Renault Captur E-Tech 2020 UK first drive

The E-Tech has three confusingly named driving modes: Pure, Sport and My Sense, which you’ll know better as ‘Electric’, ‘Combustion’ and ‘Hybrid’. In the last of these, the transition between the two power sources is all but seamless, and at low revs, the petrol motor is barely more discernible than its electric team-mate. It starts to make a bit of a din when you get a hustle on, though, and remains in a low gear for some time after kickdown, making overtakes and motorway merges a noisy experience. However, it belies its unforced induction with decent mid-range grunt and sufficient shove off the line.  

On mixed roads, and with judicious use of the (non-variable) regenerative brakes, it’s possible to top up the traction battery quite quickly, making last-mile EV running a realistic daily proposition, should your commute take you into high-traffic areas. That’s an especially attractive proposition, given the competence of the electric element of this powertrain: pleasingly swift take-up accompanied by a faint background whirring means this doesn’t feel like a functionality that’s been baked in for the sake of compliance, more a welcome injection of future-proofing that will suit - and enhance the ownership experience for - a much wider target market. The silence of the EV motor is a bit of a double-edged sword, though, because tyre roar, wind noise and suspension clunks soon fill the silence. Not unbearably so, but enough to blemish a package that’s otherwise up there with the most refined of them. 

With its 7.5kWh battery mounted under the rear seat, the Captur is claimed to be capable of 30 miles of EV running, and our test suggests that’s a realistic projection. As with all PHEVs, the combined WLTP consumption figures are less easy to replicate in real life - the Captur’s is claimed at an astounding 188.3mpg - but it’s hardly a thirsty old beast, in any case. Once you’ve worked out how to treat the powertrain to maintain the optimal combination of petrol and electricity, you’ll likely find it an agreeable everyday companion, if not one that’s particularly engaging. 

In terms of outright dynamic verve - a characteristic that the vast majority of its buyers are unlikely to interrogate - the Captur can’t shade its conventionally fuelled counterparts. Where the Ford Puma brings poise and exploitability on a par with the lower-riding Fiesta, and the diminutive Seat Arona coasts over imperfections with almost unparalleled serenity, the Captur fails to hide the weight penalty brought about by electrification. Speed bumps are met with a harsh jolt if tackled at anything approaching the posted speed limit, and Britain’s notoriously crumbling Tarmac sends an almost persistent judder up through the steering column and through the seat bases. Rougher stretches of road verge on downright uncomfortable.