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The Captur gets 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines
Performance – Renault is offering two engine options with the Captur – a petrol and a diesel in a 1.5-litre engine block. Demand for petrol-powered SUVs has risen in this segment ever since Hyundai brought over the Creta petrol in the market. This H4K gasoline engine produces 106 PS at 5600 RPM & 142 NM of torque at 4000 RPM. This engine comes mated with a 5-speed manual transmission.
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The diesel engine is offered only in the 110 PS tune
The diesel engine has very good performance to boot
We got behind the wheel of the diesel-powered Captur under whose hood was the tried and tested 1.5-litre K9K engine which churns out 110 PS of peak output at 4000 RPM and 240 Nm of twisting force at 1750 RPM. While the Duster also comes in an 85 PS diesel option, Renault is only offering the Captur in the 110 PS output in India. Performance is very similar to that of the Duster, which means there is practically no turbo-lag and performance is brisk in the low-end and mid-range. Even when fully loaded, there is absolutely no shortage of power. The light clutch is a boon in stop-go traffic.
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No automatic gearbox is on offer for now
Currently, the Captur will be sold with a 6-speed manual gearbox whose ratios have been tweaked for better performance. Renault has confirmed that they will be getting an auto box in the future but it won’t be an AMT. The company hinted that it could be a DCT but only time will tell for sure. Cabin insulation has been improved making the engine less audible in the cabin. We expect the Captur to return around 12-13 km/l in the routine city driving cycle.
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The Captur is good to drive and has an involving nature
Driving Dynamics – The Captur is dynamically very sound and it was bound to be since it shares it underpinnings with the Duster. Handling characteristics are very similar to the Duster. The steering offers good feedback, sometimes more than you would like. It still has the mid-turn kickback but can be irritating at times. Nevertheless, this is the best steering in the segment as far as enthusiastic driving is concerned. The Captur is not unnerved in changing direction and while doing so there isn’t much body roll.
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Ride quality is excellent, just like the Duster
The Captur offers a very settled ride. It is barely moved by rough and bad roads. At slow speeds, almost every undulation is filtered before it reaches the cabin. At high speeds, the rear passengers did feel a few jolts over very rough roads but overall, the passengers would find no reason to complain as far as ride is concerned. Braking performance is progressive with the pedal offering good bite.
