It’s taken a few years, but the all-new Renault Captur has finally been added to the local sales listings. We headed east to attend the national ride and drive event held in KwaZulu-Natal.

Renault was once a brand that was known for products such as the Scenic, Laguna and Megane. Those models, however, have all made way for SUV-esque replacements. That’s not really a surprise in a market that has experienced phenomenal growth in this sector. Whether we like it or not, SUVs/crossovers are all the rage at the moment.

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Better Late Than Never

The all-new Renault Captur made its international debut a few years ago. A pandemic, semiconductor shortages and stock issues all played their part in stalling the new model’s local introduction. But, Captur 2.0 has finally made it to SA, and not a moment too soon.

Renault SA had a great 2022, growing by nearly 30 per cent and taking about five and half per cent of the SA new car passenger market. That was despite not having a premium B-segment SUV. This is where the all-new Renault Captur comes in.

All-New

The all-new Renault Captur may be, err, all-new but you’d have to be quite au fait with the brand to pick the newer model from the one it replaces. The new version retains many of the hallmarks of the predecessor, but it is crisper and fresher in appearance. The really standout features on the outside are the C-shaped head- and taillamps, a signature of most of the modern Renault range.

All versions are fitted with 17-inch alloys, which helps offer a handy 174 mm of ground clearance.  More importantly, the replacement Captur is over 100 mm longer than before. The added length has resulted in 404 litres of boot space.  The rear bench can slide through a range of 160 mm, which allows you to choose between more rear legroom or luggage volume.

High-tech

The interior is far more advanced than before. There is a touchscreen infotainment system that takes pride of place on the facia. The system offers Android Auto along with Apple CarPlay in addition to Smartphone wireless charging. The touchscreen also serves as the display for the standard reversing camera. Drivers can also cycle through the drive modes on the screen. Oh, and there is standard on-board satellite navigation. 

Single Powertrain

There are two derivatives of the new Captur, titled Zen and Intens. A 1,3 turbocharged engine is the sole engine option, regardless of the derivative. There is also only a single transmission, a seven-speed dual-clutch. The engine produces 113 kW along with 270 N.m of torque. Renault says that the engine sips fuel at a rate of 6,6 L/100 km.

On The Road

Renault SA arranged a rather urban launch route for us to try out the newcomer. We drove the Captur from the Umhlanga area towards the midlands using as little motorway as possible. The most immediate difference between the older and newer Captur is the ride quality. The new car really dealt with the countless road imperfections of KZN much more easily and with less cabin intrusion than we recall in the predecessor.

The more powerful engine, too, is much improved. The 270 N.m of twist effort arrives low down and makes the Captur feel quite zippy. Another step-change is the operation of the twin-clutch transmission, which now feels smoother in full auto’ mode. There are a pair of paddles mounted behind the steering rim but we mostly stayed away from these as they aren’t snappy to inputs.

Summary

The all-new Renault Captur enters a busy marketplace. Just about every mainstream automaker offers a competitor. Renault has identified the Kia Seltos, VW T-Cross, Hyundai Creta and Haval Jolion as its main rivals, not an easy set to beat. However, there are over 11 500 examples of the previous Captur running around in SA. The new model, we suspect, is going to beat that number quite easily.

All-new Renault Captur Pricing

Renault Captur Zen        R454 999
Renault Captur Intens       R499 999

Prices include a five-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and a three-year/45 000 km service plan.