When Renault unveiled its DeZir Concept a few years ago, the company explained that it represented the first phase of its new brand identity, which aimed to show different stages of the human life cycle. The French company has just lifted the wraps off the second stage of the cycle – the Renault Captur Concept.
While the DeZir was a representation of “falling in love”, the new Captur represents that of "two people exploring the world around them”. Director of design, Laurens Van den Acker, explains that this crossover has been designed to be fun and sporty and “ideal for a young couple about to discover the world”.
The first thing to catch your eye at the front of the Captur is the prominent Renault logo that has pride of place on the nose. The company explains that is “set vertically against a dark surface so as to stand out as clearly as possible”. From this stretches a grille that carries the eye to the angled lights that come fitted with LED indicators.
Exterior designer, Julio Lozano, explains what he kept in mind when designing the Captur Concept: “In designing Captur, I began with the image of a sprinter on the starting blocks, his muscles tensed, and the energy unleashed when the starting pistol is fired”.
The Captur has a convertible tin-top roof that can be removed to reveal carbon fibre framework. For added sportiness, Renault has given this concept large “butterfly” doors and 22-inch black and white rims.
The occupants will be able to sit in seats that look as though they have been suspended in mid air. The interior features include aluminium pedalsand bucket-style front seats that have been attached to the centre console to echo the "floating in mid-air" sensation of the rear pews. If there are additional passengers require seating, one need only pull seatbacks from the side of the car to offer up two full-sized seats that come with seatbelts and head restraints.
Powering the Captur car is Renault’s Energy dCi twin-turbo engine concept. It has a maximum output of 118 kW and 380 N.m of torque that is available from 1 750 r/min. Sending drive to the wheels is a dual-clutch EDC gearbox. Renault claims that the Captur’s carbon-dioxide emissions figure is a low 99g/km.
Other Innovative systems on board the Captur include RX2 – a system that aims to improve traction at low speeds, as well as the Visio-system that makes use of a forward facing camera at the top of the windscreen in order to provide driver assistance by “embedding synthesised images into real-time images of the road ahead that gets displayed on a central screen; this is the principle of augmented reality, aiming to enhance the driver’s perception of the external world by superimposing purpose-designed elements”.
The Renault Captur Concept will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.