Feann Torr•29 Apr 2014
NEWS
Renault Captur delayed again
After lengthy ADR development, worldwide demand delays Captur compact SUV's Aussie arrivalRenault's Captur compact SUV is expected to become one of the French brand's most sought-after new models, thanks to compact dimensions, European design and an expected starting price of between $22,000 and $24,000.
But the car's Australian launch has been delayed yet again – this time due to global demand – and is now unlikely to occur until the fourth quarter of this year.
Originally due on sale here by now, the Clio-based Captur was delayed until mid-year due to lengthy initial development work for it to meet Australian Design Rules.
But Renault Australia Managing Director Justin Hocevar now says the Captur's popularity worldwide continues to delay its local arrival.
"It's fair to say there has been a delay. We've always said we wanted to bring it to market in the first half of this year. The earlier in the year the better for us," he said.
"Initially there was all the ADR development for the vehicle for Australia and that did take a while and now its worldwide demand that's causing the delays.
"We're still aiming for it inside this year, but it keeps pushing back to the latter part of the year. I'm still hopeful that we might just sneak it in for the third quarter but it might push out to fourth quarter," he conceded.
The Captur can't come soon enough for the French brand, with rivals such as the Holden Trax and Ford EcoSport continuing to grow their volume in the evergreen small SUV segment.
Hocevar noted that the car's global success is heartening, but ironically leaves Australians out in the cold for the time being.
"The car has been a runaway success in Europe – it's the third-top selling vehicle in France now, it's selling strongly in Spain, in the UK, everywhere else.
"Japan is screaming out for it, Korea too. Korea doesn't have many imported cars, they launched their initial batch of several thousand units online and sold them in minutes, and now they're asking for more," explained Hocevar.
"The biggest challenge for us now is getting supply."
Despite the car's expected four-star ANCAP safety rating due to its lack of rear airbags, Renault Australia is confident of enticing new customers to the brand and will offer its twin-clutch automatic gearbox alongside the Clio's most popular engine, the 88kW/190Nm 1.2-litre turbo-petrol.
"Our automatic variant will be EDC [efficient dual-clutch] matched with the 120 TCe 1.2-litre turbo. It drives well, it's a good package. The vehicle doesn't have a big weight different versus Clio, which is also good," said Hocevar.
"The frustration for us is that we know we've got a great car – its worldwide success is an indication of that. I've just had the dealers in Spain driving the car, they are keen for it and they can't wait."
Base pricing for the new model is expected to match mid-spec EcoSport ($22,290) and entry-level Trax ($23,490), and the Captur will be packaged similarly to its hatchback brethren, Clio.
"We've got our pricing very keenly focussed on the competitors. As a crossover it carries a bit of a premium over its segment hatch origins, but it's all relative and comparable to what you'd find in other markets," said Hocevar.
Renault is launching the new Clio GT hatch in late April before a facelifted version of the Renault Megane arrives in July, but the Captur compact SUV will be a key vehicle in the French importer's strategy to maintain solid sales growth in 2014 and into 2015.
"This segment is rapidly growing. We know we've got a key car for this party, but we're going to turn up a little late – but not too late," said Hocevar.
Tags
Renault
Captur
Car News
Hatchback
Family Cars
Written byFeann Torr
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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