Photo: CarPix
Remember the old Nissan Qashqai+2? They dropped it from the lineup when the current generation came out last year, but Renault could launch a good alternative. Our spy photographers have just sent us the first images of an all-new crossover we presume to be the Grand Captur.
From the front, the camouflaged prototype looks nearly identical to the regular Captur. The grille is a little bigger, and the bumper may have lost it daytime running lights, but that could just be down to the mid-life facelift.
Did we fabricate the "Grand Captur" name out of thin air? Yes, but we have to remember the Captur crossover replaced the Modus MPV, which had a Grand version, longer and more spacious.
Having extra room is never a bad thing, but the Captur is not exactly crammed. I'd go as far as to call it the most spacious model in its class since the boot is cavernous. But the Grand Captur doesn't appear to be a 7-seater because the rear passenger sits further back. We could be wrong, but it's a trivial matter.
There are plenty of new features Renault has come up with since launching the Captur in 2013. One of them is a new R-Link tablet for the infotainment system, launched with the Megane 4. It's larger and has better features, so it would at least make sense as an option.
On the engine front, the Grand Captur should come with everything the regular model does. The exhaust system of this prototype is clearly that of a dCi diesel engine, although many customers will be tempted by the cheaper 1.2 TCe engine.
Because this prototype sits noticeably higher, we could speculate that all-wheel drive has been added. However, no model based on the Clio platform has this, and there is little demand from the market. The vast majority of small crossovers has the smallest engines available mated to FWD.
As far as styling is concerned, the Grand Captur is – dare we say it – boring. By making the body longer, Renault designers have diluted the things that made the regular Captur sexy. Gone are the humps over the rear wheels and that perked bottom. But when most of your customers are nearing retirement or have large families, styling comes last on your list of priorities.
Did we fabricate the "Grand Captur" name out of thin air? Yes, but we have to remember the Captur crossover replaced the Modus MPV, which had a Grand version, longer and more spacious.
Having extra room is never a bad thing, but the Captur is not exactly crammed. I'd go as far as to call it the most spacious model in its class since the boot is cavernous. But the Grand Captur doesn't appear to be a 7-seater because the rear passenger sits further back. We could be wrong, but it's a trivial matter.
There are plenty of new features Renault has come up with since launching the Captur in 2013. One of them is a new R-Link tablet for the infotainment system, launched with the Megane 4. It's larger and has better features, so it would at least make sense as an option.
On the engine front, the Grand Captur should come with everything the regular model does. The exhaust system of this prototype is clearly that of a dCi diesel engine, although many customers will be tempted by the cheaper 1.2 TCe engine.
Because this prototype sits noticeably higher, we could speculate that all-wheel drive has been added. However, no model based on the Clio platform has this, and there is little demand from the market. The vast majority of small crossovers has the smallest engines available mated to FWD.
As far as styling is concerned, the Grand Captur is – dare we say it – boring. By making the body longer, Renault designers have diluted the things that made the regular Captur sexy. Gone are the humps over the rear wheels and that perked bottom. But when most of your customers are nearing retirement or have large families, styling comes last on your list of priorities.
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