This cute little crossover concept, unveiled on Thursday by Carlos Ghosn, ahead of its world debut at the 2011 Geneva auto show, is the second concept car to demonstrate Renault's new design strategy.
The first was the two-seater DeZir - shown at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show - which symbolised “falling in love”; this one, the Captur, expresses people exploring the world around them.
According to director of design Laurens Van den Acker it defines the simple, warm style that will be extended to future Renault car designs.
“The Captur takes the fundamental design language introduced on the DeZir concept car,” he explained, “and adds a more functional dimensions.
Just as with the DeZir, angles, corners and lines have given way to natural curves. For the exterior designer, Julio Lozano, the main sources of inspiration were athletes and radical sports.
“I started with the image of a sprinter on the starting blocks,” he explained, adding that the design also referenced the helmets, gloves and other protective gear used in radical sports, combining high technology with sophistication and lightness.
The Captur also has the new front treatment first defined by the DeZir with a large central Renault logo, set vertically against a dark surface so as to stand out clearly.
Finished in several different shades of orange - depending on the material - it has butterfly doors and big tyres fitted to 22-inch black and white rims, with a removable hard-top over a carbon-fibre framework, so it can transform itself from a coupé to a convertible, from an urban vehicle to an off-roader.
The orange theme has been carried over to the cabin which has fluorescent highlights “inspired by the human body, outdoor sports and urban styling”, according to colour and trim designer Kana Watanabe.
The front seats are attached to the centre console as if suspended in mid-air and the centre console, door trims and fascia are made of translucent material rather like a second skin, showing off the high-tech fibre ropes, luminescent in places, which have been used for most of the passenger compartment.
Inerior designer Magali Gouraud-Borgers said: “The interior is designed around this network of stretched elastic ropes which bring to mind the worlds of sailing or mountain climbing.”
The aluminium pedals, carbon bucket-style front seats and steering wheel trimmed in grey textured leather reassert the sporting side of the design.
The rear of the car is a multi-purpose area lined with three layers of rope; the stretched cords allow items to be tied down and are elastic enough to relax on in comfort, like a hammock.
But there are also two retractable seatbacks in the sides, complete with seat belts and head restraints, enabling the Captur to accommodate four people.
The Captur has an Energy dCi 160 twin-turbo diesel - intended to the replace the 1.9 dCi in future models - that's rated at 118kW and 380Nm from as low as 1750rpm and emits only 99g/km of CO2. It drives through a dual-clutch gearbox and a new type of mechanical self-locking differential - codenamed RX2 - that transfers all or part of the engine's torque to the wheel with the most grip.
It's also the first application of the Visio-System, a forward-facing camera mounted at the top of the windscreen “that embeds synthesised images into real-time images of the road ahead displayed on a central screen to enhance the driver's perception of the external world by superimposing purpose-designed elements”.
Renault says the system helps reduce driving stress, for a relaxed, reassuring drive. We'll reserve judgement until we've tried it.
The new design strategy, it says, is based on bonds that build between the brand and its customers as they go through the many experiences of life: when they fall in love, begin to explore the world, start a family, work, take time off to play, and gain wisdom.