New Renault Captur, the E-Tech 145 faces the road test

It wants to climb the sales charts in its segment and, to improve on the third position it reached in 2023 in Italy, Renault Captur changes its face with an aesthetic update that makes its design more modern. Inside, then, comes a real technological injection thanks to the navigation and entertainment system with Android Automotive 12. This is an infotainment system where users can directly enter their Google account, so they can use services such as navigation and entertainment app downloads, without having to go through their smartphone. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are still available, but the advantage is that an already integrated system, which navigates with Google Maps or Waze as native apps, does not strain the battery of our mobile device.

Renault chooses Madrid to put its most complex and refined engine to the whip, the 145 hp E-Tech Full Hybrid, capable of delivering a maximum torque of 250 Nm. The performance is always interesting, and it is clear that with this version it tries to compensate for the old diesel in terms of torque as well, but when climbing hills or mountains there is the limit of the battery. When it starts to run down, there is more noise in the cabin due to the thermal working harder to provide traction and recharge it. In practice, however, the Captur Full Hybrid is able to negotiate uphill bends with good agility if you choose Sport mode, and in its segment it manages with interesting performance. Extreme power is renounced, but the result is a pleasing number in the on-board computer as, at the end of the test, the average is just 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres, below the declared figure if we don't go on long motorway stretches. Dynamically it does not change compared to the previous model, except for a refinement of the suspension unit where greater support in bends is noticeable, although it remains an SUV that will never reach the pleasantness of a saloon or hatchback. Provided you accept the limits of the category, Captur reciprocates with excellent roominess, the result of the sliding rear sofa (16 centimetres) that allows you to choose whether to favour passenger legroom or maximise boot space.

The E-Tech Full Hybrid 145 is by no means the cheapest in the range: €30,150 is needed to take it home, but it has the advantage of starting from the second trim level, Techno. This includes 18-inch wheels, automatic climate control, wireless smartphone charger, LED headlamps, rear parking sensors, tinted glass and the legally required driver assistance systems, plus a 10.4-inch infotainment screen and 7-inch digital instrumentation. Those who want to spend less can choose the three-cylinder 90 hp petrol (€22,550), or the excellent 100 hp turbo LPG that costs €23,350. There is also a more powerful petrol version: it uses a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, has the EDC automatic transmission as standard and costs €27,350, configured as a Mild Hybrid or micro-hybrid.