Team-BHP - Renault Captur : Official Review

Very well summed up. As always, a very detailed review. As for the car, the exterior looks really good but could have improved the interiors (quality has improved a lot when compared to the Duster but looks a bit bland). I feel they should have put that effort in bringing the new duster here.

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Originally Posted by govigov (Post 4370034)

What is behind the portion on the left? Really intriguing. I think it may be the interior fuses. If not the fuses, where are the interior fuses?

Yes. That's the fuse box. They didn't bother to change the locaton for right hand drive cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nCajhxxpZk

Mat points that out in his review.

Great review! As usual, the attention to detail is immaculate.

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Originally Posted by Omkar (Post 4369342)

What you won't:
• Too expensive for a crossover based on the Duster's old platform & mechanicals
• Unimpressive interiors; basic design & quality are a turnoff
• No AWD or AT. Duster gets both of these options

I feel they got it completely wrong with the placement of this product. Considering that the ageing Duster was on a decline, they would have just launched this as a replacement for Duster (something like how Toyota replaced the Qualis with an Innova). After all this is the Duster in a bit nicer looking clothes. By placing it as a premium product above Duster with no big step-up on offer, they really set themselves up for failure. And the launch gimmicks and related negative publicity added on to the woes.

I find a lot of similarity between:

i. the success of first gen Figo and Duster, and
ii. the failure of second gen Figo and Captur

The success of first gen Figo and Duster were mainly due to the fact that they offered something different and with the absence of tough competition. Also, both "seemed" considerably larger than they actually are.

The failure of second gen Figo and Captur is that they don't stand out among the competition, and their segments are really crowded now. Also, both "seems" considerably smaller than they actually are.

Kudos to Team-BHP for compiling this review for a failed product that is only going to be bought by a handful of people. Really helpful for that small minority.

The wonderful thing is that I realized how VFM the base models seem with Airbags, ABS, Auto Climate Control, Appearance. This point doesn't show up in any marketing material anywhere.

For all future Renault customers I have a word of advice, based on the track record, ownership cost is higher than average for all Renault cars except for the KWID.

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Originally Posted by GTO (Post 4369532)

When the Duster arrived, it had literally zero direct-competition and sold very well. Different story with the Captur though - if the initial 3 to 4 months of sales are anything to go by, it's sunk like the Titanic. Shows how our market has moved in only 5 years. IMHO, Renault should have launched the Captur as the 'New Duster' out here at the Duster's price point. Brand 'Duster' still commands respect in the market place and its price level would be more suitable for the Captur. Sure, Renault would have to retire the old Duster in order to do this, but anyone would rather have 1 car that sells than 2 that don't.

To me, the Captur represents a missed opportunity in a market that is moving to SUVs & Crossovers in a big way.

Renault can't stop selling Duster I guess. It's a car which created brand name in India for Renault. Still people know Renault mainly by Duster. Coming back to Captur,any day I will pick Duster over it. It is old school design yet looks much better than Captur. Duster has macho looks and looks proper SUV which Captur cant match at all. Same with Old Pajero, anyone will agree that old one was way better than new Pajero (I am talking of looks only), it has those looks which can go for years like old Jeep, Gypsy etc.

Sadly, before the T-BHP review is up, car is already flop in market. No way it will pick up sales.

Thanks for the awesome review.

The hotel like keycard looks to me as a cost cutting measure. How? Generally if you have a smart key system, there are different set of antennas to detect whether you are inside or outside the car. Here the captur skips the inside antenna as it is mandatory to insert KeyCard for accessories to be turned on.

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Originally Posted by rst89 (Post 4370405)

It is not mandatory to insert keyfob into the slot. Even for starting ignition, it is not needed. It is just a slot for storage with some added functionality.

I always keep my Captur key in pocket and never put it into the slot.

One plus side of the card like keyfob is that, it is easy to keep it in your pocket.

Sad, sad. The car seems the right size, the exteriors are modern and funky like a lifestyle product, but the interiors are horrendous:eek:. The Captur needs a total redo of all the interiors. The interiors need to reflect the exteriors. Renault should withdraw this car from the market, totally change the interiors (add some French flair) and then relaunch in a higher price bracket

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Originally Posted by rxpaul (Post 4370513)

Clio based Captur gets an almost identical interior. So the design is truly French.

Maybe they could have included their latest R-Link multimedia system with android auto and Apple CarPlay.

Please see pictures of Clio based Captur and Indian Captur below.

Thanks Omkar for the awesome review.

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Originally Posted by Omkar (Post 4369345)

First comments about the footwell would be that it's cramped. There is no dead pedal & no space to the left for resting your foot, which is a bummer. On long drives, the driver will have to rest his/her foot below the clutch pedal.

On paper Renault Captur is wider than Hyundai Creta, still, Captur's footwell feels cramped. This is a footwell without a dead panel or any space on the left side. Isn't it Strange?

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Moreover, with the clutch pedal fully pressed, the top part of your foot will hit the steering column and you can feel the movement of the steering

I call it Spark effectstupid:. I always felt the movement of the steering column in Chevy Spark.

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Originally Posted by anilntny (Post 4370414)

Hey Anilntny, how long have you been owning the CAPTUR? What’s been your first hand experience?

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Originally Posted by Sachin Bhatt (Post 4371120)

Hey Anilntny, how long have you been owning the CAPTUR? What’s been your first hand experience?

I have been using Captur, since last December. Odo reading is now 5000+ km. So far, I have no complaints except for turbo lag creeping in 2nd gear. But now I just rev it up a bit, to deal with turbo lag and it just flies.

My previous car was an 85 ps Duster RXL (First generation). It had very bland interiors. So I am very happy with what I get with Captur.

My Duster had steering kickbacks too, so I find it to be very well controlled with Captur.

Seats are very plush and supportive, especially headrests are uniquely designed. (In comparison to my old Duster).

I recently added roof rails, which are now available as genuine accessory from Renault.

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Originally Posted by anilntny (Post 4371192)

Good to know. And the car looks awesome too! How’s been the ride on the highways, if you have done a long stretch...And is yours the RXL or Platine?

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Originally Posted by Sachin Bhatt (Post 4371203)

Good to know. And the car looks awesome too! How’s been the ride on the highways, if you have done a long stretch...And is yours the RXL or Platine?

Mine is RXT and highway ride quality is good.

Compared to my old Duster, I feel less fatigue during long drive.

Front seats, driving position and road manners are way better than that of Duster.