India-bound Renault Kaptur unveiled
Renault has officially revealed the Kaptur crossover at an event in Moscow. Based on the Duster platform, the Renault Kaptur is expected to arrive in India by end 2017. Renault will first launch the Kaptur in Russia followed by its entry into other markets such as Brazil and India. The Kaptur will be manufactured at the Moscow plant initially.
The new Renault Kaptur has an uncanny resemblance to the smaller Captur, which is sold in Europe. The front gets a bold Renault logo surrounded by a honeycomb mesh pattern and a wide bumper which gives the Kaptur a bigger track. The front bumper houses C-shaped LED daytime running lights. The hood features muscular contours and so does the side.
Dimensionally, the Renault Kaptur measures 4,333mm in length, 1,813mm in width and 1,613mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,674mm and a ground clearance of 204mm. The approach and departure angles for the Kaptur are 20 and 31 degrees respectively.
The cabin design of the Renault Kaptur is similar to the Captur with nearly the same set of features and dashboard layout. It will be offered with keyless entry, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, media navigation system and Bluetooth connectivity.
The 60:40 split bench increases the 387 litre bootspace to 1,200. Renault also claims that a wide tailgate aperture and boot lighting offers more convenient loading.
"To design the 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. He further mentioned, "It is a genuine crossover, with a robust, expressive design."
When launched in India, the Renault Kaptur will compete with the Mahindra XUV500, Hyundai Creta and others in the segment. Since the Kaptur is based on the Renault Duster platform, we believe, with higher percentage of localisation Renault can price it very aggressively in the country.