WHEN everyone is doing the same kind of thing, you've got to do things a bit differently to Captur people's attention, so to speak.
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The sub-compact city SUV segment is blooming and booming, and almost every car maker wants to be part of the action, including Renault.
The principle is simple: take your small city car, jack up the ride height and seating position for a tiny bit of crossover cred, add a bit of extra space, and voila!
As the "it" segment at the moment, there are plenty of young, mostly-female buyers but there is plenty of competition. We've sampled a lot of city SUVs in the past 12 months, including most recently the Honda HR-V.
Renault had a very decent starting point with its Clio being one of our two or three favourite city cars on the market.
The cheapest Captur has a turbocharged 0.9-litre three-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual transmission but all automatics, including the top-the-range Captur Dynamique we collected from Ballarat Renault, have a turbocharged 1.2-litre four rated at 88kW peak power and 190Nm. The auto is a six-speed dual-clutch type.
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The instrument cluster is straight from the higher-end Clio, as is the touch-screen audio-infotainment system with satellite navigation and smart phone connectivity. What Renault has done is make it longer, taller and marginally wider and upped the ride height a little. The seats are also taller and cargo capacity is increased. Those seats are easier to get in and out of than those in the Clio even if they don't have quite the same level of lateral support.
While the Captur is not an off-roader in any real sense (it is front-wheel-drive only), there are some trim changes which hint towards a more adventurous lifestyle, including harder (and presumably more durable) plastics and some neat storage options. With this in mind, we took the Captur on a bit of a tour of Ballarat and the surrounding area.
Even with an extra 100kg of weight, the 1.2-litre turbo-four is not blunted. The Captur feels as spritely as any other city SUV and feels like it has more poke than others which have larger engines. A combined fuel economy of 5.4-l/100km is pretty impressive.
Of course there is a price to be paid for the greater ride height, headroom and taller seating. You can't fight the laws of physics and the higher centre of gravity means the Captur does not feel as nimble or as sharp as the Clio. That won't suit hot hatch fans but will the average buyer mind? Probably not.
Equipment levels are impressive in the Dynamique with rear-view camera (standard across the range), washable and removable seat covers, 17-inch wheels, and a versatile and easy to use audio system. Compared to some other micro-SUVs such as the HR-V, the Renault doesn't feel quite as solid, clearly preferring to focus on fashion rather than off-road functionality.
Which leads us to that two-tone styling with combinations of Corsica orange, Riviera blue, mocha brown, black, white and more which is standard on the Dynamique and optional on the base model Expression (but not compulsory of course). We couldn't help but like it.
So the Captur does what it needs to well and has enough flair to capture your attention.
Voila! Another hit for Renault.
* Your local dealer is Ballarat Renault: 5339 5744
Renault Captur Dynamique
ENGINE: turbo-charged 1.2-litre petrol four
POWER: 88kW at 4900 revs
TORQUE: 190Nm at 2000 revs
TRANSMISSION: six-speed dual clutch automatic
FUEL: premium unleaded, 5.4l/100km combined cycle (Euro 5a)
BRAKES: front ventilated discs, rear drums, with ABS, brake assist and stability control
PRICE: $27,990 plus on-road costs
OTHERS TO CONSIDER:
Holden Trax LTZ
Honda HR-V VTi-S
Nissan Juke STS
VW Tiguan 2WD