Renault Captur review: small crossover tested

The bandwagon is rolling. Six entirely new small crossovers have already been announced this year, making the direction of travel obvious. By comparison, only three new saloons have appeared, with most aimed at China. European buyers are changing their preferences: compact SUVs are popular, and baby crossovers are the latest craze. Essentially, they are raised superminis, generally front-wheel drive, with higher seating and a clear focus on young families. It is a formula established by the Nissan Juke.

Renault’s version is the Captur (said as “capture”), and its late arrival is the only genuinely odd aspect. The French manufacturer has a proven record of creating successful family-car niches, as the Scenic and Espace demonstrate, so a family-minded soft-roader might have been expected years earlier. Renault’s partner Nissan had already launched the Qashqai in 2007 and the Juke in 2010, setting the precedent some time ago. Developing the tooling for a completely new model takes time, of course, but still...

There is little point grumbling now. The Captur has arrived, and Renault has ambitious expectations: it predicts that the model will become its second-biggest seller in the UK, behind the Clio on which it is based.

Renault Captur engines and economy

On paper, that confidence seems justified. Initially, the Captur comes with three turbocharged engines: two petrol units and one diesel. None will set pulses racing, although all offer useful environmental credentials. The petrol choices are an 898cc three-cylinder producing 89bhp and a 1.2-litre four-cylinder with 119bhp; the diesel is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder delivering 89bhp. Each has been borrowed from the Clio. A dual-clutch transmission is available with both the diesel and the higher-powered petrol engine.

None of the range is especially quick. No Captur reaches 0–62mph in under 10 seconds, while the diesel takes 12.6secs. In everyday use, though, that is unlikely to matter. It is called a soft-roader for good reason, and few owners will be visiting a drag strip between the school run and supermarket.

What is more, neither the diesel nor the 119bhp petrol feels as lethargic as the performance data implies. Both offer worthwhile torque - 162lb ft for the diesel and 140lb ft for the petrol - and can comfortably keep pace with motorway traffic. Its notably low 1,170kg kerbweight plays a part here. The Captur does not make driving exciting, but it competently fulfils its intended role.

For likely buyers, its green credentials matter more. The 1.5 dCi Captur manages an impressive 76.4mpg and produces only 96g/km of CO₂. Even the more powerful petrol returns 52.3mpg and emits 125g/km of CO₂ respectively. An Eco button behind the gearlever limits available engine torque and adjusts the climate control too, delivering a 10 per cent reduction in real-world fuel consumption. That is a worthwhile extra.

Renault Captur driving comfort

With that in mind, it is no great surprise that the Captur is not particularly thrilling to drive. Its seating position is much higher than in the Clio - the Captur is 118mm taller - and the additional body roll is clearly noticeable in bends. The electrically assisted steering also offers precisely no feedback. For those prioritising security over entertainment, however, the Captur fits the brief perfectly.

Then again, potential customers are unlikely to mind. TopGear might favour a little more sparkle, but the Captur is refined and comfortable. It is quiet enough to rival any premium car: road noise is minimal and engine sound is effectively muted. You will not need to shout any more than usual when asking the children to behave.

Children, in fact, are central to the Captur’s priorities, so blame them for the absence of the Juke’s more eager handling. To protect interior space, reduce costs and provide maximum family practicality, Renault chose the front-wheel-drive-only Clio IV platform. The company considered the Juke’s four-wheel-drive architecture, but it consumed too much crucial cabin room. The Juke is more energetic to drive, but its cabin is nowhere near as roomy as that of the Captur. You pays your money...

Rear-seat space is genuinely generous. Four adults have more than sufficient headroom and legroom, while the rear seats slide backwards and forwards according to whether luggage capacity or cabin space is the priority.

Cabin practicality and personalisation

It is not flawless, though. The seat covers can be unzipped and removed if a child, dog or irresponsible husband dirties them, yet Renault seems to have missed an opportunity by failing to create a more inventive cabin. There is no storage beneath the floor, no bin between the front seats, and the five-litre glovebox is merely average. When you build a family-first vehicle while sacrificing some driving excitement, you would expect better. Renault pioneered the clever storage cubby with the Scenic, so it almost seems to have forgotten its MPV heritage.

Instead, Renault appears determined to provide the broadest possible scope for personalisation. Four trim levels are offered - Expression, Expression+, Dynamique MediaNav and Dynamique S MediaNav - and each can be paired with three further “themed collections”: Arizona, Manhattan and Miami. Has someone in Renault’s marketing department been using smelling salts?

More confusingly still, the three collections are divided into four additional packs: colour, exterior gloss, interior touch and style. The huge number of possible configurations, approaching 500, includes current fashion favourites such as contrasting roof colours and attention-grabbing alloy wheels. Choosing a car may therefore take some time, but the benefit is that your Captur is unlikely to match your neighbour’s.

The problem is that much of this feels cosmetic. Customers increasingly want personalisation, even from mass-market models, so Renault can hardly be criticised for supplying it. Yet there is an impression that more effort went into these details than into engineering improvements, such as better storage compartments or making the Captur more enjoyable to drive. Its brochures even allocate 11 pages to the “collections” and only five to the engines.

For buyers seeking this kind of car, the Captur is as capable as any current rival. It is smart enough, comfortable, inexpensive to run and affordable to purchase, with prices beginning at just £12,495. That makes it as budget-conscious as anything else available, and a thoroughly viable substitute for an ordinary supermini or MPV.

Considering that latter comparison, it is disappointing that it contains fewer MPV qualities. There is not much depth behind the styling and Americana-like collections, while this market sector will only expand during the next couple of years.

That raises concerns that the Captur may struggle to match newer rivals as they arrive. Over the next 12 months, buyers will have eight of these vehicles to choose from. The Renault is currently among the strongest options, but it is unlikely to stay there.