The success of Nissan’s crossover models such as the Juke and the Qashqai in Europe has not gone unnoticed by its partner Renault, which is now preparing to duplicate the Japanese brand’s recipe staring with a junior CUV.
At the 2011 Geneva Salon, Renault hinted at its intentions to enter the small crossover segment with the fancy Captur Concept. Later on, the French automaker confirmed the development of a production model loosely inspired by the study to replace the Modus and Grand Modus small minivans in its European lineup.
Now, we have the first scoop photos of the prototype model that will lead to the production version and which was nabbed while testing in Europe. As you can see, the only resemblance to the concept is the car’s front-end styling with the rest of the body being completely different.
Unlike the concept, Renault’s small crossover, which may or may not keep the Captur nameplate, has five- instead three-doors.
A Renault source had previously said that the crossover would be “similar to the Nissan Juke”, pointing towards a common platform and shared hardware between the two models.
The five-door CUV with the Renault logo will most likely make its debut next year, either in Geneva or in Frankfurt, with sales to follow a few months after its motor show debut.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoop
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