The small crossover segment is the fastest-growing corner of the car market.
Models such as the Nissan Juke, the Peugeot 2008 and the Vauxhall Mokka have begun to flood the market in recent years, and Renault got in on the act when it introduced the Captur last year, a car that just so happens to be the latest arrival on BusinessCar’s long-term test fleet.
It’s the cleanest car in its class with a CO2 low of 95g/km and the Juke, by comparison, is considerably higher with its range low of 104g/km.
Our 1.5-litre dCi test car has a 90hp diesel engine and is capable of an official 76.4mpg, which compares impressively against the most efficient versions of the Vauxhall Mokka (the 1.7 CDTi Ecoflex model) at 62.8mpg and 61.4mpg for the most economical Juke (the 1.5 dCi 110).
Our version, which is the mid-level Dynamique level trim, has been given an upgrade in terms of the options list. This includes a touch-screen satnav plus the likes of climate control and a reversible boot floor.
In terms of other practical features, passenger space is something that its designers have clearly paid attention to, with there being a fair amount of room in the back, considering its size.
The boot may not on first inspection seem overly capacious, yet at 377 litres it is in fact larger by some margin than its rivals including the Juke, which offers a comparatively paltry boot of 251 litres.
Hopefully it’s an element of teething trouble but in the Captur’s first few days with us we have experienced a temperamental USB port on its central dash. It worked the first time around and paired to a fellow BusinessCar staffer’s iPod perfectly well, but refused to recognise the same iPod the second time it was plugged in.
Another slightly negative element is the eco-drive mode, which is activated by pushing a button on the centre console and limits the power delivery for economy purposes. Worthy cause it may be, but it does strangle the power delivery. The changing colour scheme (a bar between the rev counter and the speedometer) that accompanies this – green for very economical, yellow for medium and orange (non-eco) displayed in the dash – is also a little distracting.
Despite these relatively small points, the car’s overall performance feels reassuringly solid so far