Renault Captur Unveiled in Malaysia – 2015 launch expected

KUALA LUMPUR: Renault had earlier revealed plans to preview its B-Segment Crossover in Malaysia. Following which, the Captur is being showcased at the Bangsar Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Though the showcased model has been imported from Japan, reports claim that it has a close resemblance with the one that is planned to be launched later this year in the country. Malaysia might receive the Captur in the Fourth Quarter of 2015, as earlier announced by Renault in April. The official preview is scheduled from 29 July to 2 August.

Renault is hugely banking on the Captur's launch to increase its market-share in Malaysia, as it adorns the title of being most popular B-segment SUV in Europe. Captur has earned huge sales numbers for the company, despite tough competition from Peugeot 2008, Opel Mokka, Ford EcoSport, and Nissan Juke. Captur is built on the Clio Supermini's platform, as a result of which, this compact SUV is dimensionally smaller than other segment offerings, like the Honda HR-V and Mitsubishi ASX. With a footprint of just 4,122 mm, Captur has huge potential to be a practical city SUV.

Under the hood, Captur is powered by a 1.2-litre TCe 120 turbocharged engine, which can develop 120 hp and a maximum torque of 190 Nm at 2,000 rpm. This engine is mated to a six-speed EDC dual-clutch gearbox, that delivers power to the front wheels. The above mentioned power figures accelerate the Captur from 0-100 kmph in 10.9 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 192 kmph.

Enhancing the practical appeal of this new SUV is an ECO mode which, when activated, restricts torque, alters gearbox mapping, and controls the air-conditioning system to provide 10% better fuel consumption. All these sophisticated systems result in a fuel consumption figure of 5.4 litres per 100 km.

The most striking characteristic of the Captur's exterior design is the two-tone color shade, which is available in four body/roof combos: orange/black, beige/black, ivory/black, and blue/ivory. The side profile gets added aggressiveness through 17-inch dual tone wheels, which are wrapped with 205/55 tyres. Suspension components include MacPherson struts at the front, while the rear gets a torsion beam setup. Ventilated discs at the front and rear disc brakes provide sufficient bite to the braking dynamics.

The French automaker has loaded this new compact SUV with features like auto headlights and wipers, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, satellite navigation, AUX, USB and bluetooth connectivity, reverse camera, keyless entry and go, and automatic climate control system. Occupant safety is ensured by four airbags, ESC and Hill Start Assist, which has earned the Captur a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

Another eye-catching feature of Captur is the reversible boot floor, which has carpeting on one side and plastic on the other. This prevents spoilage of the boot floor while storing dedicated off-roading equipments.

After the scheduled preview at BSC, the newly launched Captur will be touring Renault showrooms throughout the country. Interested customers may have a look at the new compact SUV at their nearest Renault outlets.

Image Courtsey: Paultan.org