Mumbai might be the city of dreams but its roads sure make every journey a nightmare. With every passing day, the potholes increase in number and size, and even the few stretches that resemble a proper road have been ruined by speed breakers of varying sizes. Our Renault Captur has covered a tough 8,000km since it joined our fleet in February. It stands out from the other cars I’ve driven in recent times as it feels like it was designed for these very conditions, and that’s why it’s been my vehicle of choice for the past few months.
My daily commute of 40km (and multiple trips home to Nashik) has given me ample time to pinpoint what’s nice and not-so-nice about the. Unquestionably, the best bit about the car is its sturdy suspension set-up that takes all imperfections in its stride. Even on the worst of roads, the Captur doesn’t wince. So much so, that the Renault’s suspension has become my mental benchmark for judging ride quality. I also love the freedom the 210mm ground clearance offers – more than enough to clear the nastiest speed breakers.
I know the Captur’s looks divide opinion but there’s no arguing that the Renault has a strong presence that comes in handy especially when you are sharing the road with rash-driving cabbies and the like. What also helps is the high driving position and the fairly low window line that allow for good visibility out the sides. There’s also the confidence that the LED headlamps will light up the roads really well and provide great visibility in the dark. And just as expected, Renault’s 1.5dCi engine is proving to be really frugal. It has been returning 13kpl (overall) on average, which is pretty impressive, and also gives the Captur a range of over 600km.
Of the smaller bits, I like the Captur’s card-like key. It slots into the dashboard neatly, though there was a slight issue when operating the keyless-entry – the driver’s door did not unlock when I pressed the button on the door handle, at times (I had to use the key card to do so) but the auto lock works seamlessly – the Captur locks itself once the engine is turned off if it detects the key has moved away a few metres.
Though the list of features on our top-of-the-line Captur Platine is long and impressive, there are a few things that would have been nice to have. An automatic anti-glare mirror is something you’d expect in a car in this price bracket. And while there is a 7.0-inch touchscreen, it doesn’t feature Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. However, more than all else, what the Captur really needs is a dead pedal; there is no place to rest your left foot.
While the addition of these missing features might make life in the Captur more appealing; as is, the Renault is doing a solid job of battling the broken roads in and around Mumbai. It is also closing in on the 10,000km mark, which is when the first service is in order. Until then, bring it on, Mumbai!
Gavin D'Souza
Nikhil Bhatia
