Spec Comparison: Renault Captur Vs Hyundai Creta

The Hyundai Creta is a popular car in its segment, and for a good reason. The combination of a widespread dealership network, punchy powertrains, reliable mechanicals, upmarket design and good build quality have kept it at the top of its game. With the Renault Captur right around the corner, however, the Creta will finally face some competition.

Dimensions

While the burly-looking Duster doesn’t cut it anymore, Renault hopes that the svelte design of the latest SUV can ‘Captur’ the attention of car buyers. The Captur starts off by offering a larger footprint. Compared to the Creta, the Captur has a considerably longer and wider body with almost the same height. The Captur is also 83mm longer axle-to-axle, which is helpful in liberating precious centimetres for your knees.

When you say SUV, you expect it to have a ground clearance of at least 200mm. The Hyundai Creta falls short on this count by 10mm while the Renault Captur exceeds this psychological barrier by 10mm. That 210mm of clearance doesn't go unnoticed, and the car looks like it's resting considerably off the ground. It should come in handy while rolling over nasty potholes and bumps.

Engine And Transmission

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When it comes to the spice, Renault seems to have used just a small dose of it for the Captur. While the 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines of the Captur are more than adequate to haul five occupants in the city and on the highway, they don't offer an exhilarating performance. The petrol motor's 106PS and diesel's 110PS pale in comparison to the Hyundai Creta's 123PS and 128PS from the two 1.6-litre engines. Meanwhile, Hyundai’s 1.4-litre diesel engine offers usable performance to tackle intracity travel for those who plan to clock a lot of miles on the odo. The Korean carmaker also employs 6-speed transmissions across the board while the Captur only gets it with the diesel engine.

Sure, torque converters are the oldest variety of automatics on sale. But you'll appreciate the convenience as the Creta offers a 6-speed automatic with the 1.6-litre engines. The Renault Captur fails to address this aspect.

Features

Both the cars pack a healthy amount of kit for the segment while each of them reserves a few trump cards of their own up their sleeves to clinch the deal.

ABS and electronic stability control are available on the top trims of both the cars but the Creta is the only one here offering six airbags. Front and rear armrest, climate control, rear AC vents, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, parking sensors, reversing camera, keyless entry with push-button start and a set of 17-inch machined alloy wheels can be found on the top variants of the Renault Captur as well as the Hyundai Creta. Inside, both the cars claim to offer leather upholstery, but only Renault is honest enough to say that it's artificial leather.

The two cars also get tilt-adjustable steering and a manually-adjustable day-night internal mirror.  Renault had the opportunity to beat the Creta on these counts by offering telescopic-steering adjustment and auto-dimming internal mirror, but it didn't. However, the Captur does take a jab at the Creta by offering cruise control, automatic wipers and automatic headlamps. Speaking of headlamps, the Creta comes equipped with halogen projectors. The Captur impresses with its futuristic LED units that'll certainly stand out in the dark. The Creta's tail lights show signs of age as Hyundai continues to offer a plain-jane cluster on a Rs 15 lakh car. The Captur's taillamps will remind you of the familiar outlines seen on the Renault Kwid, but the LED bits play their part in making it look premium.

Wait up! The Creta isn't done yet. The touchscreen infotainment may measure the same on both the cars, but it's only the Creta that allows you to take over that real estate with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

Verdict

Other than the LED headlamps and the swoopy exterior, the Renault Captur doesn't have much to get you excited. At the same time, it doesn't stumble hard enough in any department to be a deal-breaker, either. Hyundai has hit a goldmine with the Creta as it offers far less kit considering its price tag, and yet, manages to sell in good numbers. The Creta will soon share the urban SUV space with a worthy contender. The Captur's success, though, will eventually boil down to the cost. Let's hope Renault pulls out another Kwid out of the hat and surprises us with a mouth-watering price tag.