The Renault Captur 2017 is presently a highly anticipated crossover from Renault in India, more so because the company has high hopes vested in it. Not all Renault cars have been blockbusters in the Indian market, except the Duster SUV. The company hopes to remake this past reputation with the Captur crossover.

The Hyundai Creta, on the other hand, needs no introduction or build up. The number of Cretas you see on the road will itself speak for its popularity and demand. The Hyundai Creta is complete 5-seater SUV that bears a powerful heart along with its masculine build.

Comparing the Renault Captur 2017 and the Hyundai Creta would mean compare a full-sized car with its lower counterpart. Yet, the Renault crossover looks promising and if it hits the purple patch, it is sure to give a hard time to most of the cars in this range.

Designing

The all-new Renault Captur holds a muscular body which is blunt more than sharp. There are roundish curves all over and the sharpness is next to negligible. The swept back headlamps clusters are sleek and house projector units. The rest of the settings in the front section looks big, enticed by the blacked out of lower lip spoiler. Getting to the rear end, the designing is compact and cute and not very bold. However, the split tail lights and the lower rear skid plates stand out on the subdued rear. The India-bound Captur will be built on the same platform as the Renault Duster but will be more premium and will be loaded with a lot more goodness.

The Hyundai Creta, on the other hand, is the perfect SUV. It looks commanding at the first impression itself. It is not a full-sized SUV, but you won’t feel anything less. The front section houses sharper sweptback headlamps with projector setting, a large hexagonal front grille that gets a very generous quantity of chrome along the slats. The side profile gets a crease line that is not much prominent but is enough to stand out on the entire side. At the rear, the designing looks much more happening than the Renault Captur. The split tail lights are horizontally stretched and wraparound. The addition of black cladded skirting along the lower side and back renders a very rugged appearance.

Interior features

The interior layout of the Renault Captur is spacious, though it is not as big as the Creta. There is a two-tone colour combination. Get in the driver’s seat and you will see a clean layout in front of you. The 3-spoke steering wheels get standard control buttons. The switches and buttons are placed cleanly and are not congested in one place. The center console holds the touchscreen infotainment display but is not crowded with a lot of buttons around. The SUV crossover is also expected to get a good number of safety features, since the expected price is higher than that of the Creta.

The Hyundai Creta will feel bigger as you enter inside. The space between the rows are very comfortable and the front row has a higher seat position. This increases the road visibility over the big bonnet. The moment you look around the cabin, you will feel the premiumness in a classy outline as the SUV is all about soberness on the inside and nothing loud or fancy. The driver’s seat appears to have more control buttons all around. The infotainment display is surrounded by tilted vertical AC vents that couldn’t have been better placed. Moreover, even the top end variant of the creta gets just 2 safety airbags and seat belt warning. Other safety features include ABS with EBD (electronic brake-force distribution), brake assist and traction control.

The Powerplant

The Renault will be borrowing the diesel power plant from the Duster SUV. However, it is expected to get only the higher grade of the 1.5-litre petrol engine which will be capable of making a maximum power of 108 bhp at 3,900 revs per minute along with a peak torque of 248 Nm at 2,250 revs per minute. The transmission duties will be done by a 6-speed manual transmission unit and an AMT gearbox. The company may even consider introducing the 1.5-litre petrol engine from the Duster, which will make an output of 105 bhp and 142 Nm of torque. The top end trims will get an AWD drivetrain.

The Hyundai Creta comes in three engine options, 1.6-litre petrol and diesel and a smaller 1.4-litre diesel. The bigger diesel engine makes a maximum power of 89 bhp and a maximum torque of 224 Nm. On the other hand, the bigger 1.6-litre diesel engine is the most powerful Creta and makes the highest power of 126 bhp along with a highest torque of 265 Nm. The petrol engine makes a maximum power of 122 bhp at 6,400 revolutions per minute along with a peak torque of 154 Nm at 4,850 revs per minute. As for the transmission, the Hyundai Creta comes mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
Our verdict

India will be the first country to get the right-hand drive version of the Renault Captur. On the other hand, the Hyundai Creta has been on the road for quite a long time and has been selling thick and fast. The success that the Creta achieved, the same cannot be expected from the Captur at such an early stage.

However, the Captur has always been known to be premium SUV crossover in the international market and has been popular since inception. Hence, writing it off completely would just be a folly. The truth is, there are high chances that the Captur will be more premium than the Creta and will be placed over it, thus pricier. And if it’s in India, more price means higher value with the best features on offer. It is also expected to get much more safety features than the Creta, which will fascinate the new age buyers, who prioritize safety along with cost-effectiveness.