Renault Captur SUV - Engines, drive & performance

While many cars are gradually tweaked and improved, the Captur is genuinely all-new this time and now sits on the same underpinnings as the latest Renault Clio. So, despite being slightly larger, the Captur is also lighter and has a stiffer structure; two factors that add up to vastly improve the way it drives. Interior refinement, how well it absorbs bumps and the precision of its steering have all improved too.

Unlike many rivals that are set up to feel very sporty, Renault has also been content to give the Captur soft suspension to boost relaxation. There’s a fair bit of body lean if you drive enthusiastically, but the car never feels as if it’s really wallowing. Its steering is very precise, making the latest Captur easier to thread along a narrow lane.

Renault Captur petrol engines

There are two engines if you go for a petrol, and it’s the 1.0-litre that’s likely to be most popular in the UK. This is a three-cylinder turbo engine with 89bhp, while above it there’s a 1.3-litre turbo with 138bhp – the 153bhp version has now been discontinued.

The 1.0-litre is economical, but it also feels rather slow, taking 14 seconds to get from 0-62mph. A 99bhp 1.0-litre petrol Hyundai Bayon takes 10.7 seconds to hit the same speed, and that’ll feel noticeably quicker. On the motorway the Captur TCe requires plenty of revs and sometimes a lower gear to pass slower traffic, but the six-speed manual gearbox is good to use.

We’ve tested both versions of the 1.3-litre and could see little reason to choose the top version, so we're unsurprised it's no longer available. The 138bhp engine has plenty of power for most Captur drivers. With this engine, 0-62mph is dispatched in 10.3 seconds and the Captur feels more competent and refined.

The 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre petrols come with just a manual gearbox, while the hybrid models are auto-only. The six-speed manual is easy to shift but lacks the precision of the gearbox in the Mazda CX-30, while the automatic is mostly smooth in town but it can be sluggish when pulling away from junctions or roundabouts; it can hesitate to change into a lower gear when required.

Diesel engines

A 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine was previously offered but was discontinued. It was a predictably niche choice compared with the petrol but it should suit higher mileage drivers and those who spend a long time on the motorway.

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Hybrid engines

There are now two Capturs with E-Tech badges, but only one needs to be plugged in. The E-Tech Hybrid uses the same powertrain as the Renault Clio Hybrid, but has a smaller battery that is recharged by the petrol engine. You won’t get the same electric range but it’s cheaper to buy and still inexpensive to run.

The standard E-Tech Hybrid has a power rating of 138bhp from a 1.6-litre engine paired with a self-charging electric motor and is capable of a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds. This comes exclusively with an automatic gearbox.

For the first time, Renault is offering a plug-in hybrid version of the Captur E-Tech. This combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine, an electric motor and a 9.8kWh battery pack with an automatic gearbox. The plug-in can be driven in its fully electric mode at speeds of up to 83mph and takes 10.1 seconds to accelerate from 0-62mph, thanks to its combined 158bhp. While it's the most powerful Captur, this doesn't necessarily mean it always feels the fastest because it weighs around 400kg more than the lightest petrol models.

Pulling away silently helps the Captur E-Tech PHEV feel more upmarket than the regular model, and its six-speed automatic does a fairly good job of smooth gear changes. However, there's a more noticeable switch between electric and petrol power than in the Renault Clio E-Tech. Its handling is reassuring, with accurate steering and a fairly smooth ride.