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CAPTUR CONCEPT CAR

Unveiled in February 2011, Captur concept embodies Renault’s new design strategy. A sporty crossover with a flowing and athletic body language, it conjures up visions of two people exploring the world and previews a forthcoming road car. Its Energy dCi 160 twin-turbo engine-concept combines fun driving, enjoyable performance and low CO2 emissions.

Versatile crossover to explore the world   

Captur
 

Captur is a fun and sporty crossover, ideal for a young couple about to discover the world.

Laurens van den Acker, Director of Design

 

Renault's new design strategy is founded on the human life cycle, with each phase of the cycle taking the form of a specific concept car. The first concept car, DeZir, expressed the idea of ‘falling in love’. Captur addresses the second phase of that cycle: that of two people exploring the world around them.

  

In its proportions and fluid curves, Renault Captur evokes movement and lightness, yet displays powerful and muscular all-terrain cues. Just as with DeZir, angles, corners and lines have given way to sensuous and natural forms. For the exterior design, the main sources of inspiration were athletes and radical sports, with references equipment such as helmets, gloves and other protective gear used in radical sports, combining high technology with sophistication and lightness.

 

Captur adopts the new frontal identity first presented by DeZir. As with DeZir, this identity has as its centrepiece a large Renault logo, set vertically against a dark surface. Substantial, matt-finished wings reinforce the design’s visual strength. LEDs relay the direction indicator signal in a wave effect running the whole length of the vehicle.

 

Captur does more than simply stir emotions: it is also a practical and versatile vehicle. Fitted with a hard convertible top which, that once removed, reveals a carbon fibre framework, Captur can morph into a coupé or a convertible, go from an urban vehicle to an off-roader. Its sporty appeal is underlined by its butterfly doors and big tyres fitted to 22-inch black and white rims.

 

Captur's bodywork is finished in a spicy shade of orange, in a variety of different shades on materials both inside and outside the vehicle.

An interior bathed in warmth and lightness 

Captur's interior

The orange theme has been carried over to the cabin which also features fluorescent highlights picked out by a constant stream of light. 

 

The interior of Captur is designed to be both welcoming and occupant-friendly. The impression of lightness expressed by the exterior is dominant, with the front seats attached to the centre console as if suspended in mid air.

 

The centre console, door casings and dashboard are formed using a translucent material rather like a second skin. At the front of the cabin, this includes a glimpse of the high-tech fibre ropes, luminescent in places, that have been used for most of the passenger compartment.

 

The aluminium pedals, carbon bucket-style front seats and steering wheel trimmed in grey textured leather reassert the sporting side of the design, in keeping with the original brief.

 

The rear of the vehicle is a multipurpose area where the deck is lined with three layers of rope:

 

  • Storage area: the stretched cords are laid out in a way that allows items to be secured, thus providing a reconfigurable storage area;
  • Comfort: the supple elasticity of the structure provides an entirely new type of comfort, a new form of seating akin to a hammock.
  • Modularity: it is possible to pull seatbacks from the side of the car to provide two full-sized rear seats, complete with seat belts and head restraints. This enables Captur to accommodate four passengers.

Innovation and performance: the Energy dCi 160 twin-turbo engine-concept 

Captur makes use of the Energy dCi 160 twin-turbo engine-concept, developed from the new Energy dCi 130. 

 

It produces 118kW (160hp) from a capacity of 1.6 litres – that’s a specific power output of 100hp per litre. Peak torque (380Nm) is available from as low as 1,750rpm, giving powerful acceleration from low revs, as well as refined performance under all driving conditions. Paired with a dual clutch EDC gearbox, this driveline promises genuinely enjoyable driving with CO2 emissions of 99 g per kilometre.

 

Captur's performance is further enhanced by the RX2®, a novel system that improves traction at low speeds. Should one of the two driven wheels lose traction, this entirely new mechanical self-locking differential transfers all or part of the engine’s torque to the wheel with the most grip.

 

Captur also marks the debut of the Visio-system, an innovation that uses a forward-facing camera mounted at the top of the windscreen to provide driver-assistance functions. The new technology displays synthesised images into real-time images of the road on a central screen, to enhance the driver’s perception of the external world.