re: Renault Captur Slated To Debut in India,Now Launched!
Buddies,
We had the Captur yesterday with us. The Unveiling and Drive Observations of mine are hereby listed. The car is expected to launch during Diwali. Here you go:
* For me its the most modern looking Renault till now.
* Front profile looks aggressive.
* Side profile looks more like an MPV
* Rear profile looks clean and elegant.
* Headlamps look fab even when lit in daytime. At night they look really awesome.
* DRLs are powerful
* LED tail lamps look nice too.
* No over load of chrome on the exteriors.
* There is panel gap between the hood and the radiator grill. Looks as if the hood is not closed properly. Basically a design flaw.
* Alloys are 17inch in top spec. The design looks neat and elegant.
* The Orange/Red Color looks quite beautiful in real.
* The White color with the contrast roof also looks nice.
* In the interiors, Plastic quality is needing more improvement and the appeal factor should be more in comparison to the competition. As of their own products, yes, Captur is much more modern.
* Cubby holes are missing. I missed the front door coin pockets.
* The White & Black interiors and seat covers look good only if well kept. The White part will attract the dust and stains easily.
* No Dead pedal
* The Cabin feels cramped. I mean not as cramped as a Eco-Sport but still it doesn't give the feel of roominess.
* Front fixed center armrest should have a usable storage space.
* Inner door latch design look more like those of Honda Brio.
* No Coat hooks on rear roof grips.
* The dash mounted storage box's lid doesn't open at once and when it opens then it does not close properly.
* Seats felt comfortable both in front and rear but the big rear armrest spoils the space for 3 passenger in rear.
* Front and Rear AC are sufficiently good.
* Steering wheel looks to be taken from the Duster. The steering mounted controls remind of Duster.
* ICE display is weak. The display in daytime is not very clear.
* ICE sound quality if compared to Harman is not as good.
* Speedometer Console is the only unique thing in the interiors of Captur.
* A slight blind spot can be felt near the A-Pillar.
* The rear visibility is fine.
* Wipers swipe and spray is fine.
* Horn sound is good.
* The Engine is nothing new when compared to Duster. Those who own a Duster wouldn't trade their car for it.
* The Clutch is very soft.
* Steering is light but responsive.
* Body roll is there but quite controlled.
* Braking is acceptable. There is Disc and Drum setup.
* The car stalled multiple times in 2nd gear while going up and even on plain roads when we tried to test it's pulling power from 0 km/h with 2nd gear it refused to move. It was the case with all the Captur(s).
* After a lot of effort we managed to make it move after shutting the AC for some distance but there was clutch plate smell coming out.
* Being a Diesel engine the performance
isn't upto the mark. Expected it to be at-least be at par with the Duster.
* In-cabin NVH above 3K RPM is poor in Diesel.
* Open the hood of diesel and the sound of engine is noisy. Will be posting a video.
* Interior aesthetics wise and even performance wise, S-Cross 1.6 looks way more better deal than this one. Nexon is a class apart in comparison.
* Ingress and Egress are fine due to raised height.
* Built quality is good and so is the paint quality too.
* Apollo Tires offered satisfactory grip on rough roads and the suspension and ride was acceptable enough.
* Turning it on sharp turns doesn't give you that comfort feeling. The size of the car makes it a lethargic performer on sharp turns.
* Renault should not think about asking too much premium over Duster. It will be bad for both the products.
* Sales cannibalization will surely happen with the Duster.
* There are personalized kits available for Captur just like the iCreate.
* Glove Box isn't too spacious as well though has proper illumination.
* Under hood fuse box wasn't opening properly.
* The fender cladding rivets (Blue Color) were visible from inside the hood. A big visible gap was there.
* The doors did not shut at once and needed a second effort.
* As per the presentation by the officials there, the base variant is also feature loaded.
* Overall, in my view, to opt for this as an upgrade to Duster is
not a wise move. If someone still has a itch then its their choice.
* Definitely better interiors than a Duster but will someone pick Captur above/over a Nexon or Eco-Sport Diesel, well, it is actually
not possible in my view. But yes, this one does have more to offer than a Brezza.
Media Drive Experience.
* Logistic issues happened in our case and a couple more journos too.
* The location was good but the planning of the drive and the lazy escort car was a put-off.
* We had to share our car with other publication. Due to lack of pre-loaded map we couldn't choose the route and drove as per our wish but in the end it proved helpful to judge the car.
* I was given a non-smoking room at the venue
![[roll]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Roll.gif "Roll Eyes [roll]")
* In 2 days I lost my way number of times from the Restaurant to the room as the property was huge
![[lol]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Laugh.gif "Laugh [lol]")
* The weather was humid so both me and Vibhor has lot of Diet Cokes to keep ourselves hydrated.
* I appreciate the efforts of the media agency but planning and co-ordination could be much better.
* I wish I can attend some more media drives in future as well.
Regards
Akash
PS: More pics and videos to follow!
![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
