Renault Capture

The new Renault Captur is based on the M0 platform that also houses the Dusterand Lodgy in India. A derivative of Nissan's B0 platform. This is unlike the European Captur that is a smaller more compact car, but styling and overall appeal is similar to that car. The M0 Captur that we are getting is also the car sold in Brazil and Russia.

The new Renault Capture will also get the same petrol and diesel engines that do duty on the Duster - 104 bhp, 1.5-litre petrol and the 108 bhp, 1.5-litre diesel engine. At the launch the Captur will only get manual option 5-speed unit for the petrol and a 6-speed gearbox for the diesel option. The India-spec model will also get a top-of-the-line Platine variant, which will come with all the bells and whistles. Interestingly, India is the only market to get this variant.

The new Renault Captur will be a premium offering from the French carmaker and thus will be positioned above the Duster. Along with the bold lines and the cladding that hint at it's SUV DNA, the Captur also comes with premium features like - projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights, a chrome grille, two-tone body colour option and much more. The top-end model comes with a well-equipped cabin with premium interior, leather upholstery, nice quality plastic for the panels and a centre console that houses a touchscreen infotainment system with audio and navigation. The interface is also similar to the one in the Duster, Lodgy, and even the Kwid, but there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Now, if any of that premium positioning talk sounds familiar, it's because a similar pitch was made with the Duster – Renault’s best selling car that the Captur shares the M0 platform with. Unlike the Captur sold in Europe this is a bigger car, and yes while it is therefore similar to the Brazilian and Russian one, ours is a lot more upmarket. And that is intentional says Renault as it is trying to position the car a bit differently here. The main reason is that it believes that’s where the Indian consumer is going, and also to keep a distinct differentiation between the Duster and this car. So it is only in India that Renault will sell the car in a top end Platine variant. Oh and in case you’re wondering why ours isn’t called Kaptur like the Russian one? Well, Renault thinks that Captur will be easier to pronounce in India. In a market with products like KUV – where K stands for ‘Kool’, I don’t think Kaptur would’ve been a stretch! Go figure! Renault also says it is to follow the global naming mandate for this model family. So, it would appear Renault Russia went rogue didn’t it? Or maybe it was just a cultural thing. Let’s leave it at that! 

The driver-side seat is manually height adjustable – but sits almost too tall – I found the lowest position felt like it was fully raised – so never mind the highest! So Renault needs to take heed and maybe rework the height of the front seats. The central console and AC vents are finished with a ‘gold and white’ bezel – that to me looked more bronze and chrome! This is only in the top spec. The console houses a touch screen with audio and navigation – much like the one seen in the Duster, Lodgy, and even the Kwid. The interface is also similar, and there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto sadly. Renault India says it’s working on bringing those to its cars soon. The car syncs your phone via Bluetooth anyway though and for music alone, the USB plugin will do just fine. The steering has controls for the phone etc., but for audio you have to access the stack behind the steering – like in the Duster and previous Renaults. It works fine but takes some getting used to.