The Renault Captur has been finally launched in India, and adds more spice to the SUV/crossover competition that is raging across the country. The new SUV from Renault is being positioned as a more premium offering than the reasonably popular Renault Duster, and is priced between Rs. 9.99 lac and Rs. 13.88 lac, ex-showroom Delhi. As expected, the Renault Captur comes with a number of key differences in terms of the onboard technology package in comparison to its European counterpart. Nevertheless, it still packs in a fair amount of equipment, to compete in a highly packed category that has the likes of Maruti Suzuki S-Cross and Hyundai Creta in terms of crossovers, and Tata Hexa, Jeep Compass and Mahindra XUV500 in terms of SUVs, all in one price segment.
The technology inside
To begin with, the Renault Captur gets the same 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system running on the Renault R-Link firmware. It misses out on Android Auto in India, and Apple CarPlay was never a part of it. Apart from that, it retains the in-built satellite-linked navigation system, and a host of connectivity interfaces including Bluetooth, USB and aux. The Captur also retains the ambient lighting system in India, along with automatic climate control, dual-front airbags, ABS with EBD, Hill Start Assist and ESP. The dynamic rear parking camera should also be retained, along with LED headlamps with DRLs and dynamic turn indicators a la Audi. One key premium feature that Renault has retained is a segment-first smart access card to allow entry and ignition. That said, Renault has removed premium elements from the Indian trim of the Captur, which include the fixed glass roof and Bose-powered seven-speaker audio setup present in the European Renault Captur.
Performance, Customisability and Pricing
The Renault Captur in India is built on the M0 platform that also underpins the Duster. It measures 4,329mm in total length, and offers ground clearance of 210mm. The two engine options include the 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 106bhp, and the 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine producing 110bhp. Both are being paired with 6-speed manual transmissions for now, and automatic transmission options will come soon.
In terms of customisability, the Renault Captur includes black-white interiors, gold-white interiors for top trims, and choices for five bold colours and seven dual-tone colours for the exterior. Alongside, Renault has included two customisation themes – Diamond Necklace and Urban, which essentially add fractal-line patterns to the C-pillar, ORVMs and the roof to add a dash of individuality to the SUV. Prices for these customisation packages are yet to be announced.
The Renault Captur will be available in seven total variants, the prices of which are as below: