Renault Captur 1.5 Diesel: Opinions, Pros and Cons

He Renault Captur It is a subcompact crossover that has been produced at the Spanish Renault plant since 2013 and was updated in 2018. We had the opportunity to do some driving tests and said car had a diesel engine and EDC “robot”, our intention was to get to know how it behaves on the roads, what is the consumption and what happens with its equipment.

After having done these tests with the facelift version and automatic transmission, our experts decided to give their opinions on the general behavior of the Renault Captur. So, if you are thinking about buying this vehicle, pay close attention below.

What improvements did your update have?

The Renault Captur update is equipped exclusively with turbocharged, gasoline and diesel engines. Cars with a three-cylinder unit 0.9 TCe (H4BT) with a capacity of 90 hp are supplied to Ukraine, along with a torque of 140 Nm, which is combined with a 5-speed BVM5 mechanical box.

The following are also available:

• 2 TCe 115 four-cylinder (H5Ft) with 115 HP.
• 190 Nm.
• A 1.5 dCi diesel (K9K) with a return of 90 HP and a torque of 220 Nm.

The latter are added with a 6-speed “robot” EDC (aka Getrag 6DCT250). By the way, the range of European models is a little wider, for example, in France you can choose a diesel with a 5-speed mechanical box and 150 horsepower. On the other hand, there are three complete sets in addition to engines: Life, Zen and Intense.

life

This first one is offered only with a 0.9 liter engine with a mechanical box and the basic equipment includes:

• ABS.
• ESP.
• Cruise control.
• Air-conditioning.
• LED DRL.
• Heated and electrically adjustable mirrors.
• Driver’s seat height adjustment.
• Sliding second row.
• Power windows.
• Front and side airbags.
• Assistance system when starting on the climb.
• 4 speakers and multimedia system with Bluetooth support, USB and AUX connectors.

The wheels, in this case, are on 16-inch steel wheels, and for a surcharge you can install fog lights, heated front seats and light alloy wheels.

Zen

The Zen package can be selected with any engine. At the same time, light and rain sensors were added to the list of basic equipment, as well as:

• Climate control instead of air conditioning.
• Keyless access.
• Heated front seats.
• Fog lights.
• Raised trunk floor.
• Leather steering wheel.
• 16-inch alloy wheels.
• Extended Grip traction system, for which you must order 17-inch wheels and all-season tires.
• Rear parking sensors.
• Electric folding mirrors.
• Removable seat upholstery.
• Rear view camera and R-Link Evolution multimedia with 7-inch touch screen, Android Auto and Arkamys acoustics (6 speakers).

Intense

The high-end Intense set can be with a 1.2 or 1.5 diesel engine, and the box is an indisputable “robot.” Features of this setup include:

• Rotating fog lights.
• Mirrors with automatic folding.
• Rear parking sensors + camera.
• Full LED headlights.
• Removable upholstery.
• Tinted rear windows.
• Designer laces on the back of the front seats.
• Two-tone body design.
• R17 alloy wheels.

The list of options for the premium package includes:

• Living room mirror with automatic dimming.
• LED interior lighting.
• Lighted makeup mirrors.
• Eyeglass cases.
• Aluminum pedals.

You can also request a set of “assistants”:

• Control of lateral obstacles.
• Blind spot sensors and a semi-automatic valet.

Finally, in Intense, for a surcharge, you can choose a central armrest, Bose acoustics, color customization elements of the interior and exterior.

Inside

For a test drive, we got a Renault Captur in the Intense configuration with almost all the best ones, except for the leather interior and some personalization elements.

As for the organization of the driver’s seat, this is a typical Renault of its generation with a control panel on the right steering wheel for the multimedia system, cruise control on and off buttons on the lining of the central tunnel and buttons for Seat heating on the right side.

You need to get used to this arrangement of steering column control and “cruise” control if you have not driven Renault cars before, and if you already have such experience, on the contrary, It will seem that everything is “familiar” and in your place.

With the deflectors raised to maximum, the airflow passes at face level, however, with the air conditioning on, you want to direct it even higher. Therefore, it is good that the climate system has up to nine blowing speeds, although above the fourth it is too noisy.

And this interior will seem especially familiar to the owners of Renault Clio IV generation (2012-2019 onwards), on the basis of which Captur was created. They have the same instrument panels, steering wheel, side air vents, lower center console, interchangeable keys and switches, and a space above the glove box.

Only the “Cleo” has a regular glove box with a hinged lid, while the Renault Captur has a spacious removable compartment. “Easy Life”. However, no matter what marketers call this design, it is gorgeous.

Seriously, in front of you is a huge box, and what is most interesting, its front wall is illuminated, and when the compartment is open the LED lamps shine inward. Simple and effective.

Is there enough hard plastic in the cabin?

Of course, if there is enough hard plastic in the cabin. The top and bottom of the door panels, the visor over the tidy, the bottom of the front console and the center tunnel cover are made of it.

On the other hand, the wavy central part of the front console is covered with a more pleasant and flexible material, there are soft inserts in the armrests on the door panels, the steering wheel is comfortable, of moderate thickness, the column is adjustable in height and reach, and the range of adjustment is good.

However, we were initially baffled by the limited legroom, several manipulations with the position of the chair and steering wheel corrected this to make it comfortable.

It should be noted that the front seats in some situations lack lateral support, and it is inconvenient to adjust the inclination of the backrest, since the “turns” are squeezed between the seat cushions and the lining of the central tunnel.

In the second row, the stage is more Spartan. The window regulator keys do not have illumination, instead of panic handles under the roof, there are only hooks for outerwear, and despite the top-end equipment, there is no central armrest in the second row, and if tall people are sitting In the front, there will be very little rear legroom.

But there is a lot of space at the top, the central tunnel is not high, getting in and out is not difficult, the LED roof lights can be used separately as reading lamps, in addition, the backs of the front seats are covered with plastic , which is not afraid of kicks from active children. And if the seats are dirty, their upholstery can always be removed and cleaned or replaced completely.

Comfort and practicality

The new R-Link Evolution multimedia in the updated model of the Renault Captur received a responsive touch screen and a pleasant interface. The system works intelligently and without braking, in the test car it is complemented by Arkamys acoustics for 6 speakers, and in a special submenu you can select the sound focus area:

• For the entire cabin.
• Only the front seats.
• Only the driver.

From additional options, a semi-automatic parking system has also been added, which calculates a free parking space using 12 obstacle sensors.

A sound signal and a schematic image on the screen of the media system informs about a dangerous approach to something, in addition to this, blind spot indicators are built into the mirrors.

Another point to highlight about the Renault Captur is that at first glance and what you won’t think about, is the trunk. Yes, in the standard configuration with the raised floor installed, it is quite small – it can hold a couple of travel bags and it will be full.

However, taking into account the meter, the compartment volume increases to 377 liters, 23 liters more than the Nissan Juke. It would also seem “not much”, but the backrest sofa advances with a slight movement and then 455 liters come out.

That is, 25 liters more than the Nissan Qashqai and 45 liters more than the trunk of the Opel Crossland X. Do you need to transport a washing machine or, for example, snowboards? You just have to fold the backrests and you will obtain a volume of up to 1235 liters.

Fuel consumption

According to the passport, said Renault Captur accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 13.5 seconds, and fuel consumption, depending on the driving mode, is 3.9 to 4.6 l / 100 km.

Although according to the opinions of the owners and our own observations, the actual consumption depends largely on the driving style and driving mode, but staying within the 7.0 l / 100 km in the city is quite realisticand less will be out on the road.

The engine is responsive, accelerates easily and, traditionally for diesels, pulls well from the bottom. Of course, 90 “forces” speak for themselves and lighting up from traffic lights with all their might will not work, but for quiet and economical driving it is quite suitable, especially if you learn to smoothly work with the accelerator pedal.

Typical faults

Since it is the aversion of the robotic box, due to the frequent cyclic changes between first and second, the car begins to lurch forward unhappily when braking.

However, this is an innate feature of the EDC transmission, which is found in other models of the brand. By the way, the Start / Stop system is not installed in this configuration, but it is available on gasoline cars with a 0.9 liter engine.

On the other hand, since the Renault Captur was originally designed for flat European roads and was based on the Clio hatchback, we feared the suspension would be too stiff for our conditions.

And in part the fears came true: if it still digests small irregularities, the large ones give off painful jerks, and on the asphalt “floating” on the waves the car also sways unnecessarily.

To some extent, the car’s rigidity is dictated by the 17-inch wheels with 205/55 tires and yet the incompatibility with potholes is in its DNA, and this discomfort is transferred to those inside.

Our opinion

The main disadvantage of Renault Captur is poor compatibility with national roads, and the advantage is economy. It also attracts with its laconic design and practical solutions in the cabin and trunk, in addition, the updated version is offered with improved customization options and a list of options for different preferences.

And although the model cannot be called new in any way, with its pros and cons, it is still interesting and quite worthy of the role of a city car for every day.

You may also be interested in: Citroen C4 Cactus (2014-2020): Opinions, Pros and Cons