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New Renault Captur Compared to Citroen C3 Aircross: the French Comeback

Forget Volkswagen. The French have probably had a much bigger impact on European carmaking. They practically invented front-wheel-drive, gave us beauties like the original DS and revolutionized family transportation with the MPV. But brands like Renault and Citroen always struggle, experiencing major dips in sales.
New Renault Captur Compared to Citroen C3 Aircross: the French Comeback 3 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot/L'Argus
New Renault Captur Compared to Citroen C3 Aircross: the French ComebackNew Renault Captur Compared to Citroen C3 Aircross: the French Comeback
There were problems with the hatchbacks. Renault never made anything as popular as the original "shake it" Megane. But MPVs were such a huge part of what both brands were about, and crossovers caught them completely off-guard.

After taking it to the chin, Renault quickly recovered and replaced the Modus with the Captur. It drove pretty much like the same thing, but Europeans couldn't get enough of the rugged looks combined with frugal engines, and it quickly began to dominate the segment. Citroen was a little more reluctant, and its range is still quite convoluted. But in 2017, it came out with the C3 Aircross.

Now there's a new generation of the Captur out, and the guys at L'Argus are the first to compare it to... anything. For a young buyer looking to spend about €20,000 on a crossover, this video is gold.

After watching it, we feel that both manufacturers focused on styling way more than they should. The Captur has a smaller trunk opening than its predecessor and is covered in trim pieces. Meanwhile, the headlights of the C3 Aircross are not the ones you'd think, and its roof bars could literally stab people. We believe that mass-market cars should be universal, appealing to single mothers who work in marketing and pensioners in equal measure.

But that doesn't mean one model can't be better than the other. For example, the Captur is designed to be a little longer because the C3 didn't prioritize its trunk size. We think rear visibility is going to be better in the Citroen, though Renault deserves a pat on the back for that interior. Really good job!

This is one of our first contacts with the new Renault tablet system, and it seems more interesting than anything in its segment, including what PSA, the VW Group or Japan offers. Meanwhile, the C3 just screams "different" with its tanned leatherette dash. How can you not like that?

Engine-wise, Citroen is known for its bad manual gearboxes, while the tech in the Captur is untested right now with the obvious exception of the 1.5 dCi. The little diesel has been updated, but it's been around in one form or another for almost two decades.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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