Renault has just released official pricing information for the Clio-based Captur crossover in its home market of France. It starts from €15,500, and undercuts one of its main rivals, the Nissan Juke, by around €500. It is not as unique as its Japanese rival, but with Renault’s latest styling language, we say it is one of the prettier small crossovers in Europe.
It comes in four trim levels, called Life, Zen, Business and Intens, and you end up paying €22,700 for a top-spec Intens model, with a dCi 90PS diesel engine mated to Renault’s new Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) six-speed autobox. No all-wheel drive option is available, though, and while most cars will spend their lives running around cities and not need it, there will be those who won’t buy one of these without it, so these buyers will probably opt for the Juke.
At launch, the Captur has three engines to choose from: a basic TCe 90 unit, which only displaces 900cc and uses a turbocharger to make 90 PS, a familiar dCi 90 diesel, as well as a top spec 1.2-liter TCe 120, with 120 PS, from the new Clio GT. All engines can be had with either a manual gearbox with five speeds on the smaller engines and six on the 1.2 turbo, or the aforementioned EDC.
When it comes to kit, the Captur seems to have all the bases covered, with an extensive list of options, which includes climate control, R-Link touchscreen control unit, rain and light sensors, power-folding mirrors and a reversing camera, to name but a few.
However, this is basically a Clio on stilts, and since it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive and all its benefits, we say the more efficient, classier-looking and cheaper supermini on which it’s based could be the better buy.
By Andrei Nedelea
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