Designed to meet the demands of the Russian car market, the Renault Kaptur is not a Captur with the letter K at he beginning. It was revealed in Moscow today by Laurens van den Acker, Vice President, Corporate Design, Groupe Renault, and Renault Russia’s Managing Director, Andrey Pankov.
The fact that it is equipped with all-wheel drive, which no Captur European model has, is only the first sign of change. From one bumper to the other, this Russian crossover measures 4,333mm, making it 21 centimeters longer. It also features slightly wider tracks and a more impressive ground clearance of 204mm. We believe that this could be the prototype we thought was the Grand Captur and was spotted testing through the last half-year.
The new crossover is the latest addition to Renault's range in Russia, which also consists of the Sandero Stepway, Duster and aging Koleos.
“To design Renault Kaptur, we have mixed the best of Renault’s eye-catching design with a specific attention to Russian needs for off-road abilities, travelling comfort and versatility,” said Laurens van den Acker, Corporate Design, Vice President, Groupe Renault, at the model’s presentation in Moscow on March 30, 2016. “It is a genuine crossover, with a robust, expressive design.”
From the front, we notice that the grille, headlights and hood are the same. However, designers came up with a more rugged looking bumper that integrates larger air intakes and a set of C-shaped LED daytime running lights.
The profile has been elongated, making room for a larger rear quarter glass panel and a straighter roof. The rear overhang is longer to give you luggage breathing room while the taillights have been tinted for a sportier appearance. The bottom of the bumper is protected by a silver skirt, and there is a single exhaust piece.
We still have no idea what engines will be offered, but they should all be assembled locally. One possibility is the latest 1.6 gasoline unit that Nissan developed and can also be found on the Duster. The 1.2 TCe and 1.5 dCi diesel are also great options.
Shots of the interior reveal that the Kaptur is soberer than the Captur. We like that the pointless shiny plastic on the steering wheel is gone. There seems to be no ambient lighting, and the trademark removable seat covers are also gone, replaced by hard-wearing black fabric. Highlights include the availability of a satellite navigation and an automatic gearbox.
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. Full profile
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