2011 Renault CAPTUR Concept

Exterior

The Renault CAPTUR Concept combines an evocative fluid body style with an off-the-edge and muscular aura. Using the company’s previous concept (the DeZir) as a peg, Renault designed the CAPTUR Concept using angles, corners and lines to give the concept a sensuous and natural look, evoking movement and lightness, while at the same time displaying a rugged and powerful dimension befitting its standing as an SUV.

As a source of inspiration, the CAPTUR’s exterior designer, Julio Lozano, evoked images of an athlete ready to pounce on the competition. "In designing Captur, I began with the image of a sprinter on the starting blocks, muscles tensed, and of the energy unleashed when the starting pistol is fired," he explains.

In the front, the CAPTUR comes with a large Renault logo that has been set against a dark surface to accentuate it. The concept also makes use of LED lights as direction indicator signals that run in a wave pattern that go all the way around the vehicle. The framework of the CAPTUR uses carbon fiber as its primary material while also coming with a hard convertible top that immediately transforms the concept from a sleek urban vehicle to a rugged off-road machine. Another prominent feature of the CAPTUR are the butterfly set doors that seem to follow the DeZir’s oddly configured door format. On top of that, literally and figuratively, the concept was fitted with a hard convertible roof that can be removed to show the vehicle’s carbon fiber framework. The concept crossover was also dressed in a Spicy Orange paint job and is finished with a set of futuristic 22” black and white wheels.

Interior

Over at the interior is where it gets really interesting. For starters, the cabin comes with an orange theme that’s complemented by fluorescent highlights that come as a result of streams of light entering the vehicle.

The CAPTUR’s front seats are attached to the center console to simulate the experience of being suspended in air. Meanwhile, the aforementioned center console, along with the door casings and dashboard are formed using a translucent material that evokes the visceral feel of a second skin. There are also carbon bucket-style front seats, aluminum pedals, and a steering wheel trimmed in grey textured leather. The rear end of the CAPTUR serves as a multi-purpose area that provides passengers ample space for rest and relaxation.

If and when somebody decides to reconfigure the interior of the CAPTUR, seatbacks are available from the side of the car complete with seat belts and head restraints.

Then there’s the matter of the fiber ropes, which are used predominantly in the CAPTUR’s interior. "The whole of the interior is designed around this network of stretched elastic ropes," explains Magali Gouraud-Borgers, the CAPTUR’s interior designer.

"They use graphics and light to bring rhythm to the overall design and reinforce the dynamic feel of the vehicle while also ensuring a lighter feel inside the cabin."

Performance

The Renault CAPTUR Concept will be powered by the brand’s own concept engine, an Energy dCi 160 Twin Turbo 1598cc engine that produces 160 horsepower with 380 Nm of torque mated to an Efficient Dual Clutch transmission. The CAPTUR Concept hits a top speed of 160 mph with a 0-60 mph time of eight seconds and CO2 emissions of 99g/km.

Pricing

It’s a concept crossover, which means that we probably won’t be seeing a production version of this vehicle anytime soon. Even if it did end up there, we don’t think it’s going to come with those luminescent fiber ropes.

Competition

Hard to find a suitable competition for the CAPTUR seeing as its chalk full of material we don’t even know about. Having said that, the last crossover concept that piqued our interest was the Kia KV7 Crossover, but while that concept was interesting in its own right, it still doesn’t come with the level of sophistication and audacity the CAPTUR Concept can proudly boast of.

 Fiber ropes in the interior has our attention
 Butterfly doors are awesome
 Overall style is a winner

 Concept form will never make it to production
 If it ends up in production, it’s going to be a stripped down version of the concept