The India spec Renault Captur will get a host of changes compared to the European version with the most prominent change being the sub 4-metre length.
Despite a sluggish start in the Indian market, Renault made a huge turnaround when it launched the Duster compact SUV that has solely been the reason for the French automaker’s massive success in the country. With the domestic market’s affinity towards SUVs and crossovers growing by ten folds, the manufacturer is planning to capitalize on the opportunity once again by introducing the Captur compact SUV that will be positioned below the Duster in Renault’s lineup.
Launched across Europe in 2013, the Renault Captur is currently one of the best selling products in the continent, competing against the Opel Mokka, Nissan Juke and the likes in the segment. For the Indian version, Renault will be making a number of changes to the Captur with the most significant being the sub 4-metre length. The Euro-spec Captur measures 4.1-metres in length and the automaker will shave those extra centimetres to attain excise duty benefits.
Coming to the powertrain, the India spec Captur will be powered by 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine options that already do duty on a host of Renault and Nissan products. While the Duster is positioned to take on the Maruti S-Cross, Hyundai ix25, Mahindra Scorpio in its space, the Captur will be primarily rivalling against the Ford EcoSport, upcoming Maruti YBA and the offerings from Mahindra (S101/102, U301) in the segment that are also tucked under the 4-metre mark.
Renault knows the power of the SUV segment in the Indian market and the kind of success the Captur could enjoy. That being said, the India spec compact SUV is still three years away from launch and will only hit the market by 2018. In the meantime, Renault will be launching its other products in the country with an entry-level small car XBA hatchback all set to launch later this year. The Captur will be produced at the automaker’s facility near Chennai which manufactures Renault-Nissan’s entire range.
Source – Business-Standard.com