Confirmed! Renault Captur Coming This Year

Renault has announced that it will launch the Captur crossover in India soon. 'This year' is what the press release says, we expect that to be in a couple of months.

Renault began its innings with a bang when it launched the Duster crossover just as interest in city-centric SUV-like vehicles was rising in the country. The next wonder car from the company was the Kwid, part of whose appeal was its SUV-like design.

There's a trend here, Indians love SUVs or cars which at least look like them. Following suit, Renault's next offering in India will be another SUV/Crossover. More specifically, it will be the Captur and it will be launched before the end of 2017. With the launch of the Captur, the expansion of the company's sales/service network (which is now 300 dealerships strong) and new launches lined up for the future, Renault wants to be among the top five automotive manufacturers in the country by 2020.

“We are delighted to announce that we will launch our premium feature loaded Renault Captur in India this year, which has delivered global success and is widely acclaimed for its stunning expressive design. Captur has sold over a million cars worldwide and will enhance our product portfolio as we aim to grow our presence in the SUV segment in India. Like all our offerings in India, there will high levels of innovation and customisation in the Renault Captur that will be launched in India, to best suite the Indian customers," said Sumit Sawhney, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India Operations.

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The Captur headed to India shouldn't be confused with the crossover with the same name sold in Europe. In fact, it is actually closer to the Kaptur sold in markets like Russia.

Once you get over the confusing naming policy, you can check out the design of the new Captur. Based on the same platform as the Duster, the Captur features Renault's new design philosophy which includes design features such as the new deep-set grille with a large Renault logo, large C-shaped LED DRLs, tall hood, heavily sculpted body, shark-gill like accents on the taillamps and a tall stance.

Inside, the Captur features a familiar but reworked cabin design. The centre console is reminiscent of the units found in the Kwid and the Duster, the instrument cluster is all new though with a butterfly-wing like design incorporating a central digital screen flanked by two analogue dials.

Renault claims the Captur will be offered with a number of customisation options when launched, details are awaited. In Russia, the Kaptur can be had with a contrast coloured/wrapped roof, painted ORVMs and contrast accents on the wheels, grille, side-moulding. Inside, the customisation options include custom upholstery, trim and highlights.

While it may look big from the outside, the Captur can seat only five people. In the Russian market, the Captur is 4333mm long (18mm longer than the India-made Duster), 1813mm wide (9mm slimmer), 1613mm tall, has a wheelbase of 2673mm (same) and ground clearance of 205mm (same). It seems like rear seat space has been prioritised over luggage space as the Captur boasts a 387-litre boot with all the seats up as compared to the 475/410-litre boot of the Duster.

The Renault Captur is expected to share the drivetrains from the Duster. This includes the 1.5-litre (1461cc), 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel motor developing 85PS/110PS and 200Nm/245Nm paired to either a 5-speed/6-speed manual or a 6-speed AMT or a 1.5-litre (1498cc), 4-cylinder petrol motor developing 106PS/142Nm paired either to a 5-speed manual or a CVT. Renault may also offer the intelligent AWD system from the Duster in the Captur.

The Renault Captur is expected to be positioned above the Duster when launched in India. The latter is currently priced in the Rs 8.29 lakh to Rs 13.46 lakh bracket. Likely to be priced in the Rs 15-20 lakh bracket, the Captur will go up against competition like the Jeep Compass (which has amassed over 8000 bookings now), the Mahindra XUV500 and the Tata Hexa.

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