The Renault Captur is a bit of an oddity. It’s one of those crossover cars that blurs the lines between being a hatchback and a compact SUV. We’ve just spent a week in flagship Captur Intens.
This is a novel looking urban runabout that is clearly aimed at the fun and funky crowd. This particular test car had eye catching Flame Red paintwork and a Diamond Black roof.
It rides on 17-inch alloys, has a panoramic sunroof plus LED headlights. So straight away it does have some allure.
Look I drive a lot of cars, so I reckon I have a pretty good handle on what’s good and vice versa. The Renault Captur is missing something. What’s missing leads to a perception of below par build quality.
The Captur feels flimsy, bordering on cheap unfortunately. I really want to like this car, but as soon as I got moving that was honestly the first thought that entered my melon.
Which is a shame, because the Captur is actually a pretty good steer. It has a new 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine which is very spritely and let me tell you, there’s plenty of fun to be had when you’re in the mood.
The leather wrapped steering wheel and upholstery go some way to lift the mood. But generally, it’s just a bit of a letdown, we are talking about a 30k+ car here.
The 1.3L turbo produces 110kW at 5250rpm and 250Nm at 1600rpm. Power is sent to the front wheels via six-speed “Efficient dual-clutch” transmission. This style of CVT transmission rarely impresses me. Sadly, this is another case in point. The main problem is the hesitation from a standing start, especially when on an incline. You can be left hanging for a solid few seconds while the box makes its mind up. This is not good at roundabouts, or anywhere as a matter of fact.
In terms of entertainment Renault’s R-LINK system is showcased via a seven-inch touchscreen. That scores you satellite navigation and live traffic updates. The sound system is actually very good thanks to the Arkamys 3D setup. There’s also DAB+ radio.
The car did the run around the office here but we did stumble across a rather baffling issue. Apple CarPlay is available along with Android Auto on the entry level Zen variant but the Intens only gets Android Auto, go figure.
There are a few driving modes that alter the traction control, including an “Expert mode” which I found novel.
Now to what we both thought compressed into one sentence.
The brake pedal is long and feels wooden, overall the car is too plastic and toy like.
There’s a new Captur due in mid-2020, wait for that.
The Renault Captur Intens starts from $29,990. The two-tonne metallic paint job adds an extra grand. So, the as tested price of our review car was $30,990 before on roads. It’s backed by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
Because you want a Renault Clio on stilts.
I really wanted to like this car, but I also need to tell you about the glaring issues to be fair and balanced. You may well be the type of person who simply buys a car based on its funky looks, fair enough. But this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it. It’s a 6 out of 10 from me.
Chris was EFTM’s Motoring Editor for many years, driving everything from your entry level hatch to the latest Luxury cars through to the Rolls Royce.
He has been in the media for 20 years, produced three Olympic games broadcasts, attending Beijing 2008 & London 2012.
Strangely he owns a Toyota Camry Hybrid, he defiantly rejects the knockers.
Chris is married to Gillian and resides in Sydney’s North West. They have Sam the English Springer Spaniel and Felix the Burmese cat to keep them company, and recently welcomed baby Henry to the family.
He has now left EFTM, and writes freelance and runs his own Facebook Page “Bowen’s Garage”
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