Renault Captur - Interior, design and technology

The Renault Captur has undergone a substantial facelift, applying Renault’s new design language to the existing model with varying levels of success. The biggest difference is found up front, where the complex and curvy headlights have been replaced with more angular LED headlights that create a more distinct brow. 

This is matched with a graduated grille pattern and the new Renault logo that together do a good job of keeping the overall design looking sharp. These big changes are not reflected along the sides or at the rear, which are a little softer and less chiselled.

Renault offers two general styling themes: the base car features lots of body-coloured elements for a cleaner look and either 17- or 18-inch wheels, while the top-of-the-range Esprit Alpine uses the Alpine brand’s sportier styling elements that include grey accents up front, a dual-tone roof with contrasting silver roof rails, and wheels that are upsized to 19-inches.

Renault has included generous levels of standard kit: all cars come with alloy wheels, LED headlights, auto folding electrically adjustable mirrors, rear privacy glass, automatic air conditioning and a host of active safety systems such as Lane Keep Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition.

What is the Renault Captur like inside?

The dashboard has been gently revised for the facelifted model, and the old car’s large rotary dials for the climate control dropped. However, the good news is that unlike, some rivals, actual buttons remain, although the bank of rocker switches are a bit more fiddly to use than the old layout. 

The flip side of this is that an additional storage shelf has been freed up just beneath the main touchscreen. A floating centre console brings both the stubby gear selector and smartphone shelf with its USB ports (and wireless charging on range-topping trims) close to the front seats.

What is the interior quality like?

Supermini-based SUVs commonly feature lots of hard, scratchy plastics in order to reduce costs, and while the Captur is no different, most of the cheap-feeling materials tend to be low down on the door trims and centre console. 

The elements used higher up have an air of quality that’s above average for the class, while fabric-trimmed panels and coloured plastics on the dashboard help to break up what would otherwise be a fairly grey and monotonous cabin. Other details, such as the razor-sharp resolution of the digital driver’s display, help add to the Renault’s overall feel-good factor.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Unlike the previous Captur, all trim levels now come equipped with the full-size 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system. A rear-view camera and cruise control are also fitted as standard, while the top-spec Esprit Alpine cars add adaptive cruise control, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat plus heating for the front seats and steering wheel. 

Renault’s OpenR Link infotainment system that’s used in the Captur features an Android operating system, which was first introduced in the Megane E-Tech. Choose Techno trim or above and it includes built-in Google Maps, which looks fantastic on the screen, responds to inputs and loads menus very quickly, and is easy to use. It’s so good that there’s little reason to connect your phone to use a navigation app to find your way around and avoid traffic jams. 

A shortcut bar is integrated into the top of the display, so it’s always easy to navigate the intuitive system.