Renault Captur out to capture SUV buyers

A frugal new-age line-up of diminutive petrol-turbo engines, competitive pricing and significant colour and trim customisation, including two-tone bodywork, are cornerstones of Renault Australia’s plan to capture a slice of the emerging mini-SUV segment with its Captur crossover.

On sale in Australia in the first half of 2014, the Captur is a front-wheel drive five-door five-seat wagon based on the mechanicals of the Clio 4 mini-hatch that launches in Australia in August.

Like the Clio, the Captur shows off the prominent new Renault corporate face devised by chief designer Laurens van den Acker. The Dutchman also drove the modern crossover look of the car, vetoing alternate proposals that included a retro look inspired by the legendary Renault R4.

Australian-spec Clio and Captur models will share the same drivetrain choices -- a 898cc triple mated to a five-speed manual transmission (dubbed Energy TCe 90) and a 1.2-litre four-cylinder driving via a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox (dubbed TCe 120 EDC – for Efficient Dual Clutch).

The little Renault, which measures up at 4.12 metres long, 1.77 metres wide and 1.57 metres high with a 200mm ground clearance, will be available in three trim levels, the 90 offered in the first two, the four-cylinder in the middle and top specs.

Local specifications are yet to be released, but reversing sensors and a camera, foglights, corner lighting and dual-zone climate-control will all be offered somewhere in the model line-up, as will Renault Australia’s $299 capped-price servicing and five-year warranty. A space saver spare tyre is standard.

Renault’s new tablet-style R-Link media system will feature in upper-level models, although just how many of the 50 apps offered with it in Europe will translate to Australia is still a work in progress.

“I wouldn’t like to over-promise on the number of apps that will be available for Australia,” said Renault Australia Managing Director Justin Hocevar.

“We have got a lot of work still to do to get all the telecommunications infrastructure sorted out. We are working on that, we are well down the path, but there is a lot of complexity still to negotiate.”

The Captur is expected to gain a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, however, it will also come without airbags for rear-seat passengers.

Pricing should start just over $20,000 for the entry-level 90, positioning the Renault right in the heart of what is shaping as a huge battle for buyers’ wallets against the forthcoming Ford EcoSport, Holden Trax, Opel Mokka, Peugeot 2008 and Nissan Juke, all of which arrive before the Captur.

“There are a lot (of mini-SUVs) coming but it is still not as cluttered a space as perhaps other segments such as B and C hatch,” said Hocevar. “So I think that makes us quite optimistic about our ability there, plus we have got a car that has got a great design and is nicely packaged.”

Hocevar said the Captur is expected to become one of four key sales pillars for the French brand in Australia, accounting for more than 1000 sales in a full year -- primarily to youthful couples and families, with older ‘downsizers’ as a secondary audience.

The others pillars are the Megane small hatch and newly confirmed wagon, the Koleos small SUV and Clio 4, which should become Renault’s biggest seller here. The short-term aim is to push over 6000 sales in 2013 – up from 5011 in 2012.

Hocevar confirmed two available turbo-diesel engines were rejected for both Clio and Captur:

“At the moment given premiums on diesel and given the price at the pump, we are not going to commercialise diesel,” he explained. “It is available to us and it is something we will keep on our radar.

“But to avoid complexity and keep the job simple for us and our dealer network and still offer the customer the choice of a petrol engine with manual and automatic… That is the way we want to launch.”

In Captur the sophisticated little engines, which feature variable valve timing and direct fuel-injection in the 120, boast diesel-esque fuel consumption figures – 4.9L/100km for the 90 and 5.4L/100km for the 120.

Their performance claims don’t have quite the same appeal. The 90 accelerates to 100km/h in 12.9 seconds, while the 120 manages the dash in 10.9 seconds. Their power outputs of 66kW and 85kW don’t excite much either, but the turbo-boosted torque outputs are a bit more promising at 135Nm and 190Nm.

Like its sibling, the Captur has benefitted from Renault’s significant weight reduction efforts. The base car weighs in at just 1101kg, and that rises to 1180kg in the 120. That diet helps performance and fuel consumption.

Fuel savings are also achieved by an engine-dulling ECO mode, low rolling resistance tyres, an aero shutter in the bumper and idle-stop for the 90 – a feature not available with EDC until 2015.

Other technical aspects of the Captur are straight forward; it sits on a combination of MacPherson strut front and beam rear-end, employs disc brakes up front and drums at the rear, steers with electric power assistance and has a choice of 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels.

Renault pushes the flexibility of the Captur as a key asset. But the star act -- the 11-litre EasyLife drawer -- can’t fit in right-hand drive cars because it fouls electronic modules behind the dashboard. Instead we get an orthodox five-litre glovebox.

The other important interior features are intact, including a sliding rear seat, a deep two-step boot that swallows a minimum of 377 litres with the bench in its rear-most position, 455 with it forward and 1235 with the split rear seatback folded flat.

Customisation and colour co-ordination will be a big part of Renault Australia’s Captur pitch. The car is available with nine exterior body colours and three roof colours. Door mirrors, wheels, side sill strips, foglight surrounds and the radiator grille strip can all be customised individually or collectively.

Inside, the air-vent surrounds, centre console and speakers can all be tailored to your colour choice. The seat covers, which unzip for washing, can be chosen in 15 different colours.

Hocevar, who has experience with personalisation in his days at Mini Australia, said if a combination cannot be found in local stock and has to be ordered from the Vallodolid factory in Spain where the Captur is built, the wait should be no more than two months.

“If the customer is prepared to order a car and wait, we will make sure they have a very transparent process to say ‘yep this is your order, this is when we have been able to effect your order within the production schedule, this is when it will be shipped, this is when it will arrive, this is when we will be handing that car over to you,” he said.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…