Dawn of the Renault Captur Sunset

Every now and then, a car passes through my hands that genuinely surprises me. I’ve come to expect it from a few manufacturers of late, but this last one came out of the left-field and truly impressed… and it didn’t stop doing it.

The Renault Captur is doing well for the brand, bridging the gap between the Clio (on which the Captur is based) and the Kadjar as a compact crossover. It out-sold the Clio, Kadjar, Megane and Duster in September this year and was only beaten by their pocket-friendly Sandero.

To make the Captur even more appealing than it already is, they recently introduced a diesel derivative that slots in between the 66kW Dynamique and the range-topping 88kW EDC Dynamique.

The Renault Captur Sunset is a limited edition release with contrasting black and orange paintwork and orange detailing inside, to celebrate the introduction of the dCI to the Captur lineup. Only 100 of these attention-grabbing compact crossovers will be sold in SA, and considering the sales numbers, they’re bound to go quick.

Ewwww… Diesel.

Scoff all you want, but the K9K diesel motor that has been fitted to the Captur dCI is a motor you already know quite well. It’s been around the block a few times and made its way into Saderos, Meganes, Dusters, Nissan Qashqais, NP200s and even Mercedes Benz’ A-, B-, and CLA Class 180 CDI offerings.

Making 66kW and a respectable 220Nm torque, the little motor doesn’t struggle to get the compact Captur off the line or maintain highway speeds. In fact, the combination of the K9K and the Captur’s feathery 1170kg kerb weight makes for sprightly performance, combined with pocket-pleasing economy.

Renault claims an average of 3.6 l/100km and with some careful driving, in Eco mode, I’m quite sure that is attainable. I was having too much fun to be worried about fuel consumption and instead returned figures in the low 5s. Still economical in my books.

Even when sitting in traffic, I enjoyed the way that I was able to just ease the clutch out and creep forward, without having to add some throttle to prevent a stall. The Captur dCI is fitted with a manual gearbox and there are no plans to bring out and EDC version of the dCI. There’s such a small percentage of buyers who want the combination of diesel and automatic.

While the motor may sound a little strained at higher revs (and it’s to be expected, it is a diesel after all) it’s genuinely a smart little motor.

Hop onboard

The interior of the Sunset version of the dCI has been spruced up with the inclusion of some orange detailing. As garish as it may sound, it is actually very well executed. 

Brushed aluminium inserts, finished in a dusky orange, adorn the surrounds of the center fascia and infotainment system as well as the circular air vents on either side of the cabin. The same treatment has been given to the speaker surrounds in the front doors.

More orange detailing is found on the piano black insert on the steering wheel, a pattern that is carried over to the two-tone seat covers that appear to be quite hard wearing but removable, should the need arise.

It sounds like a lot of orange in the cabin, but the designers seem to have struck the balance perfectly. Just enough to spice things up, but not so much as to drown out the interior and come over as garish.

At the back, the map book nets have also been given the orange treatment – a nice dash of colour in the rear then too. All this trim though, is limited to the Sunset version of the Captur.

The switch layout is typically Renault with some buttons in odd places and the multifunction steering wheel only really dealing with cruise control. It has seen the addition of a Voice button which will allow, when connected to an iOS device, the activation of SIRI.

Audio controls are, as per normal, behind the steering wheel but this is a quick adaption that one soon gets used to, despite having to stop and look at the controls the first few times.

All of these controls work with the Renault MediaNav with a 7-inch touch screen. This user friendly system is simple and intuitive enough to keep even the most technologically-challenged driver entertained. Where it has one up on some of its competitors, is that the MediaNav is bundled, as standard, with navigation. A no-cost inclusion in the price of the Captur Sunset / dCI. It goes without saying that Bluetooth, Aux In and USB are standard fare then.

The seats of the Captur are comfortable and while not bucket like in their approach, are supportive enough for the odd little bit of spirited driving.

Hill hold, ESC, ABS and EBD are standard on the Captur, 4 airbags and climate control.

Overall, the size of the Captur is great, its interior is spacious enough and the exterior is compact enough not to be intimidating when it comes to navigating around a parking lot  or even on the open road.

Thanks to a comprehensive warranty and Renault’s new ambitions with regards to parts availability and service, the little Captur dCI makes a great companion for those that wish to commute in comfort or hit the open road on an adventure.

The Captur, in either regular or Sunset trim, comes with a 5 year / 150 000km warranty and a 3 year / 45 000km service plan with intervals at the regulatory 15 000km.

The Renault Captur 66kW dCI Dynamique retails for R289 900 while the Sunset is a mere R2 500 more at R292 400.