Renault unveils premium SUV Captur; launch likely before Diwali

The Captur, a global car having sold more than a million units so far, is likely to give a tough fight to the Jeep Compass, which is priced at Rs 14.95 lakh and Mahindra XUV and Tata Hexa, though the last two are seven-seaters.

Though the company refused to announce the price, market is expecting an under Rs 15 lakh price-tag for the top-end model.

"Wait for the commercial launch. But since it's a global car and being a premium offering, it will certainly be priced much higher than the Duster," is all what Sumit Sawhney, CEO and MD of Renault India, would proffer when asked about the prices.

The French car major has only practically two models in the country now — the Duster, the compact SUV which was a runaway success from the launch, and two variants of its small car, the 0.8 L Kwid and the 1-L Kwid, which has already helped it boost market share to round 5 per cent, a target originally set for 2020.

Built on the globally successful B0 platform, the Captur comes on a 1.5-liter diesel and petrol engine, and has the industry’s highest ground clearance at 210 mm. Being rolled out from its Chennai plant, it has been designed and developed leveraging the prowess of Renault India and global teams.

Though the launch date has not been announced yet, its likely to be rolled out before Diwali (which falls on Oct 19) and the company has already opened bookings.

Describing the launch of the Captur as a significant step in the five-year-old company’s growth journey here, Sawhney said the crossover SUV exemplifies their product strategy for this country.

"Our growth strategy hinges strongly on launching products that cater to the volume and growing segments of the automotive industry here, representing evolving customer preferences. Over the past few years, SUV sales are growing exponentially, making it the fastest-growing segment.

"The Captur is a globally successful premium SUV and is widely acclaimed for its stunning expressive design, premium and class-leading features and the high levels of personalisation that can be achieved with this car.

"This car will further strengthen our position in the SUV segment and will set new benchmarks with its global styling and unmatched road presence," Sawhney said.

The Captur will come with both petrol and diesel powertrains. While petrol option will be powered by the 16 valves 4-cylinder 1.5L H4K petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual gear box, the diesel version will be powered by the 1.5L K9K diesel engine mated to 6-speed manual gear box, he said.

Sawhney said a customer can personalise the multiple colour preference while booking.