Recently I needed a hire car for a short trip to Devon and was allocated a Renault Captur 0.9 petrol. As I’m used to a Focus I was a bit concerned whether it would be big enough but it managed well.

On opening up the rear doors I thought it’s a bit cramped in there for adults. OK for kids maybe. Then I realised that the rear seat slides, enabling you to alter the boot space/rear cabin ratio. Not a new idea of course - I think the Citroen ZX had this on some models – but the first time I’ve seen it on a Renault.

Things I liked:

Engine. As long as you like the three-cylinder distinctive noise that is. Only at idle and town speeds can you hear it, at higher speeds it’s remarkably quiet and quite punchy for its modest output. If you regularly drive with four-up and with luggage then I think the diesel would be better as it will have a bit more punch in reserve.

Steering: light but still enough feedback (and I’m used to a Focus)

Gearbox: not as slick as the Focus but acceptable. A learner would find this an easy car to drive.

Refinement: low levels of road noise intrusion.

Seats: quite firm, more so than other Renaults I’ve driven or owned but very supportive and after almost five hours I had no aches or pains. The extra ride-height of the Captur might be of interest to older people with declining mobility.

Suspension: a good compromise, bad road surfaces didn’t seem to cause any concern. You could hear the bumps but not feel them.

Things I didn’t like:

Interior design a bit bland. Lacking a bit of Renault flair. There is a new version out soon which looks more adventurous inside and will be available as a hybrid (same as new Clio)

Overall

I was pleasantly surprised by this car. Perhaps a bit bland and nothing stood out particularly but similarly nothing to dislike either. Just competent, comfortable and likeable.

This one was clearly having a hard life on the rental fleet, a year old with 20,000 on the clock and quite a few battle scars. However there were absolutely no rattles or creaks in the interior, suggesting the build is good. All the trim seemed well fitted. Some of the plastics were of the hard variety for those who care about such things but to me that says durable and easy to keep clean.

Definitely worth a look if you’re thinking about this class of car but remember this Captur is being replaced soon. Might be some good deals though on the out-going model.