Renault Captur 2016 News

Renault may have become embroiled in an emissions cheating scandal of its own

The new-car market is set to break two records. It’s on track to become the biggest June to date

Australia's crash test authority ANCAP delivered another own goal this week, making it even more confusing for buyers wanting to know a car's true safety score.

The first carmaker to throw its weight behind independent safety testing in Australia is now questioning the value of ANCAP star ratings. Renault, which has been a long-term five-star maker, now says the Australasian New-Car Assessment Program is going down a blind alley by pursuing a unique local agenda at a time when Australian cars are less and less popular with consumers.Its attack turns on ANCAP's decision to downgrade its upcoming Captur SUV to a four-star ranking, after a five-star result in Europe, because it will not be fitted with rear airbags. “They are pushing themselves off to obscurity,” the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide.“I think ANCAP is at risk of misleading Australians. It is encouraging Australians to buy a car that could be of a lower safety standard, yet have a higher airbag count. That's the shame.” Hocevar says he has asked ANCAP for answers to a range of questions but is yet to get a satisfactory reply.“We're asking them to please come and justify, with data from Australia, why they have a right to second-guess EuroNCAP. With fewer and fewer locally-made cars, what are they testing? And why would they differ?“EuroNCAP crash tests far more vehicles every year than ANCAP. And it's one that is moving forward. Not one putting out papers and then deviating from the rest of the world.“They have essentially refused to answer any of our enquiries. They seem to prefer a public debate through the press, instead of responding with data-driven answers.”Renault has already achieved matching five-star ratings from EuroNCAP and ANCAP for its baby Clio, which does not have rear airbags, but that car was introduced before the 2014 start date for a new ANCAP requirement for five-star cars.It's part of a safety roadmap that tightens the requirements and demands extra safety equipment for a five-star score in coming years. “It does call into question what vehicles will be rated in the future. They have already given five stars to a number of vehicles that do not have rear airbags.”Hocevar says he intends to promote the Captur as a five-star vehicle, regardless of the ANCAP score. “As far as we're concerned, we're going to communicate that the car is a five-star car and that it's a EuroNCAP rating.“From our point of view, the message is clear. We don't want to mislead anyone. They (ANCAP) may take a view that the vehicle is downgraded, but we will communicate that it's with the most relevant testing authority.”Hocevar also intends to confirm to shoppers that the Captur, like the Clio, was designed without rear airbags because they are not needed to achieve five-stars. “We have not de-contented the Captur. It was designed and built with a number of airbags and it achieved the highest possible safety rating.“A car with less-robust design and construction could have a bunch of airbags and not get five stars. That's where customers are potentially being misled.” Hocevar admits that he could avoid an ANCAP confrontation by advancing the Captur's Australian on-sale date into the back end of 2013, but he does not intend to be that mischievous.“Yes, I could just stick one on a plane, bring it out and then tell them it's been launched,” Hoceva laughs. “But I'm not going to put the launch of the vehicle ahead of schedule just to get a better ANCAP score, when I think it's so misguided.”This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

The baby SUV is set to be docked a star by NCAP in Australia because it is not fitted with rear airbags, even though it has just received the top five-star ranking from European NCAP without them.It will also take the hit because it must pass a roof-crush test, although that is in the plan for ANCAP testing in 2014.The head of ANCAP, Nicholas Clarke, says he is stunned that Renault is not demanding cars for Australia with rear airbags because the Captur follows the Clio which is also airbag-free in the rear."It beggars belief that they could not get it up. If they are going to sell the car here then that is what we require," he tells Carsguide."It strikes me as a bit odd that this has blown up. I understand that Renault is not happy about it."But he is adamant."The Captur result will be capped at four stars. It's required to have rear curtain airbags, or rear head protection technology. The other thing for the Captur is that from 2014 we require a roof crush result. That's mandatory for five stars from January."He admits the Captur could clear the roof hurdle, and ANCAP is intending to check that locally by buying a car to test, but says all carmakers including Renault have had plenty of warning about the rear-airbag requirement for a local five-star ranking."In our forward plan, which we developed from about 2009 and then published at the beginning of 2011, it was made clear at that time that from 2014 we would require head protecting technology in the rear and the roof.""This was negotiated with industry through the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, which Renault is a member of. It shouldn't be news to anybody."Clarke also says Renault has a long history with five-star cars and rear airbags, and questions the decision not to fit them in the Clio and Captur."There are lots of small cars with full-length rear airbags. So it's not impossible to fit them. I think, also, that Renault have had curtain airbags in the rear for a number of years."Despite the push-back from NCAP in Australia, the result for European NCAP is the fifteenth five star result for Renault and backs the recent result for the Clio on which the Captur is based.

This stunning admission, by Captur project chief Christophe Pejout, comes as he also admits the French company is targeting its safety development work

A new SUV battlefield is about to open in Australia as Renault confirms local sales of its swish new Captur crossover.The Captur is smaller than the current compact contenders - including the Honda CR-V, Hyundai ix35, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 - and the French brand believes it will also be a hit with younger shoppers.It is aiming for a sub-$20,000 starting price. Its most-likely rival is the Subaru XV, although Nissan is also coming soon with its funky Juke. The Captur is not a totally-done-deal yet, but everything points to sales early next year as the car is previewed in production form at the Geneva motor show."The first half of 2014 is when it's looking likely for Australia," the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, reveals to Carsguide. "Our business plan for Australia is looking very positive. We've still got a few hurdles to clear, but I don't think any are insurmountable. I had some very positive meetings last week in Paris."The Captur has been converted almost directly from an edgy concept car designed by its new styling chief, one-time Mazda man Laurens van den Acker. Its name has also been brought along for showrooms.Renault believes it's a city-focussed crossover and it definitely hits the same keys as the successful Range Rover Evoque, although the French brand is being more practical with a sliding rear bench seat, a multi-position boot floor, an 11-litre drawer-style glovebox and a range of infotainment systems including the R-Link approach to connectivity.It even weights the same as the latest Clio 3 to boost its efficiency. "As the brand's first urban crossover, Captur combined all the advantages of the MPV, SUV and family hatchback," says van den Acker.The Captur is based on the latest Clio compact so it's only 4.1 metres long and 1.7 metres wide, but it rolls on either 16 or 17-inch alloys and has jacked up suspension for the getaway look. Renault describes the cabin space as "generous".Keyless entry and hill-start assist are standard across the range, but Renault Australia is yet to confirm equipment including zip-off seat covers, a rear camera or the R-Link system.The mechanical focus at Geneva is on the EDC dual-clutch gearbox and turbo petrol 90 engine which gives 4.9 litres/100km, but there are two petrol and two diesel engines for the Captur. Hocevar is confident the Captur will open a new SUB category, based on its size and price."There's not a lot there in that size, especially in Australia. It's a light-class crossover, smaller than a Nissan Dualis and more like a Nissan Juke or Opel Mokka," he says."We haven't touched on the price yet. But, based on what's in the market, it's highly likely that the entry model will be in the very high teens or early $20,000s."This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover 

The Captur will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1 and already the French company is talking about its potential impact. It follows Renault's great looking two-seater DeZir coupe concept and was created under the direction of new design chief, Laurens van den Acker."I'm quite sure the Captur is being used to test design cues for future production models. It's not exactly like what we'll see but it gives a very good taste," says Justin Hocevar, managing director of Renault Australia. "This is part of a concept vehicle stratgegy that kicked off with DeZir.Laurens Van Den acker is communicating the future design direction and this is the next instalment. We're exploring all avenues to grow." The Captur is said by Renault to preview a future road car. "Captur is a fun and sporty crossover, ideal for a young couple about to discover the world," says van den Acker.It is powered by a twin-turbo diesel engine for plenty of punch with low CO2 emissions of just 99 grams/kilometre. Renault says it has a 0-100km/h sprint time of 8.0 seconds thanks to an engine with 180 kiloWatts and 380 Newton-metres from just 1.6 litres.It is also fitted with a locking mechanical differential, to boost its front-wheel drive traction in slippery conditions, and a forward looking camera at the top of the windscreen - called Visio-system - to provide the sort of driver-assistance functions already available at Volvo, Benz and other brands.Hocevar says he is looking forward to the arrival of the next-generation Renault models as he continues work to rebuild the brand's support in Australia. The Megane got price cuts and a new hero car last year and he says the results are starting to show among shoppers. "We've still got a long way to go with rebuilding the brand in Australia, but our enquiry has increased to record levels," he says."It's under the halo of the RS250, which is a hero car that has really helped put the brand back on the map. I think we've done a very good job of positioning these cars at the appropriate levels. We're sitting against premium Japanese compact cars as an entry to the European market."