Renault Captur Review

Getting a comfortable driving position isn’t an issue in the Renault Captur because even entry-level models have a height adjustable driver’s seat and a steering wheel that adjusts up and down, as well as in and out. GT Line models come as standard with a front centre armrest – but its small size means it isn’t as comfortable as it could be. GT Line models also get heated front seats.

Every Renault Captur has a rear bench that slides forwards and backwards, so you can choose between more knee room or extra boot space. However legroom is tight for tall adults, even with the seats in their furthest-back setting. The high, SUV-style roofline means headroom in the back is fine if your passengers are under six foot tall and all models come with lockable rear electric windows that’ll keep your little darlings’ extremities safely inside.

The Renault Captur’s not a wide car so carrying three adults in the back isn’t ideal – the middle seat is narrow and your third passenger has to sit on lumpy seatbelt tidies and share the other two passengers’ footwells.

The Renault Captur comes with plenty of cubby spaces but they could all do with being a little bit bigger. Its glovebox is quite small, as is the space under the front armrest, the door bins are big enough for a small bottle of water each but not much else, and up front you get a couple of cup holders and a smartphone-sized tray in front of the gear stick. The lidded space on top of the dashboard is a handy bonus, plus Dynamique models and above have map-holding bungee cords on the backs of the front seats.

It’s hard not to be impressed by the size and flexibility of the Renault Captur’s boot. It has a 455-litre capacity that, to give you some perspective, is 75 litres bigger than the boot you get in a larger Volkswagen Golf.

Even entry-level models have an adjustable boot floor, which in its highest setting leaves no boot lip whatsoever, so heavy luggage can simply be slid into place. The sliding back seat can be moved forwards and backwards from the boot and all but the basic model have a wipe-clean side to the adjustable boot floor, so it’s easier to keep the boot in pristine condition.

The Renault Captur boot capacity increases to an extremely healthy 1,437 litres with the 60:40 back seats folded down and, with the adjustable boot floor in its lowest setting, you get a completely flat cargo bay that makes it that bit easier to load something tricky such as a bike.

The Renault Captur comes with a choice of two engines, petrol or diesel power.

The 90hp, 0.9-litre petrol is the model to have if you mostly drive in town and make occasional trips on the motorway. It comes with a five-speed gearbox that keeps engine noise at bay on the motorway but ultimately it takes some time to get up to speed and overtakes are slow.

The 90hp, 1.5-litre diesel makes sense if you’re going to spend your days chugging up and down the motorway, where its lower fuel consumption compared to the petrol makes sense in the long run. If that’s not how you plan to use your Renault Captur, though – stick to the petrol. The diesel is more expensive to buy and a tad noisier.

The Renault Captur feels at its best in the city. Its raised suspension means even the most abrupt of speed humps won’t damage the bottom of the car and the suspension deals well with bad surfaces at low speeds.

Its tall body also gives you a great view out the front and the small windows behind the wing mirrors mean only the plastic trim around the windscreen interrupts your field of vision. Look out the back, though, and the big pillars around the rear windscreen cause large blind spots, so you’ll have to keep your wits about you when driving through busy cities. Rear parking sensors are fitted as standard to mid-range Iconic models, and you get a useful hands-free parking system on GT Line models.

The Renault Captur feels like a small family car on stilts on country roads. Its steering is a little light in corners and you get a reasonable amount of body lean in fast corners, but there’s plenty of grip – and are you really going to drive your family car like a race car?

What you may wish for a little more of is motorway refinement. The diesel engines grumble even at a cruise, while wind and road noise fade to a distant drone that’s only just tolerable. The suspension also seems to get flummoxed at faster speeds making the car pogo over smaller bumps and poor road surfaces. All models have a 1,200kg towing capacity – similar to any other hatchback.