Renault Captur review

It’s the second coming of the Renault Captur, a car we probably snored at before we drove it, reasoning that a taller SUV-ish Clio was a silly idea no-one would much care for. Whoops. It promptly landed Renault a smash hit, becoming the top-selling ‘B-segment’ supermini crossover in Europe and at one point the third most popular in the UK. Yep, we might pigeonhole newcomers in this class as ‘Juke rivals’ but Renault’s Captur is one of the big fish in this pond.

Not that there wasn’t plenty of room for improvement in the old Captur, which had a bobbly ride and tinny cabin. What bodes well for this Captur Mk2 is that it’s based – inside and underneath – on the latest Clio. And that means a better platform, more space, more strength and safety, and a comprehensively up-to-date cabin.

How up-to-date are we talking?

It’s farm fresh. The Captur was facelifted in 2024, introducing a bigger central touchscreen with Google infotainment built in, plus a larger digital driver’s display, standard wireless phone charging and USB-C ports and a smattering of driver aids.

You’ll have noticed as well that the styling’s changed radically (for a mid-life update), bringing the Captur more into line with the Megane and Scenic on a path set out by chief designer Gilles Vidal. If you’ve ever wondered why so many modern Renaults look so chiselled and purposeful these days, he’s why. The Mk2 Captur was a looker before and still is, just in a different way.

On the mechanical front the power steering has been recalibrated, while the running gear has been revised and all-new shock absorbers added. Net result? The ride is… worse. Oops. We’ll elaborate on the Driving tab.

Oh dear. What about the engines?

Previously you could choose from a range of three- and four-cylinder turbos, plus a pair of hybrids; one plug-in, one not. Nowadays you’ve got two options: a 1.0-litre 3cyl turbo petrol manual generating all of 89bhp, or a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid auto with a healthier 144bhp.

If you’ve read that and thought ‘ah, well that’s a no-brainer then’... not so fast. Yes, the hybrid is vastly quicker – it ticks off 0-62mph in 10.6s, almost four entire seconds faster than the 3cyl – but it’s also set to top up the battery whenever it needs juice, and no amount of pottering through town at high revs will make us like it. Sorry, Renault.

Oh dear. Throw me a bone, please.

Check out the seats which look suspiciously like they’re from a recent Volvo. No higher praise than that, really. In fact, the whole cabin is the headline here – it’s way nicer inside than the old one. Sure, that’s like saying a hotel room is smarter than a windswept tent, but still. The upholstery’s made from recycled materials now, but we mourn the loss of the funky orange cloth post-update. Shame, it injected some fun.

No, the Captur’s grown up and gotten its act together, and that’s most welcome. Roomy as well, but that’s courtesy of the whole car swelling in every dimension.

How much are we talking here?

The 3cyl opens the bidding at £22,195, while the hybrid is almost three grand more. That compares favourably to the Ford Puma, but there’s a reason for that: the Puma’s the best option in this segment by a country mile. You might also want to look at the Peugeot 2008 and Nissan Juke, but those too pale in comparison.

If you’re wondering why there’s not much ado about anything in the small crossover game right now, it’s because small cars are dying out and all the investment is going into developing EVs. Which Renault happens to be rather good at. How about a Megane E-Tech Electric instead?

That the Captur is a night and day improvement over its predecessor in looks, refinement and cabin quality is not up for debate – Renault’s pulled off exactly what it needed to with the Captur Mk2, and the facelift has kicked on in a couple of key areas. It’s regressed in others though: the ride is harsher than before and there isn’t a pukka engine to pair it with. That’s a big weakness.

It’s hardly interesting to drive, but then again barely any crossovers are, and that’s not their purpose, either. The design and cabin quality are the standouts. The spec list is strong and it’s roomy enough to justify its existence next to the Clio. But if you want a small runabout with statement looks for this kind of money, Renault now offers the brilliant little 5.