-purpose boot shelf while it can gradually take from 377 to 1,235 litres.”
There is a choice of 90 and 120hp 1.2 petrol engines or 90hp 1.5 diesel with automatic coming to the diesel by the end of this year to sell alongside the 1.2 automatic now available.
Miss Fenton added, “We think Captur will appeal to a wide range of buyers looking at this sector and style, including some who may have previously owned a Scenic.
“We have launched it as a 2WD model because figures suggest only 4pc of Captur buyers want all-wheel-drive, but we will add this next year as the range develops.”
First impressions
Renault believe the UK market will go for the 1.2 Captur Dynamique MediaNav version in particular as sales favour the petrol over the diesel by a small margin and we like our models highly equipped.
Most will be bought by individuals and families who like their outdoor activities.
The 1.2 120hp petrol engine is a very willing performer and it was mated to a sequential six-speed automatic with manual-mode available with the total package including some extras working out at £19,495 compared to £17,195 for the standard car.
We averaged just over 40mpg along main and country roads and found the ride reasonable although slightly firm due to the 17-inch wheels and tyres, which produced some noises over bad surfaces.
You felt as if you were sitting high and the handling was not particularly engaging but safe nevertheless.
I liked the room in the boot and inside the cabin, the instruments were clear and visibility was good all round.
It was fairly brisk and particularly smooth through the automatic gears and when manually selected the changes were also silky in action.Arriving now, the Captur must win some sales from style conscious families, even if they skimp on the laundry.