Simplified lineup and better value for this stylish crossover.
For the new model year, funky French carmaker Renault has introduced a slew of aesthetic upgrades for its compact Captur crossover, bringing it further in line style-wise with the rest of the Renault range and emphasising its place in the family. The Captur has been with us for a while now and has certainly, uh, captured its market rather well, with buyers undoubtedly drawn to the car for its cool visual appeal and frugal turbocharged petrol engines.
The Captur is being offered this time round in just two variants, Zen and Intens, simplifying the lineup to a degree and allowing the company to focus on ensuring the Captur’s appeal to the market. Furthering that push is the introduction of sharp drive-away pricing, making it easier than it’s ever been put one on your drive.
The Renault Captur range for 2018 now goes:
- Renault Captur Zen 0.9-turbo (M) — $23,990 drive-away
- Renault Captur Zen 0.9-turbo (A) — $26,990 drive-away
- Renault Captur Intens 1.2-turbo (A) — $30,990 drive-away
The aesthetic changes are relatively minor but make a difference. The front bumper and grille have seen light revisions, while the LED DRL’s (previously just a strip of diodes) have been swapped out for C-shaped ones, to put the Captur more in line with the rest of the Renault lineup. To complement the changes up front, the taillights have also been swapped out for units that now feature C-shaped internals, making them far more noticeable at night.
What hasn’t been changed is the motivation for the Captur lineup. Zen models soldier on with the 0.9-litre turbocharged three-pot petrols, putting out a respectable 66kW/135Nm, paired to either a six-speed dual-clutch automatic or a six-speed manual sending power to the front wheels. Intens models get a larger 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, with a more substantial 88kW/190Nm, this time paired exclusively with the six-speed dual-clutch auto, but still sending power to just the front wheels.
Standard features on the Captur Zen include things like a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, satellite navigation, 16-inch alloys and automatically-folding wing mirrors. All of this comes at a reasonable $23,990 drive-away (that’s not a typo), which is really good value indeed.
Push for the Intens model and you’ll bag that bigger engine, along with things like Extended Grip Control (optimising traction from the front wheels, offering On-Road, Off-Road, and Expert modes depending on conditions), automated parking, blind-spot warning, leather upholstery, a BOSE audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.
‘Colour Identity’ packs will be made available as options, adding cabin highlights in various hues, including red, orange, and blue, while the exterior can be optioned with either black or roofs, sitting atop Atacama orange, Cappuccino brown, and Ocean Blue body colours. The Renault Captur is covered with a 5-year/unlimited-mileage warranty along with 3-years of capped-price servicing, with trips to the dealer set every 12-months or 30,000km.
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