Car Review: A Renault that will Captur the imagination

Thanks to L’Affaire Ghosn, relations between the two partners in the Renault-Nissan partnership are not as warm as they might be. This is not quiet the place to go into the merits of the case brought against Carlos Ghosn, but it has to be said that, whatever his shortcomings, the effective (in all senses) joint ruler of both entities brought them tremendous success. Like the better car designs, the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. Now both parties, relatively small players in global terms these days, are looking around for new partners, while the obvious answer is for them to get back together again.

Still, Ghosn’s legacy lives on in the often inspired cars his leadership was responsible for – one of the last of which may be this, the all-new Renault Captur. A “mark 2”, in fact, but it’s radically different from the previous model of the Captur, introduced in 2011 and still selling well into its old age.

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For this Captur is based on a Nissan platform, that of the tremendously popular Nissan Juke. Basically, as you can see, the Captur is a rather less wacky looking version of the familiar Juke, but is pretty much the same to drive and own – which is to say most satisfying in both cases.

Car firms often lend journalists very highly specced, rather untypical examples of their cars and you have to then apply a discount factor to try and imagine what the more mainstream customer would be getting. Not this time. I tried the smaller-engined, three-cylinder 1-litre version with the middle-range “Iconic” trim. (I know “Iconic” is overused to the point of it being “ironic”, but that’s Renault, that is, not me, see? The base model is called “Play” and the top one is named “S”, by the way.) There are diesel options (mostly shunned) and a hybrid is on the way. No word of an all-electric one, though – a shame given Renault’s (and Nissan’s) pioneering record in electrification.

I found it to be an excellent package. Obviously the Juke is better because it is made in Britain and it’s the better looker, but the Renault will suit the more conservatively minded customer. I mean if there actually are car customers out there right now, given the draconian measures we’re being subjected to. New car buyers – hello?

It’s a thoughtful design, with a few special features. Renault claims its Captur has best-in-class (ie small SUV) boot space, which seems plausible given that they’ve fitted a rear bench that will slide fore and aft, gaining you maximum flexibility in allocating space between passengers and luggage. My test car also boasted a £350 “Signature Orange interior pack” which, as you can imagine, was like being in some slightly upmarket club, and pleasingly distracting.

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Small SUVs are not that exacting to drive, truth be told, so the more visual stimulation you can enjoy the better. As for the controls, the modern bit was the standard 7in touchscreen which sits proud of the dash, as if sunk into it, and is perfectly adequate for most needs (a bigger, 9.3in screen is an optional extra). The old-fashioned bit was, as per usual on a Renault, the controls of the radio being perched on a pod behind the steering wheel, much inferior to having a couple of buttons on the steering wheel.

These days, with so few buyers and so many sellers, you can hardly avoid bagging yourself some sort of bargain, and I reckon the Captur is going to be subject to some discounting in the coming weeks – well worth the trip outdoors, if it’s still legal by then. It’s not as reassuringly solid as the VW T-Cross, nor as much fun to have around as a Nissan Juke, while the new Ford Puma (with its revolutionary vertical boot MegaBox) and Peugeot 2008 are also attractive alternatives.

You’re spoiled for choice, really – and don’t forget the all-electric Hyundai Kona. If I can say one thing to try and cheer you up it’s that there has probably never been a better time to buy or lease a new car. It is a fine buying opportunity, before Brexit and the incredible shrinking pound spoil the fun all over again this time next year.