Renault shows Captur Concept

Renault has unveiled this striking new crossover concept ahead of its official debut at next month’s Geneva motor show.

Dubbed Captur, and sized between the Clio and the Megane, the concept is the second in a series of six ‘human life cycle’ concepts from new Renault design chief Laurens Van den Acker that will showcase Renault’s future design strategy.

Van den Acker says the company is defining a new ‘human’ design language inspired by three key words ‘simple’, ‘sensuous’ and ‘warm’.

The Captur sports styling from last year’s DeZir coupe concept, such as its front-end looks, scissor doors and futuristic cabin.

Renault says the 1300kg two-seater is a crossover between a coupe, a convertible, an urban vehicle and an off-roader. It has a removable hard convertible top that exposes the Captur’s carbonfibre framework when removed.

It sports large 22-inch alloys with a look similar to those on the DeZir, while other exterior styling features include LED lights, matt-finish wings, and distinctive orange paintwork. The concept’s exterior designer Julio Lozano said a sprinter in a styling block with their muscles tensed inspires its exterior looks.

The orange theme continues in the interior. It also features florescent highlights and a translucent finish for the centre console, dashboard and door casings. The carbon bucket seats and steering wheel are trimmed in grey leather.

The rear deck area is lined with three layers of elasticated rope which Renault says can be used for securing luggage and even using as a ‘form of seating akin to a hammock’. Seatbacks, equipped with headrests and seatbelts, can also be pulled from the sides of the rear cabin to turn the car into a four-seater.

The car is also used to launch Renault’s new Visio-system, which uses a forward facing camera mounted at the top of the windscreen to read road conditions and alert drivers to any potential dangers ahead. The set-up merges real-world images from the camera, overlaid with graphic information, for the display screen in the centre of the dashboard.

The front-drive Captur powered by a new twin-turbo Energy 1.6-litre dCi engine that produces 158bhp and 38.7 kgm of torque mated to a dual-clutch gearbox and it is capable of 0-100kph in 8.0sec. Should one of the two driven wheels lose traction, the firm’s new ‘RX2’ mechanical self-locking differential will transfer of the available torque to the wheel with the most grip.