How do you like the second-generation b-segment crossover?
About ten years ago, the Renault Captur was the car everyone was waiting for. Smoothly drawn, spacious enough, practically enough and cheaper than most other crossovers in its segment. Sales figures went through the roof. A successor appeared in 2019, which clearly made a leap forward. We dive into the user reviews to discover how this second generation Captur works out in practice.
The new Renault Captur is a clear evolution in terms of design. The DNA of its predecessor resonates, but each line has been strengthened. And that while the biggest difference is on the inside. The somewhat plasticy interior of generation one is no longer visible in fields or roads, instead owners look out over a distinguished-looking dashboard that has been designed according to the latest Renault insights.
Under the hood is not only a 1.0-liter three-cylinder or 1.3-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine in different power variants, customers can also opt for hybrids instead. The E-Tech Hybrid with ‘Formula 1 powertrain’ delivers 145 hp, the plug-in hybrid even 165 hp. Striking: the hybrids use an atmospheric four-cylinder with 1.6 liters capacity. We will definitely come back to these powertrains!
Captur: comfort and space
But we start with the experience on board. “What a wonderful car this is. The seats are very nice and the interior looks great with the black leather. They’ve obviously moved up a few notches. I should know, because we also drove the previous Captur,” writes the owner in his concise review of the Captur TCe 155.
The owner of a 130 hp model drives Renault for the first time in his life, which seems to be going well. He writes: “My opinion is that the Captur II has set the bar high and has been given a pleasant and sleek interior, which can compete with the more expensive (German) brands in terms of finish and options for use”.
Then space, what about that? “With two adult daughters you have to ‘play’ with the space. It is a matter of making arrangements to get a nice seat for all four passengers,” writes a driver who uses the Captur as a family car. The luggage compartment is also not convincing. “The trunk remains on the small side, often with a lack of space. When shopping, the bin is quickly filled.” Although we should note that this driver previously drove a considerably larger Seat Leon, it is not the only user who calls the trunk modest.
How does such a Captur II drive?
When it comes to driving, Renault has a reputation to uphold, to what extent does the new Captur help? “The car is comfortable to drive and the suspension is tight, you can enter corners firmly without feeling insecure. This is significantly better than the previous Captur and is comparable to the Clio I had before,” the driver explains the handling of his 2020 Captur TCe 130 Intens.
A Captur Plug-in Hybrid driver also makes a comparison, but with a completely different model. “You notice a big difference in comfort with our new Yaris. The Yaris steers directly and with 17-inch wheels you feel the bumps, you are very involved in the road. The Captur floats more and sometimes you miss the direct contact with the road. He is then somewhat floaty.”
The owner of a Captur TCe 140, with the highest trim level Initiale Paris, is quite satisfied with the comfort offered by his car. He does, however, add a caveat. “One downside could be the 18-inch rims, which filter out the shocks a little less on a very bad road. But I think they look nice, so I take that for granted.”
“The Captur, more than the direct competition, places the emphasis on suspension comfort and drives better than expected. It steers nice and firm and direct, the suspension is quite comfortable, the seats are fantastic, the engine is nice and strong, smooth and whisper quiet”, a satisfied TCe 130 driver summarizes his experience.
Engines and powertrains
The driver above already builds a bridge to the various powertrains, a number of which the Captur II has already worn out in its young life. The four-cylinder TCe’s were upgraded to mild hybrid technology in mid-2022, which should reduce consumption while power output increased slightly. From the start, the Captur was available as an E-Tech Full Hybrid and E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain is already convincing this owner: “The car drives very comfortably and of course very quiet in EV mode, and still very quiet in combination with the combustion engine. I have no complaints about the performance. In EV mode it is not a racing monster, but there is still the nice feeling of immediately having all the pulling power available. In combination with the combustion engine, the 160 hp is powerful enough.”
What about the electric range of the Captur E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid? This question is answered by another plug user. “Meanwhile a maximum of 42 kilometers has been measured, hopefully this will go towards 50 in the summer.” It’s not all roses and moonshine: “Regular plugging is a thing, sometimes charging stations indicate a malfunction or they are occupied. In retrospect, I would have preferred to wait for the mild hybrid with 140 hp, which is now available to order.”
In any case, this owner is very positive about such a Captur TCe 140: “Almost 10,000 kilometers have been driven and I am still very happy with my choice for the 1.3 mild hybrid and not the full hybrid. What a nice ride that is. More than enough power, quiet and smooth running and above all economical”. So it seems that the more traditional drive is also popular.
Malfunctions and problems Renault Captur
So far, owners are quite pleased with their Captur. However, there are also challenges, especially in the electronic field. “The Captur reset itself quite a bit, with the instrument panel then showing the French language (large screen remained Dutch) and trip counter/consumption and the like suddenly disappeared,” reports the driver of an early 2020 Captur TCe Edition One. Another owner also received to this problem, but adds a whole laundry list. In the end he said goodbye to his Captur. The owner of a Captur Plug-in Hybrid also made this choice.
These stories are not very positive and do not escape the attention of other Captur drivers. Nevertheless, there are many very satisfied drivers. For example, the owner of this 2021 Plug-in Hybrid writes: “I drove my Captur Plug-In Hybrid for almost nine months and I am actually very satisfied with the car. No problem, no rattle, nothing, nada, zippo, everything works like a charm.” A TCe 130 driver also emphatically reports: “The software problem experienced by other Captur drivers is strange to me, unless it should be that sometimes (rarely) the warning lights up that the camera has no view.”
A TCe 155 driver also keeps his peace: “So far very satisfied with the car. Contrary to a number of other rider reviews, I have had virtually no electronic issues. Off the top of my head, I have had two inexplicable resets of my digital dashboard. One of them was while driving, where everything jumped back to factory settings. That had no negative consequences. When you arrive at the campsite, simply reset everything to your own preferences.” However, he remains somewhat critical: “Of course it should not happen!”
Practical experience Renault Captur: conclusion
The new Renault Captur has, if we are to believe owners, a big step forward. This is mainly in the interior, where the new dashboard in particular is often mentioned as a plus. The comfortable handling and the tranquility on board also appeal, regardless of the chosen powertrain. On the other hand, a number of copies have been plagued with glitches, most of which are thankfully under control after a few updates – and others did not occur at all.
.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl