India Bound: Renault Reveals Kaptur
Renault has officially revealed the new Kaptur crossover/SUV. It made its world debut in Russia and was specifically made for that country along with the Eurasian Customs Union markets.Though, nothing has yet been revealed regarding the Indian market, but if rumours are to be believed, it will make an appearance next year, and will be placed above the Duster. The Kaptur in India will compete with SUVs such as the Mahindra XUV500 and the upcoming Hyundai Tucson, among others.
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It looks like an elongated and beefed up version of the little Captur!
After multiple teasers, Renault has officially revealed the new Kaptur crossover/SUV. It made its world debut in Russia and was specifically made for that country along with the Eurasian Customs Union markets.Though, nothing has yet been revealed regarding the Indian market, but if rumours are to be believed, it will make an appearance next year, and will be placed above the Duster. The Kaptur in India will compete with SUVs such as the Mahindra XUV500, among others.
What we know and don’t!
Renault has not revealed much about this upcoming SUV, vital information as its engines’ details and platform, are still under wraps. However, it is said to be based on the Duster’s platform, which has been localised in several developing countries. But, the European Captur is based on a different platform - the Renault Clio’s underpinnings. Renault has at last unveiled that the Kaptur will measure - 4,333 mm in length, which is just a nudge over the Duster’s - 4315 mm. The wheelbase further concretes the rumour that it based on the Duster’s platform, as they are almost similar - 2673 mm (Duster) and 2674 mm (Kaptur).
Similar to that of the Duster, the Kaptur is also getting an All-Wheel-Ride (AWD) setup. The Kaptur features a ground clearance of 205mm and rides on an option of 16 or 17-inch wheels.
Design
As we had mentioned earlier, the vehicle looks identical to the European Captur, inside-out. There are subtle differences amongst the two, such as like the widened air dam and the ‘C’ shaped daytime running LEDs. The taillights also offer ‘C’ shaped LED elements.The remaining body panels are fairly identical to the Captur, except for the alloys. It even has the contracting floating roof.
The Kaptur didn't withstand the public’s expectation of it being a seven-seater, rather it is a 5-seater AWD crossover! The cabin is a straight lift from its European counterpart, and hence, we are presented with the Captur’s digital+analog instrument cluster. The central console houses the Renault’s MediaNav 7-inch infotainment system, which is similar to what we get with the facelifted Duster. The new automatic climate control, that the 2016 Duster is offering is borrowed from the Captur and is also available in the Kaptur.
Renault has said that the Kaptur will have a boot space of 387 litres, which can be extended to 1200-litres, with the 60/40-split bench in a fully-folded position. The boot space falls short of the Dusters’ and since they reportedly share the platform, the Kaptur must be offering spacious rear row.
Engine?
Renault has not yet revealed the powertrain option for the Kaptur, not even for the Russian market. For the Indian market, we expect the 1.5-litre 110 PS diesel from the Duster/Fluence to pull the Kaptur. It is most likely to come with an optional 6-Speed dual-clutch automatic (Renault’s 6-Speed EDC) along with a standard 6-Speed manual. This would give the Kaptur an edge over its rivals, since none of the competitors offer a dual-clutch automatic with a diesel. Petrol, on the hand, can be the turbocharged ones, that Renault offers with the Captur.
The Renault Kaptur: An India-bound Crossover - Image Gallery
