• Four engine variants on offer
• Three petrol, one diesel
• None are particularly high-powered, though

Four engines are available on the Captur, three petrols and a solitary diesel, all of which are turbocharged.

Petrol-engined Renault Captur

The petrol line-up is a choice between TCe 90 familiar from the Clio, the TCe 130 and TCe 150 too. As their names suggests these make 90hp (enough for 0-62mph in 13.1 seconds) 120hp (improving 0-62mph to 10.2 seconds) and 150hp (faster still at 9.5 seconds).

Torque figures of both engines work out at 140Nm, 220Nm and 250Nm for these engines. The TCe 130 in particular is a smooth and quiet engine on the road and the automatic gearbox on the 150hp version swaps ratios in an impressively swift and seamless fashion.

Programmed to change up fairly early to save fuel, it can be a little slow to respond if called upon suddenly for overtaking, but a manual override function (where you change gear by nudging the chrome-capped gearlever forwards and backwards) helps to make progress easier. Overall performance from the TCe 130 engine will more than meet most drivers’ needs.

Frugal diesel Renault Capturs

Renault Captur performance is also perfectly ample when powered by the dCi 90 1.5-litre unit. Modest amounts of power and torque (90hp and 220Nm) mean 0-62mph is dealt with in 13.8 seconds with the EDC auto transmission – or 13.1 for the manual.

It’s a smooth and tractable engine on the road that’s reasonably quiet at normal road speeds. As standard, it’s paired with a five-speed manual gearbox that has a reasonably smooth and user-friendly action.

Previously available engines

From April 2015 a higher output dCi 110 version was made available. This more powerful 1.5-litre unit promises up to 76.4mpg and emissions as low as 98g/km. Torque and power are also up over the 90hp version, coming in at 260Nm and 110hp respectively. This is enough for 0-62mph in 11.4 seconds.

Handling

• Surprisingly agile handling for an SUV
• Plenty of grip for all models
• Easy to park thanks to light steering

Quite reasonably, the Captur doesn’t corner like a sports car but it’s nicely composed and doesn’t roll around unduly in the way that you might expect from a tall, SUV. It also rides reasonably well, soaking up surface imperfections well without feeling wallowy. Hit a larger bump, and, although the impact is noticeable, it’s usually isolated from the cabin and doesn’t unduly affect the passengers.

The steering is extremely light which makes it feel a little short of feedback, but it’s accurate and precise nonetheless. That extra-light steering, together with the car’s relatively short overall length, makes parking an easy task and it’s an easy machine to drive on both open roads and urban streets.