This might seem like a backwards step but it does at least offer buyers the choice of different propulsion methods across the Renault range. Like the Clio supermini, the Captur’s cabin packs plenty of chic design appeal, and a fairly liberal application of soft-touch moulded plastics on the dash and doors helps to improve tactile appeal. On the road it retains the firmer, more controlled set-up that is arguably the most significant point of difference between first- and second-generation models. Copyright Electrifying Ltd 2020. Company car users are likely to be community NHS or Local Authority types on public sector lease schemes or people on salary sacrifice schemes aimed at low emission vehicles.

The combined power produced by the electric and 1.6-litre petrol engine is 160bhp, making it the most powerful model in the range. The dinky Twizy made for a fascinating support act, too. 4. 6 / 10. The system has a fairly modest combined output of 158bhp. Sure, you’re not stuck there for an eternity, but that noticeable falter does mean overall acceleration isn’t quite as linear as you might have hoped it would be. The likes of the Kia Niro PHEV and Mini’s plug-in Countryman are arguably its closest conceptual rivals, with the former priced from £30,265 and the latter from £32,980 versus the Renault’s £30,495 list price. ”, “I've always liked the way the Captur seems to mix the best bits of a small SUV with the practicality of a mini MPV. The bigger Megane seems to make better use of the E-Tech though, as it gets even more out of a charge. More than one can be engaged at a time so you can simultaneously have the motor driving one gear and the engine another. Now, though, Renault has broadened its portfolio of electrified vehicles to include powertrains that the man on the street might deem to be more accessible. As for the price though, that seems far too much when you can get a full bev Kia or Hyundai for not a lot more. Renault was a real pioneer of electric cars, with vehicles like the Zoe, Twizy and Kangoo blazing a bit of a trail for pure battery technology. The battery isn’t that big either, at 9.8kWh compared to the 14.4kWh of the slightly larger Ford Kuga PHEV. I'm not so sure the figures on the E-Tech add up though, as there are some really interesting cars around the £30k mark. Ten Second Review. The PHEV is more than £8,000 more expensive than the petrol versions of the Captur, head to head with pure electric rivals such as the Peugeot e2008, Hyundai Kona and new Skoda Enyaq. It works well if you don’t want to go full electric, but is pricey. Four actually. I expect this 31k Renualt to go along the same lines. The Renault’s set-up is, for the most part, a reasonably strong one. As it stands, though, it’ll have to settle with being a good choice in this emerging market, as opposed to a great one. Provided you stick with a smaller wheel choice, the Ford Puma feels like the more fluent-riding - not to mention sharper-handling - compact crossover, but it must be said that the Captur does a decent job of softening the blow of sharper secondary impacts. The ‘conversion’ to a PHEV has done little to harm the Captur’s impressive practicality either, as the boot is a surprisingly big 379 litres plus another 40 litres beneath a false floor – that’s as big as some estate cars.

It’s just a pity that it’s not matched with a ride that offers a little more in the way of pliancy in such environments. It's only around £3,000 less than the larger, more impressive Ford Kuga PHEV. We will use your information to ensure you receive messages that are relevant to you. Once the initial surge of electric propulsion expires, you’re left in what feels like an accelerative limbo until the petrol engine spins up fast enough to take over proceedings. Renault's Captur brings PHEV plug-in tech more affordably to the compact SUV segment. Electrified, plug-in hybrid version of the successful Captur could be just what Renault needs to elevate its popularity even further, Model tested: Captur E-TECH Plug-in Hybrid 160 Auto, Engine: 4 cyls in line, 1598cc, Atkinson cycle petrol; with 1 x front-mounted, 49kW AC synchronous motor, 4 cyls in line, 1598cc, Atkinson cycle petrol; with 1 x front-mounted, 49kW AC synchronous motor, Haymarket Media Group, publishers of Autocar takes your privacy seriously. Facebook; Twitter; Google+; WhatsApp; Mailto; Copy link; Full screen. As is the case with the new plug-in Mégane, refinement under load is very impressive.

Renault Captur review. And against those competitors, the Renault wouldn’t be a bad pick. Renault’s popular small SUV has matured Enlarge 53 photos.

Besides having obvious fuel saving advantages, the Captur will also be hugely attractive to company car drivers, as the tax level of the new E-Tech model is just 10%, compared to 26-30% for the petrol and diesel models.

Good luck with reliability when it gets a few years older... Why keep creating these Frankenstein models with motors grafted onto petrol engines, just carry on with lightweight efficient petrol models until a cheap and effecive full EV design is created in another ten years or so for the masses. The Top Gear car review: Renault Captur. These draw their energy from a smallish battery that’s housed beneath the rear passenger bench, and which has a usable capacity of 7.5kWh for a WLTP-certified electric-only range of 30 miles. new plug-in hybrid Mégane Sport Tourer estate, Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e R-Dynamic 2020 UK review, Renault Captur E-Tech plug-in hybrid 2020 UK review. With a heightened level of lateral stiffness its body control through faster bends is impressive, but it does make the Captur prone to some jostle and fuss when the road surface underwheel isn’t particularly uniform. This Captur is the most interesting to us as the small SUV is the best-selling model in the Renault range; a surprising fact for anyone used to seeing Clios and Meganes on the top ten sales charts in years gone by. Renault has been a market leader in delivering plug-in hybrid technology to smaller cars - models like this one, the Captur E-TECH Plug-in Hybrid 160. The concept of a plug-in compact crossover is still a relatively new one, so for now the Captur E-Tech PHEV remains an uncommon proposition. A few of the switches feel a bit flimsy, and the gear selector is as rattly in its housing as ever, but on the whole the Captur impresses. Video new Renault Captur Hybrid 2020-2021. The tax figures aren’t the only impressive part of the Captur’s specification sheet. To learn more about how we use the information you provide to us please see our. Read the definitive Renault Captur 2020 review from the expert What Car? That said, the Captur won’t travel quite as far as the Niro on a single charge (the Kia has a WLTP-certified electric range of 36 miles), but it nevertheless falls into the same appealing 10% benefit-in-kind tax bracket.