The styling of Renault’s new compact crossover, the Captur, is inspired by the Clio. The Captur, which will be a rival to the Nissan Juke and Peugeot 2008, will be presented this March at the Geneva motor show. It will be launched in the UK in late spring. The Captur name originates from a completely styled concept car that appeared at the 2011 Geneva show.
None of its unusual features like the concept’s scissor doors have been carried over to production. What will be kept though are its ethos and the concept’s name. Many of the Captur’s features come from the Clio.
The Captur will feature the new fourth-generation supermini’s prominent front-end and sculpted side surfaces. But Renault said that the Captur is distinct from the Clio and will be offered and sold separately from the basic supermini.
The front-drive Captur is built on Renault-Nissan’s familiar ‘B’ platform, which is shared with a wide range of models such as the Renault Clio and Nissan Juke. The Captur has a length of 4120mm, which is just 15mm shorter than a Juke. These two small crossovers have similar size and underpinnings but they were designed separately. They will also be assembled in different factories.
But one thing’s sure, the company will aim to achieve the sales success that Nissan has experienced in the growing small crossover segment. Renault boasts that its model offers a high customization level for both the exterior and interior.
The Captur has all the usual class hallmarks: body cladding, a higher ground clearance and an elevated driving position. It will use engines from the Clio, including the newest 89bhp 0.9-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol and 89bhp 1.5-litre turbodiesel units. The diesel version has very low CO2 emissions of 96g/km. Meanwhile, its fuel economy is believed to be the highest in its class.