Renault Captur Signature S Nav: driven

Europe’s best-selling crossover tweaked to keep its place in market

Renault has made some small tweaks to its big-selling Captur. The supermini-sized crossover has been a huge sales success in Europe since launch, not least due to its great styling, sweet drive and enhanced practicality over its Clio stablemate. However, it’s now nearly four years old, so a mid-life facelift was in order to keep it fresh.

The changes are subtle, though. Styling tweaks are mainly limited to new lights and colours, while there have been no changes to either the engine or the mechanicals. The Captur has some more cabin kit, and interior quality has been enhanced, and there’s a new range-topper called the Signature S Nav. Apparently introduced in answer to customer demand, the £21,405-plus model boasts plenty of extra equipment including Nappa leather seats, Bose stereo and a comprehensive active safety system.

From the outside, the most obvious changes are the Kadjar-style grille, additional brightwork and distinctive LED running lights with Renault-signature C-shaped styling. Inside, you can really appreciate the boost in quality, with softer-touch plastics and more premium-feeling chrome switch and control detailing.

One noticeable omission is the lack of Apple iPhone touchscreen functionality on the top R-Link infotainment system, even though it does have Android Auto mirroring. Also, UK-spec right-hand-drive cars miss out on the clever sliding draw-style glovebox of left-hand drive models; the fuse box apparently gets in the way.

Despite the lone gearlever upgrade, nothing has changed on the road, which means adequate performance from the 1.2-litre TCe petrol engine. Its smoother nature makes it a little more appealing than the dCi diesel. The handling is sweet if not quite as tidy as that of the Clio, and the supple ride suits urban driving. We agree with Renault’s clear maxim of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

When it comes to spec choice, we perhaps choose the cheaper, more efficient three-cylinder 0.9-litre TCe engine in Dynamique S Nav form. At £18,000, it’s a better overall compromise than this upmarket £21,500 Signature S Nav. Regardless, the Captur remains a popular buy – and you can’t argue with all those sales.

Renault Captur Signature S Nav TCe 120 (3.5 stars)

Price £21,405
Engine 4cyl, 1197cc, turbo, petrol
Power 118bhp @ 5000rpm
Torque 151lb ft @ 2000rpm
Gearbox 6spd manual
Kerbweight 1184kg
0-62mph 9.9sec
Top speed 119mph
Economy 51.4mpg (combined)
CO2/tax band 125g/km, 25%
Rivals Nissan Juke, Suzuki Vitara

Sarah Bradley is a writer for AutoCar.