Renault Australia committed to Captur
BY BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS | 26th Sep 2018
RENAULT will continue with the Captur range in Australia despite slow sales when the larger, recently announced Kadjar launches in the middle of next year, as the company steps up its SUV assault with a number new crossover models.
Speaking to GoAuto at the launch of the Megane RS in Queensland earlier this month, Renault Australia managing director Andrew Moore said that the all-new Captur will evolve into a key pillar in the company’s SUV strategy as an entry point below the compact Kadjar, mid-size Koleos and coupe-like Arkana – should it get the green light – when it launches around 2020.
“Captur is here to stay,” he said. “I can’t say anything more, but like any new model, the next one will progress. Our ambition for Renault Australia is to become a strong player in the SUV segment.”
Set for a European reveal in the second half of next year, the second-generation Captur is likely to adopt styling cues that are reminiscent of the Kadjar, resulting in a more angular and muscular design than the rounded current version, and a roomier interior with increased cargo capacity.
The new Captur is also said to switch to a modified version of the existing model’s platform. Known as the CMF-B architecture, it currently underpins the Nissan Micra (unavailable in Australia) released in Europe last year, as well as the fifth-generation Clio light hatch and second-generation Nissan Juke that are also waiting in the wings for reveals during 2019.
Australian customers can expect the adoption of a larger petrol engine in the guise of an all-new 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo unit related to the one found in the latest Mercedes-Benz A-Class.
Driving the front wheels via a dual-clutch automatic transmission, it is expected to offer stronger performance and improved fuel economy compared with the existing 1.2-litre unit.
Whether the new 1.0-litre thee-cylinder turbo (replacing the manual-only 0.9-litre TCe90 three-pot turbo in the base versions), also slated for some markets, makes it Down Under is unknown. The same also applies for the widely rumoured hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions earmarked for later in the model’s lifecycle.
Along with a completely overhauled interior that is said to usher in better quality materials, the next Captur’s cabin is also likely to feature a more contemporary dashboard.
As previewed in the 2016 Trezor concept car, it features a massive L-shaped screen design incorporating both the instrumentation and upper-centre console area, as part of a concerted technological push forward.
While it is a minor player in Australia with just 302 registrations recorded in the first eight months of this year, the Captur has been one of Renault’s biggest success stories in Europe and elsewhere, with global sales exceeding 200,000 units annually in recent years.
The bolder, squarer styling, extra interior space and more powerful engines should help the next-generation version gain wider acceptance.
The existing Captur’s best effort in Australia was in its launch year in 2015, with 1614 sales before numbers slipped slightly to 1563 in 2016, but then plummeted 76 per cent to just 377 units last year. The Series II facelift launched locally in September 2017.
