Renault Captur

The Renault Captur concept car has been unveiled in Geneva, and it points the way to a sport crossover that's under evaluation for production.

The sporty crossover concept car continues Renault's new design strategy with its 'flowing and athletic body' designed to mimic a sprinter on the starting blocks, according to its exterior designer, Julio Lozano.

On a more practical note, the crossover concept is fitted with a hard convertible top, which, once removed, means the urban coupe is turned into a convertible with genuine off-road abilities.

The car's butterfly doors and 22-inch wheels reinforce its sporty intentions although they are design flourishes and have no chance of making production.

The cabin is similarly design-led, and is stripped down to essential equipment only, with door castings and the dashboard formed from a translucent material to create the appearance of a 'second skin'. Various shades of orange lighting then pulse from behind this second membrane.

Renault round-up video
Story continues below video

The rear of the cabin allows for two passengers, and an area lined with three layers of rope to create a storage space that can be configured to secure various loads, or as hammocks for relaxation.

The car is also used to launch Renault's new Visio-system, which uses a forward facing camera mounted at the top of the windscreen to read road conditions and alert drivers to any potential dangers ahead. The set-up merges real-world images from the camera, overlaid with graphic information, for the display screen in the centre of the dashboard.

Performance comes from the 158bhp Energy dCi 160 twin-turbo engine. Renault says the Captur would have a top speed of 130mph, with CO2 emissions pegged to just 99g/km.