Renault Captur 1.5 dCi 110 CV Zen, review and road test

When we tested the Renault Captur two years ago, the diesel range consisted of a single 90 CV engine, the well-known 1.5 dCi, but the Captur lacked a slightly more powerful powertrain to keep up with the competition, which offers different engines above 100 CV. This year, the Renault bestseller has added the 1.5 dCi Energy 110 CV engine to its range, a masterstroke that puts the finishing touch on a car that impresses with its practicality.

Today we put the Renault Captur 1.5 dCi Energy 110 CV in the Zen trim (the most popular choice among buyers) to the test, which offers, among other details, the striking two-tone exterior finish. The Captur impresses with its good response, its low consumption, its spaciousness and because it not only meets expectations but is genuinely practical for everyday use.

Exterior design

As we mentioned at the start of the test, our unit is in Zen trim and stands out for its exterior design and for its two colours (black roof and orange bodywork). At the front you can see the family resemblance it shares with the Renault Clio, with the large diamond in the middle, and the fog lights and LED daytime running lights located at the bottom.

The black roof is combined with an orange vinyl (optional) matching the rest of the bodywork. On the sides, the 17-inch alloy wheels stand out, fitted with 205/55 R17 tyres, and our test car is equipped with Michelin Primacy 3 tyres (which offer more than adequate grip). The rear drum brakes also catch the eye, since only the front wheels have discs (although braking with this combination is adequate).

The black wheel arches and sills give it the character of an SUV, although it has no all-wheel drive (only a system that modifies the ESP response). It does, however, have almost the same ground clearance as a Nissan Qashqai. At the rear, the height and the large black bumper stand out.

Interior design

The orange colour combination is again present in the interior design: seats with orange covers (easily removable covers thanks to the zips, a good idea), orange trim on the central console, orange edges on the air vents and the speaker surrounds. The dashboard design is simple, with complete instrumentation (identical to that of the Renault Clio, with a digital speedometer) and a central console with a touchscreen that groups all the navigation and multimedia functions, with the climate controls directly below and no buttons at all on the central console.

The materials used feature a lot of hard plastic, although the fit and finish are good. The driving position is slightly elevated, much more so than in a saloon, and visibility from the driver’s seat is very good (even to the rear). The driver’s seat is adjustable for height and the steering wheel can be adjusted for reach and height. The front seats hold the body well, although a central armrest would be missed on long journeys or trips.

The rear seats have more than enough room for two adults; it is more spacious than a city car and is the Captur’s strong point. The seats do not offer much lateral support (they are very flat), but they can be adjusted for distance to gain more boot or legroom, and the backrest angle can also be adjusted—two very practical details.

Boot and storage

In terms of storage, the Captur looks like an MPV: Renault has made excellent use of the various compartments and the interior space. It has large door bins, a large glovebox at the top of the central console, several compartments in the central tunnel, another one at the rear of the central tunnel and, above all, the original main glovebox that works like a drawer.

The boot has a capacity of 377 litres, with a false floor and regular shapes. The boot opening is high (the car is tall), as is the large tailgate, so care must be taken in low-clearance garages.

Engine and performance: now, 110 CV

When the Renault Captur was launched, the Highmotor test team drove a 90 CV Captur, a model we liked for its consumption and versatility, but when it came to overtaking or merging, its 90 CV engine (with 18-inch wheels on that unit) was barely enough. Renault has now decided to launch the same 1.5 dCi engine but with 110 CV and a six-speed manual gearbox.

This engine is a veteran of the French group, used in the Renault, Nissan, Dacia or even the Mercedes A-Class (180 CDI). It is a high-performance engine that moves the Captur, which weighs just 1200 kg, with ease, and now it is not afraid of overtaking or driving on motorways. It responds from 1,500 rpm up to 4,000 rpm, with a good usable range, as long as we work the gearbox.

Among its performance highlights is the torque of 270 Nm at 1,750 rpm, more than enough to move the Captur with agility. It has an ECO mode, a system that seeks maximum economy by preventing the engine from revving easily, especially above 3,000 rpm, and by making throttle response slower. For everyday driving or in town, you can drive perfectly well in ECO mode (even on motorways), although if we switch it off, the engine’s response is immediately noticeable: it pulls harder and revs more eagerly.

Handling

The Renault Captur is primarily an urban car which, thanks to this engine, is not afraid of country roads or motorways, although that is not its natural habitat. In town it is very comfortable to drive, with an elevated driving position that provides good visibility, agile handling and compact dimensions that make it easy to get around the city or park. On the open road, what first impresses is the low consumption and the good response of this 110 CV engine. However, when the road gets more demanding or we take a livelier route, the car’s low weight, its height and, in particular, certain rear-axle inertia reduce stability—though, naturally, it is not designed for mountain pass racing. The platform used in the Captur is the one used in the Clio III.

On motorways it handles with ease, although again we notice the low weight and certain rear-axle inertia, but a long journey can be made without complications. However, the poor soundproofing and the design take their toll in wind noise on motorways, and the cabin noise at 120 km/h is somewhat high. The steering is adequate but nothing more, while the brakes surprised us since only the front wheels have discs and the rears have drums. Despite this, braking is strong and at no point did we miss rear disc brakes.

The SUV side is evident in its generous ground clearance (similar to that of a Nissan Qashqai), which allows it to cope with poor road surfaces or even dirt tracks without difficulty. There is no all-wheel-drive version, but there is one called Xmod that fits the Extended Grip system, which modifies the ESP response to gain traction on the front wheels in snow, ice or even mud. In short, it is an agile car with an engine that responds well, but which is limited on demanding roads or motorways by certain rear-axle inertia and by the poor interior soundproofing, which is nonetheless in line with the segment. In town and on country roads, however, it moves with great ease.

Consumption

On our usual motorway route between Madrid > Vigo > Madrid, covering more than 1,200 km, the average consumption was 5.3 litres per 100 km, achieved with normal driving, so the figure could even be lower. On country roads consumption ranges between 4.5 and 5 litres, depending on how we drive, although it is a car that easily drops below 5 litres and, if we are careful with the accelerator, we can get close to 4 litres on country roads.

In town, during our usual route around Vigo, we achieved an average of 6.2 litres per 100 km, a very good figure.

Equipment

The equipment range is structured into four trim levels: Life, Intens, Zen (our unit), Xmod and SL Premium (with premium features such as leather seats or a rear-view camera). Even the base trim (Life) comes with six airbags, stability control, a tyre pressure monitoring system, ABS with emergency brake assist, electric front windows, keyless start, among other features.

Among the various equipment levels, the Zen is one of the most complete and one of the most popular with buyers. It offers two-tone exterior paint, climate control, navigation, removable seat covers, light and rain sensors, 17-inch wheels, Bluetooth and a USB/Aux socket, among other features.

The Xmod trim adds more rugged styling elements, the Extended Grip system and specific upholstery. Finally, the SL Premium trim adds leather heated seats, a rear-view camera, electrically folding mirrors and exterior chrome details, among other features.

We liked the comprehensive navigation system (which is not standard) called R-Link (€590), with a fully touchscreen display, voice control for entering navigation destinations, which works really well, and European mapping. The Zen trim with this R-Link navigation system is paired with the Arkamys 3D sound system with six speakers, which sounds good, much better than the Captur with the standard sound system or the one associated with MediaNAV.

As a curious piece of equipment there is the air quality sensor, which constantly warns us of the level of outdoor air pollution, or the ECO driving programme, which analyses driving parameters to tell us whether we are driving economically, based on accelerator use, gear changes and anticipation. What does not come as standard on this trim are the rear parking sensors, which are basic and should be standard on a trim like this; the rear-view camera can be optionally fitted for €300 (in a PACK).

Prices of the Renault Captur

The Renault Captur with current discounts starts at €12,850 in Life trim (plus air conditioning and USB radio with Bluetooth) with the 90 CV petrol engine. The remaining prices, without taking into account discounts or promotional campaigns, are:

• Captur Life Energy TCe 90 CV €15,550
• Captur Intens Energy TCe 90 CV €17,150
• Captur Life Energy dCi 90 CV €17,450
• Captur Zen Energy TCe 90 CV €18,300
• Captur Intens Energy dCi 90 CV €19,050
• Captur Intens Energy TCe 120 CV EDC €19,300
• Captur Xmod Energy TCe 90 CV €19,300
• Captur Zen Energy dCi 90 CV Ecoleader €20,200
• Captur SL Premium Energy TCe 90 CV €20,300
• Captur Zen Energy TCe 120 CV EDC €20,450
• Captur Intens Energy dCi 90 CV EDC €20,450
• Captur Zen Energy dCi 110 CV €21,000
• Captur Xmod Energy dCi 90 CV €21,200
• Captur Xmod Energy TCe 120 CV EDC €21,450
• Captur Zen Energy dCi 90 CV EDC €21,600
• Captur Xmod Energy dCi 110 CV €22,000
• Captur SL Premium Energy dCi 90 CV €22,200
• Captur Xmod Energy dCi 90 CV EDC €22,600

The Renault Captur is an original car, both in its exterior design and in its concept. It incorporates the SUV styling elements that drivers so like, and its interior borrows the best of an MPV. It is spacious, with practical solutions for gaining room (sliding rear seats, a huge main glovebox, seat covers as standard…), all with a 110 CV engine under the bonnet that many of us were asking for and that is, without doubt, the final touch.

It is an engine that offers good performance and really low consumption, it is not difficult to achieve averages of 4.5 litres per 100 km, and when we press the accelerator the engine responds, picks up speed quickly and moves the Captur with ease. The areas for improvement are the interior finishes, with too much hard plastic, and the body roll that limits agility, especially at the rear.

90 CV or 110 CV diesel? It depends on the use: if you will use the Renault Captur mainly in town and on country roads (and not for many long trips), the 90 CV is more than sufficient for relaxed driving. If you do more driving on country roads or even motorways, the 110 CV is recommended, especially if you drive with the car loaded or with more people than just the driver. The difference in consumption is minimal and the 110 CV engine’s response is more forceful.

Life, Intens, Zen, Xmod or SL Premium? The trim with the best balance between price and equipment is without doubt the Zen, since the base trim is only of interest because of occasional price offers, which usually bundle a radio and air conditioning, and the Intens trim forgoes part of the Captur’s personalisation (such as its two-tone paint). The Xmod is interesting for areas with snow or mud, where the system adds extra traction, but we are never talking about all-wheel drive. And the SL Premium Limited Series is for the biggest fans of the car, for anyone who wants a Captur that is one of a kind.

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverRenault Captur26 versions · from 22,900 €