Renault Captur Updated for 2018 - Know what's new

First launched in Malaysia in 2016, the Renault Captur is a crossover SUV based on the Clio platform. Despite marketing it as the most stylish SUV, Renault is clearly not satisfied with how stylish the Captur looks. They decided to rectify that mistake in 2017 with a facelift that aimed to bring it closer in looks to its bigger brother, the Kadjar. This facelifted version has finally gone on sale in Malaysia recently.

This B segment crossover now has a new grille and a new subtly changed headlight design. The daytime running lights are now in a C-shape and surround the circular LED fog lamps. The front bumper itself is in a newer avatar below which lies the redesigned skid plate. The license plate holder has also moved up, now sitting just below the grille. There are new wing mirrors on the flanks with LED indicators. The wheels are also a new 17-inch design. Rear gets new bumpers and skid plates along with tail lamps that light up with floating 3D effect. There are new color options too on top of the existing Pearl White and Flame Red. These are Atacama Orange and Ocean Blue. The roof, however, is still available with the Diamond Black color option, meaning that radical two-tone color scheme is still intact.

In terms of features, the Captur now comes with a walk away auto lock facility. The interior has received a facelift too and now features a new selection of trim materials. The seats are finished in combination leather (instead of removable fabric) along with the door finishes and the steering wheel. The gear lever also gets a redesign.

The rest of the standard equipment is still there. The car like before is powered by the same 1.2-litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine, producing 118 hp and 190 Nm of torque. Power still goes to the front through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Inside, the car still has a 7-inch touchscreen MediaNav multimedia system with navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, a reverse camera, keyless entry/start, automatic headlights, and wipers. Four airbags, ESC, ABS with emergency brake assist, and Hill-Start Assist are also present as standard. Rounding up the safety features, it also has a 5 star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Renault’s 5-in-Captur aftersales service which was introduced in 2017, also continues. This is a five-year/100,000 km free service and maintenance (parts and labour) schedule that is in addition to the existing five-year/unlimited mileage warranty. This also introduced a complimentary 24-hour roadside assistance and pick-up/delivery service for scheduled maintenance to and from Renault service centres. Renault also provides a replacement car in case any spare part is not available for over 48 hours. This last facility, however, is subjected to availability.

The new Renault Captur is being assembled in Malaysia itself at the Tan Chong Motor Assemblies plant (TCMA) in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur. Maybe this has factored into keeping the price of this crossover SUV unchanged despite the improvements, at RM 109000. Some color options (Flame Red and Pearl White) however cost an extra RM 900. It does include the price of kick plates and trunk tray.

Like the previous model, the facelifted Captur also comes in one variant and with nowhere near as many options as it gets elsewhere (there are 36 options for the color alone). It is still a very good effort on part of TC Euro Cars (TCEC) to bring the updated Captur to Malaysia so soon. Against the competition of SUVs like the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and the anticipated Toyota C-HR, the Captur needs all the help it can get.