New Renault Captur revealed with revised look and Google-based interior tech

On sale Summer 2024 | Price from £22,500 (est)

In most families, it’s often the case that the smallest siblings looks up to their bigger brothers and sisters. And similarly, the new Renault Captur small SUV is doing the same, because it’s now been updated with a look that’s inspired by the larger SUVs in the French firm’s line-up.

Indeed, the new Captur has slimmer LED headlights, stacked LED daytime running lights and a revised front grille that’s similar to what you’ll see on the new Renault Scenic and Renault Rafale. However, the updates are more than just cosmetic, because the Captur has also gained a slimmed-down engine line-up and Google-based interior tech to help it fight against the Ford Puma, Skoda Kamiq and VW T-Roc.

Kicking off the engine line-up is the 90bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol unit from the outgoing car. It’s paired with a six-speed manual gearbox and can go from 0-62mph in 14.0sec. While that’s pretty slow compared with the equivalent engine in the Seat Arona, it should be pretty efficient; official fuel economy is rated at 48.3mpg on the WLTP test cycle.

If you want more power and efficiency, a 145bhp 1.6-litre hybrid system is also available. It’s paired with an automatic gearbox and can run on electric-only power at low speeds, while 0-62mph takes 10.0sec. Official fuel economy for this version is rated at 60.1mpg on the WLTP test cycle, while CO2 emissions are rated at 105g/km (as opposed to 131g/km for the petrol). The plug-in hybrid version of the Captur has been dropped with the update, so if you’re a company car driver, this regular hybrid version will be the better option thanks to its lower emissions (and subsequent lower BIK rating).

Inside, the biggest change comes with the addition of Renault’s new Google-based infotainment system, which is housed in a larger 10.4in portrait touchscreen (up from 9.3in). It offers a variety of new features, including access to apps such as Waze and Google Assistant, as well as a more simple layout compared with the system in the outgoing car. The digital driver’s display (standard on higher trim levels) is also larger at 10.25in, and is configurable with four different layouts, so you can prioritise functions such as your trip information.

Other updates inside include the use of new, sustainably-sourced materials for the interior. The upholstery in the range-topping Esprit Alpine trim, for example, is now made up of 26% recycled and recyclable fabrics.

One of the strongest suits of the outgoing Captur is the practicality of its interior, and this looks to continue with the facelift. Indeed, there’s plenty of storage space throughout for your everyday items, plus the sliding rear bench seat has been retained (this allows you to choose between rear leg room and boot space as you see fit). 

In terms of boot space, the Captur can carry up to 536 litres with the rear seats slid fully forwards. However, with the rear seats in their normal position, the Captur offers 422 litres of space, which is slightly less than the Puma offers.

Three trim levels will be available: Evolution, Techno and Esprit Alpine. Evolution is the entry-level trim and includes 17in alloy wheels, wireless phone charging and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, while Techno adds 18in alloys wheels, a 10.25 digital driver’s display and the larger 10.4in touchscreen. Esprit Alpine is the range-topping trim, and includes 19in alloy wheels, sport seats with blue stitching, a sports steering wheel and aluminium pedals. 

Prices for the new Captur are expected to start from around £22,500 when it arrives in the summer, which is less than the Puma (£25,640), Kamiq (£24,030) and T-Roc (£28,320).

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