Renault Captur review - Engines, performance and drive
Renault’s new Captur comes with capable petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains, but it’s best to avoid the underpowered 1.0-litre engine
The all-new Captur is based on the sweet-driving Clio five-door hatchback, which is a definite plus point. The steering feels precise and allows you to push on with confidence, while the soft suspension makes the Captur much more relaxed than many of its rivals. There’s a degree of body lean, but any roll is well damped, and the pay-off is a comfortable ride, even on rougher surfaces.
Overall, the driving experience is defined by the high levels of refinement - the suspension does a grand job of soaking up road imperfections, while the light steering means it delivers more fun from the driver’s seat than you might expect. It’s not exactly thrilling to drive, but it handles well enough, majoring on comfort rather than seeking to mimic the dynamic credentials of its Ford Puma competitor. The engines, on the whole, are quiet and smooth and the six-speed manual gearbox’s shift action is fine. We’d avoid the underpowered 1.0-litre 89bhp engine, however, it’s great for the smaller Clio, but feels very pedestrian when powering the Captur.
Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed
The 1.0-litre TCe is pretty slow, with only 160Nm of torque and a sluggish 0-62mph time of 11 seconds. While the six-speed manual box is nice and slick, the engine needs to be revved hard in low gears to pick up speed.
The sweet spot in the line-up is the TCe 140 petrol engine. The six-speed manual variant completes the sprint from 0-62mph in a more respectable 10.3 seconds, while the seven-speed dual-clutch auto shaves a further second off this time.
It’s no longer possible to buy a Captur with diesel power, and the greenest choice will be one of the E-Tech plug-in hybrid models. It’s great to drive too, with silent EV running in town and barely a shiver when the engine kicks in.
