Is new Renault Captur’s ‘va va voom’ worth the ‘ching ching’?

In the early 2000s, the advertising campaign for the Renault Clio became so popular that French football star Thierry Henry’s famous “va va voom” line even made it into the Concise Oxford Dictionary.

Fast forward a quarter of a century and the new Renault Captur does a great job of reviving this catch phrase which officially means “the quality of being exciting, vigorous, or sexually attractive”. The updated second generation of the compact crossover oozes French flair and sexy curves.

Visit turconews.click for more information.

But the motoring landscape has changed significantly since the cheeky Clio made a name for itself. These days “va va voom” comes at a premium in a market dominated by Chinese manufacturers’ aggressive pricing.

Renault Captur’s price problem

The Renault Captur in flagship Esprit Alpine trim we recently sampled will set you back a hefty R614 999. This might be kind of par for the course for a niche crossover from a heritage brand in the premium B segment, it is hard to justify to buyers fixated buy the stickers on SUVs from the People’s Republic. And even without a direct rival from China, it is never going to win the comparison war in terms of what you get for what you pay.

So the short and long of the Renault Captur Esprit Alpine is that the crossover is a left-field choice that will require the heart to overrule the head. And there are plenty of things contributing to this persuasion.

For starters, the Captur features a very accomplished drivetrain. It’s peppy 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine sends 113kW of power and 270Nm to the front wheels via seven-speed automated dual-clutch transmission. The Multi Sense drive selector offers four driving modes; Eco, Normal, Sport and Perso.

The Renault Captur Esprit Alpine sports 19-inch dual-tone alloys. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe

Pure driving pleasure

One area internal combustion engine products from China have been found wanting in is driveability. Things like throttle calibration remain an issue, often resulting in the drive not living up to the value prospect. Here we are happy to report that the French number stands tall.

The blown four-pot mill has very turbo lag off the line, resulting in smooth acceleration. Floor it hard enough when pulling away and you’ll even experience a tinge of wheel spin. There is always enough power on tap to take care of your everyday needs and for overtaking on the open road.

Although the Renault Captur is no performance model, push it hard enough through corners and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how well balanced it. This playful capability definitely ticks the exciting box on the “va va voom” tick list.

Smashingly good looks

The “sexually attractive” requirement is achieved with distinction. Up front, a new slim grille featuring Renault’s new Nouvel’R diamond logo, smaller LED headlights, restyled bumper and lower air intakes with half shaped diamond LED fog lamps create a wide and imposing stance.

Transparent C-shape taillight cluster feature at the rear, while Esprit Alpine rides on stunning 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels.

The French flair continues inside where the Captur’s styling impresses despite the omission of any leather. Recycled textured and grained fabric featuring blue and white stitchwork feature on the seats, which also boast Alpine logos on the seatbacks. As the flagship model the Esprit Alpine also boats alloy pedals.

Lots of creature comforts

The crossover comes standard with a Google co-developed 10.4-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, It also features a seven-inch fully digital instrument cluster.

The tablet-styled infotainment system takes centre stage. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe

The specification sheet also includes 360-degree surround-view camera, wireless charger, panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers, ambient lighting, electronically adjustable driver’s seat and push-button start.

The boot, which features a false floor, can swallow an impressive 686 litres.

In addition to seven airbags, ABS with EBD and traction and stability control, the Renault Captur Esprit Alpine also features advanced driver assist systems like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Renault Captur oozes X-factor

We enjoyed our week in the Renault Captur. We loved the styling and driveability and get what the car is about. It is much more than the sum of its parts and oozes X-factor.

Sadly this won’t be enough to offset its price tag and turn it into a volume seller. But those intrigued by it’s “va va voom” will be richly rewarded.

Read full story at source