What's all this about?
It's midlife facelift time for the Renault Captur, but we've really got to commend the French company because it hasn't gone halves on this update, as with so many 'facelifts' these days. Instead, click on the link above and have a look at the old second-gen model - and then compare it to what you see in the pictures here.
Are you sure this isn't the all-new Mk3 Captur? It looks totally different!
It does, doesn't it? But no, this is just a facelift. Taking clear inspiration from the likes of the recently released Scenic EV and adopting Renault's design director Gilles Vidal's latest aesthetic language, the Captur now has real presence at the front. A strong, horizontal bonnet sits above sleeker, meaner light clusters, while the brand's new logo and a multifaceted grille complete the broad look of the crossover. There's also that big silver insert in the front bumper plus skid plates underneath, and the two-tone combinations of bodywork paint to the finish of these items number 14, so you can make sure your Captur looks distinctive.
Has the rear of the car been subjected to the same dramatic changes?
Not quite. It's a more reserved update at the back, where the C-shaped light clusters are retained but are now transparent, while there's a fresh rear diffuser and that new corporate logo for Renault again. But, overall, the Captur is a good-looking thing now.
So what's changed inside?
More digital real estate, as is the wont of modern-day car manufacturers these days. In the instrument binnacle, you can now have a flashy 10.25-inch cluster if you so fancy it, while the main infotainment screen for the R-Link set-up is a 10.4-inch vertical item. Previously, it was seven inches in basic Capturs and 9.3 inches on the grander versions. That R-Link, by the way, is powered by the latest Android Automotive 12 operating system. There's no added practicality, though, albeit the Captur is a decent thing in this regard with a rear bench that slides forward and backwards. Boot space is 422 litres on the non-hybrid, and 326 litres for the part-electric model.
Ah, I was going to ask about drivetrains. So what have we got?
Pretty much what we had before, and very similar to the two-step Clio hierarchy that's in place currently. There's the 90hp/160Nm TCe 90 petrol, a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged unit that'll give you about 48-49mpg on the combined cycle, officially. There's then the 1.6-litre petrol-electric E-Tech Hybrid 145, with its unusual six-speed 'dog-clutch' 'box, dual electric motors (one propulsion, one starter-generator) and small 1.2kWh battery, which can improve the fuel economy to 57.6-60.1mpg. Power and torque also increase, to 145hp and 205Nm peaks.
OK, what else can you tell me about the Renault Captur facelift?
Renault wants to get rid of unsustainable materials, including animal-derived products, from its cabins by 2025, so the Captur doesn't have any leather within, instead using a variety of recycled fabrics and textiles with a lower carbon output required in their manufacture. It has even phased out chrome in the Captur's interior, due to the issues inherent in the chrome-plating process.
Elsewhere, Jean-Michel Jarre - yes, it he - came up with the welcome sound sequence when you get into the car, while he also collaborated on the vehicle sound for pedestrians (VSP), the noise the E-Tech Hybrid makes at low speeds to warn people it is on the move; a VSP designed by a musical VIP. And we know that in the UK, the Captur will be sold in three trims: Evolution, with 17-inch alloys and a matte-black finish to the exterior detailing; Techno, with 18-inch rims and a high-gloss black look for the same bodywork; and then Esprit Alpine, with Ice Black logos, 19-inch wheels, Slate Grey for the key design features in the front/rear bumpers, and high-gloss black on the window surrounds.
We'll bring you prices as and when we have them, with the revised Captur expected to go on sale from the third quarter of this year.
Matt Robinson - 4 Apr 2024
