Renault Captur Review 2024

Written by Andy Brady

7/10
heycar ratingVersatile and affordable small SUV
  • 2020
  • Small SUV
  • Petrol, Diesel, PHEV

Quick overview

Pros

  • Excellent value for money (especially nearly-new)
  • Bright and spacious interior
  • Wide range of efficient petrol, diesel and hybrid engines

Cons

  • Stodgy to drive compared to the SEAT Arona and Ford Puma
  • Media system is a bit laggy
  • Rear space isn't that great 

Overall verdict on the Renault Captur

"The Renault Captur is a feel-good small SUV with a bright cabin and plenty of customisation options. Like its predecessor, it might not be the most fun car to drive, but it's comfortable, good value for money and cheap to run."

Renault Captur Review 2024: front-three quarter

The latest Renault Captur competes in the very competitive small SUV market. The popular Nissan Juke has recently been replaced, while the Skoda Kamiq offers extraordinary value for money. The Peugeot 2008 is a more fashionable option, while the Ford Puma is fun to drive and comes loaded to the rafters with kit. Our Renault Captur review will see how this latest model stacks up.


There's certainly more choice now than when the original Renault Captur went on sale in 2013. So, to tackle the class-leaders head on, Renault has made the Captur bigger, with more room inside, and given it a wider range of engines including a plug-in hybrid.


While some of the Renault Captur's rivals have fairly drab cabins, the plucky little Renault is awash with soft-touch materials and clever features. All models come with a media system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while optional colour packs add a touch of fun that you won't find in a SEAT Arona. Indeed, the Captur's well-equipped as standard, with even the most basic trim levels featuring LED headlights, electric windows (in the front and rear) and air conditioning. 


Adults in the front of the Renault Captur get plenty of space, helped by a relatively wide body, which also means good shoulder room. Things are decent in the back, too, and you get a sliding rear bench. With it in its most forward position, there's a huge amount of boot space and access is easy.


The Renault Captur's easy to drive, with its relatively high seating giving you a good view of the road ahead. Rear visibility isn't great, but reversing sensors (standard on most models) help while a reversing camera is available on high-spec trim levels.


Most early Renault Capturs are powered by the very good TCe 130 engine, which is a turbocharged petrol unit that combines decent performance with impressive fuel economy. But there's also a more affordable TCe 100, as well as a two diesels (the dCi 95 and 115). Later on, all these engines were binned in favour of a 90PS version of the TCe and a 145PS self-charging hybrid.


At the top of the range was the 160PS PHEV (badged the E-Tech). It uses a combination of two electric motors and a 1.6-litre petrol engine, and can travel up to 30 miles on electricity alone. It's perfect if you do lots of short drives and have somewhere to charge it at home. This powertrain, too, is now no longer for sale as a brand new car.


The light steering is great around town, and is quick and direct on the open road. The soft suspension means the Renault rides comfortably, but the body doesn't exactly feel tied down if you take a corner quickly. Still, it's civilised enough on the motorway, providing you avoid the TCe 100, which only comes with a five-speed manual gearbox.


Although the Renault Captur isn't strong enough to claim to be top of the class, it's a competent all-rounder that offers very good value for money, practicality and comfort. There are some really good deals available on nearly-new models, with dealers slashing thousands of pounds off compared to retail price. That makes it a very tempting proposition.    


Looking for a used car for sale? We've got 100s of Renault Approved Used Cars for Sale for you to choose from, including a wide range of Renault Captur cars for sale. If you're looking for the older version, you need our used Renault Captur (2013-2019) review.

Anyone in the market for a stylish and versatile small SUV that won't break the bank will find that the Renault Captur ticks all the boxes. Its value for money makes it very appealing. True, there are alternatives that are better to drive, while others are more practical. But there are some excellent deals available on the Captur.


What makes it stand out is the fact a PHEV version is available. There are no small SUVs similar in size that come as a plug-in hybrid and it means that if you're not doing many miles (and have a home charger) you will be barely using any fuel, the Captur running on EV power instead.

There's no shortage of excellent small SUVs on the market today. The Nissan Juke is a popular choice as is the Vauxhall Mokka. If you want a car that's fun to drive and well-equipped, you should look at the Ford Puma


We'd also recommend the SEAT Arona or Skoda Kamiq - the latter especially represents excellent value for money and is very spacious. Then there's the Kia Stonic and Hyundai Kona, as well as Honda's HR-V. You could also look at value options like the Mazda CX-3, Fiat 500X, Dacia Duster or MG ZS

Comfort and design: Renault Captur interior

"The Renault Captur's cabin feels quirky and interesting, making the SEAT Arona's look drab in comparison. It's very trim dependent, though - an optioned-up S Edition has a much brighter interior than an entry-level Play."

Renault Captur Review 2024: front interior

We particularly like the orange interior colour pack on the Renault Captur (which adds grey and orange cloth upholstery as well as orange inserts on the dashboard and orange armrests), but cars with this fitted are in the minority. It was only offered when new as an optional extra on S Edition models. There was also a blue or red interior colour pack available on Renault Captur Iconic or S Edition models.


Most Renault Capturs are fitted with fairly ordinary black and grey cloth seats, while S Edition and E-Tech Launch Edition models came with added synthetic leather. The seats are comfortable enough - you sit higher than in some small SUVs like the Skoda Kamiq, meaning you get a better view of the road ahead and a more natural seating position.


Unfortunately, there's no adjustable lumbar support available in the Captur, but there's plenty of manual adjustment otherwise, including height adjustment for the driver's seat.


Pleasingly, the Renault Captur's cabin isn't too reliant on the below-par media system: we'll come onto that more in a moment. There are toggles on the dashboard for things like turning off the lane assist feature, while there are physical controls for the climate control system. The audio control stalk behind the steering wheel feels like an afterthought but it's hardly offensive.  

While the Renault Captur doesn't exactly carry the banner for interior quality, it's no worse than an equivalent SEAT Arona or Ford Puma. 


Up front, you get soft-surfaced doors and everything around your eye line is perfectly presentable. It's only when you get in the back seats that the materials are predominantly hard and scratchy. 


All models come with a soft-touch dashboard, which looks and feels surprisingly premium, while high-spec models feel significantly better finished, with extra leather as standard.


Only time will tell how well the Captur copes with day-to-day family life, but we doubt the Captur's cabin will have too many creaks or rattles a few years down the line.

Even the most affordable Renault Captur comes with a seven-inch media system with Bluetooth, DAB radio, USB ports and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. There's no navigation on the Play model (there was on the later entry-model, called Evolution) but that shouldn't be an issue for the smartphone generation - connect your phone and use your one of your navigation apps instead. The Iconic trim level uses the same system but with navigation as standard.


Upgrade to the Renault Captur S Edition (later known as E-Tech Engineered) and you'll get a portrait 9.3-inch touchscreen system. No matter which screen size is fitted to your Captur of choice, it's well-positioned for glancing at while on the move. It does feel a bit dated, though, with frustratingly slow responses and slightly naff looking graphics. And you can only operate it via touch - there isn't a rotary controller positioned between the front seats.


For the ultimate in fancy infotainment, look for a Renault Captur S Edition with its fancy seven-inch digital driver display instead of conventional dials, or a plug-in hybrid E-Tech with a 10-inch display. Both come with a wireless phone charger, too, while a Bose premium sound system is a desirable optional extra.

For a relatively small car, the Renault Captur is surprisingly spacious. The Renault Captur measures just over 4.2m long and a little under 1.8m wide. It's noticeably roomier than the Renault Clio and, indeed, the previous Captur. That's especially true in the front, where you'll find generous headroom and plenty of shoulder room. There's loads of storage, too, including large door bins and somewhere to place your phone in front of the gear lever. There's also a useful cubby under the centre armrest.


The Captur's party piece is its sliding rear bench. This means you can prioritise space for rear-seat passengers or the boot. With it in its most forward position, it's pretty cramped in the back, although kids ought to be happy enough. Slide it back and there's way more room and, although taller adults may still need to negotiate some extra room from those upfront, there's plenty of space for four. 


Although three adults will be rubbing shoulders in the back, a fairly flat floor means the middle passenger won't be straddling a transmission tunnel and the middle seat is more comfortable than most. 


With the bench as far forward possible, the Renault Captur's boot space can accommodate a huge 536 litres of luggage. That drops to a still-competitive 422 litres with it slid backwards, slightly less than a Volkswagen T-Cross, Ford Puma or Peugeot 2008 - although it needn't be a deal-breaker. Access is easy thanks to a wide opening, and there's an adjustable boot floor with some extra storage underneath.

Handling and ride quality: What is the Renault Captur like to drive?

"With light steering and a relatively high seating position, the Renault Captur's at its best around town. All models come with rear parking sensors, while a reversing camera is available across most of the range"

Renault Captur Review 2024: rear-three quarter

The turning circle on the Renault Captur is a little more boat-like than we'd expect for a compact SUV but, that aside, the Captur's a fun little car for tackling city centres.


It has a soft suspension set-up, which levels out bumpy roads really well, but it also means the car doesn't feel as composed as rivals in corners. It's not as enjoyable to drive as a Ford Puma or SEAT Arona  - the steering remains light even at speed and you'll notice its increased centre of gravity compared to the Clio in the corners.


Despite the extra weight it carries in the form of batteries and electric motors, the Renault Captur E-Tech doesn't seem to dwell on broken road surfaces any more than petrol models. That said, you'll soon start to notice the extra mass if you attempt to chuck it into a bend on a rural road.


That said, the 160PS plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model's ability to hit motorway speeds on electric power makes it very relaxing and, through the infotainment screen, you can hold its charge for town driving to save fuel. Its regenerative brakes means you can almost drive the PHEV Captur using one pedal, as it automatically slows when you take your foot off the accelerator, although even in its strongest setting (there are two to choose from) it doesn't slow the car as quickly as other systems. 

The Renault Captur has been offered with a broad range of engines during its time on sale: petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power ensures there's a choice of used Captur for almost everyone.


With early examples, the most affordable models were powered by a tiny little 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol badged the TCe 100. With just 100PS and 160Nm of torque, it's not the nippiest of choices, accelerating from a standstill to 62mph in a leisurely 13.3 seconds. It's fine around town, though, with enough eagerness to allow you to dart in and out of traffic. You can't buy this engine with an automatic gearbox, unfortunately - it's paired only with a five-speed manual transmission.


We reckon the TCe 130 engine represents the sweet spot in the Captur's engine line-up. This is a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with, as its name suggests, 130PS.  It's offered with a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox, the former covering 0-62mph in 10.6 seconds and the latter a sprightly 9.6 seconds.


There are two 1.5-litre diesel motors: the dCi 95 and dCi 115. Both are paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, covering 0-62mph in 14.4 and 11.9 seconds, respectively.


The most interesting model is the PHEV, badged the Renault Captur E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid 160. This pairs a 1.6-litre petrol engine with two electric motors (one powering the front wheels, the other recuperating energy as part of a starter/generator system). A combined power output of 160PS sounds promising and it delivers decent initial acceleration, even if 0-62mph in 10.1 seconds is nothing to write home about. Read our guide to the best hybrid SUVs for more info. 


These days, the only two powertrains you can choose from if you're buying a brand new Captur are an even weaker 90PS version of the 1.0-litre TCe engine, which gives predictably limited performance, with 0-62mph taking 14 seconds. The E-Tech self-charing hybrid delivers a combined power output of 145PS from its various power sources, and performance feels entirely adequate, with 0-62mph taking 10.6 seconds.


Despite the Captur's rugged looks, all models are exclusively front-wheel drive. If you need a four-wheel-drive, you'd be better looking at alternatives like the Dacia Duster or Suzuki Vitara

If refinement is high up in your list of priorities, it's worth avoiding the TCe 90 and 100 engines with the Renault Captur. The entry-level motors are particularly uncivilised: you'll notice a fair bit of vibration from the three-cylinder engine at a standstill and there's a distinctive thrum during acceleration. The 100 only comes with a five-speed manual gearbox, too (the 90 gets a six-xpeeder, oddly), meaning it's running at around 3000rpm at motorway speeds. If you regularly venture out of town, you are better looking at a more powerful model.


The TCe 130 is the most refined of the bunch. It's a 1.3-litre four-cylinder unit that's very quiet, while its six-speed manual (or seven-speed auto) transmission helps keep the revs down at high speeds.


We never got to try the Renault Captur with a diesel engine, but the plug-in hybrid E-Tech is a fairly refined choice. When the battery's fully charged, it happily bimbles around town under electric power. Stick it in Sport mode or floor the accelerator and the petrol engine kicks in without too much of a fuss. The self-charging hybrid offers a very similar level of refinement.


Engines aside, the Renault Captur does a fairly decent job of isolating passengers from wind- and road noise. Its upright shape means you'll notice a little more wind noise than in a Clio but it's nothing that won't be drowned out by the radio.

There's plenty of safety equipment available on the Renault Captur and - pleasingly - most of it is standard across the range. Highlights include a lane departure warning and lane keep assist (which nudges the steering if you start to stray from your lane), while automatic headlights will never leave you driving in the dark. There's a blind-spot warning system, too, but this is only available on high-spec models.


ISOFIX child seat fixing points are fitted as standard on the outer rear seats, while Renault's E-Call system will automatically call the emergency services in the case of an incident.


All models come with a tyre inflation kit as standard but a space-saver spare wheel is available as an optional extra. Euro NCAP awarded the Renault Captur a five-star safety rating including a 96% score for adult occupants and 83% for children.

MPG and fuel costs: What does a Renault Captur cost to run?

"No matter whether you buy your Renault Captur with a petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid engine, it won't cost a fortune to run."

Renault Captur Review 2024: side profile

Even though 'diesel' is a naughty word these days, the Captur's 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine could be the choice for you if you're looking for an early-example Captur and you cover a lot of miles. In official WLTP fuel economy tests, it returns 58.9mpg (no matter which power output you choose) - an impressive figure that ought to be fairly achievable in reality.


That said, the early petrol models are hardly going to need a loyalty card at your local filling station. The TCe 100 is the most frugal, capable of up to 47.1mpg, while the 130 will show up to 44.1mpg on its trip computer (44.8mpg with the automatic gearbox).


Then there's the plug-in hybrid E-Tech model. When it's fully charged, this can cover up to 30 miles under electric power alone, with the petrol engine only kicking in when you ask too much of the electric motor. Official figures are almost unbelievable (up to 188.3mpg) but they're heavily dependent on your use - if you charge it regularly and only cover short journeys, a tank of petrol will last forever. If you plan to travel back and forth from Land's End to John O'Groats... well, it won't be quite so efficient. 


With later examples of the Captur, you'll be looking at official figures of up to 48.7mpg from the TCe 90, and up to 60.1mpg from the self-charging hybrid.

When it first arrived, the second-generation Captur - like all Renaults of the day - came with an impressive five-year warranty. However, this has since been throttled back to an industry-standard three-year, 60,000-mile arrangement. 


In the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, the Captur wasn't namechecked specifically. Renault came second-to last out the the 29 brands considered for overall customer satisfaction, but didn't feature in the list of the 10 least reliable brands, suggesting that customers' gripes lay in other areas.


The old Renault Captur scored a middling 9.17 out of 10 in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index.

Insurance costs for the Renault Captur ought to be pretty reasonable. The cheapest Captur models to insure are those powered by the TCe 90 and 100 petrol engines, which fall into group 8. The 130 is a little more expensive to insure, banding into category 14 or 15 depending on the trim level and gearbox.


Diesel models range from groups 11 to 14, while the self-charging hybrid falls into group 15 and the plug-in hybrid falls into groups 16 to 18. As usual, it's worth shopping around for quotes if you think insurance might be expensive for you (if you're a relatively new driver, for example). The Captur shouldn't be any more expensive than rivals to insure, however. 

The first year's car tax is based on CO2 emissions and forms part of the 'on the road' price of the car. That means, even if you're buying brand new, it's not a real concern. If you're buying a nearly-new example, it will have been paid when the car was registered.


After this, like most cars, the Captur will attract a flat-rate of £180 a year in VED.  The exception is the plug-in hybrid E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid which will qualify for a £10 reduction.

How much should you be paying for a used Renault Captur?

"Prices for a new Renault Captur start in the region of £21,000. There are lots available on the used market, however, and you can save a good £4000 just by looking for a pre-reg or ex-demonstrator example."

Renault Captur Review 2024: front-three quarter

The latest Captur has been on sale for a good long while, and it sold pretty well as a new car, meaning there are lots of used examples sloshing around in the used car market of various ages and specs. The cheapest Mk2 cars we've found in our listings come in at not much more than £10,000, and the mileage on those examples wasn't dopey, either, at less than 50,000 miles. That means there are some tempting used-car bargains to be had.


Bear in mind that those cheapest versions were, predictably, low-powered petrol cars in relatively modesst trim levels. You'll pay a grand or two more for the TCe 130 model, which doesn't seem like a deal-breaker by any means, but if you want a hybrid or PHEV, you'll have to stump up more like £17,000 as a minimum.

Despite being the entry-level model, the Renault Captur Play wasn't particularly basic. Sure, it came with steel wheels (albeit with some natty wheel trims) and cloth seats, but it also featured automatic air conditioning, electric windows (in the back, too) and LED lights. You won't find a tape player, either - instead, there's a seven-inch touchscreen media system with Bluetooth, DAB radio and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity.


Unless you're on a really strict budget, we'd look for a Captur Iconic. This mid-range model adds desirable features like rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, roof bars and two-tone colour paint. The media system gets an upgrade with navigation, too.


Topping the range was the Renault Captur S Edition, which looks quite a bit fancier thanks to its C-shaped front LED signature lighting, automatic high-beam headlights and diamond-cut alloy wheels. There are front and rear parking sensors with a rear-view camera, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, Blind Spot warning and an electronic parking brake with auto-hold function. The black and grey cloth upholstery also gets some synthetic leather and grey stitching, while ambient lighting adds to the classy interior. You also get the seven-inch driver information display, a wireless phone charger and a bigger 9.3-inch navigation system.


Available exclusively on PHEV models, the Renault Captur E-Tech Launch Edition featured 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, blue and cooper exterior highlights, grey cloth seats with blue stitching and a white centre console. It also gets illuminated door sills.


Later on, the names of the trim levels were changed to Evolution, Techno and E-Tech Engineered. The amount of kit you got with each stayed broadly the same, although there were one or two minor differences with infotainment and safety spec. The Captur was also offered with various special-edition trim levels over the years, which offered elevated kit levels for a knock-down price, so these may well be worth seeking out on the used market.

Ask the heycar experts: common questions

Although the early entry-level Renault Captur Play didn't come with parking sensors, they're standard on more expensive models. The Renault Captur Iconic features rear parking sensors, while the S Edition comes with front and rear parking sensors as well as a rear-view camera. On later trim levels, rear sensors came as standard on the entry-level Evolution trim, while second-rung Techno trim had them at both ends.
The Renault Captur is a small SUV. It's similar to the Renault Clio in size (itself a small hatchback alternative to the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa). As a small SUV, it has a higher ride height than the Clio, and a slightly more practical cabin.
The Renault Captur represents good value for money. It's a comfortable alternative to other affordable small SUVs like the Skoda Kamiq, Ford Puma and Peugeot 2008.

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