The first official image of the Renault Captur has been released ahead of the all-new Clio-based compact crossover’s unveiling on Friday.
The elegant-looking baby SUV will sit beneath the larger Koleos in the French car maker’s global line-up, taking on the likes of the Ford EcoSport, Holden Trax and its recently revealed compatriot, the Peugeot 2008, following its public debut at the 2013 Geneva motor show in March.
Although Renault is yet to officially confirm the Captur name, the pint-sized soft-roader is widely tipped to inherit the moniker from the high-riding crossover coupe concept that turned heads in Geneva two years earlier.
The Renault Captur (spotted by our spy photographers in September) shares its basic underpinnings with the new fourth-generation Renault Clio city car that debuted in Paris last September and goes on sale in Australia during the third quarter of this year.
The Captur is expected to borrow a number of engines from the Clio, including its 89kW/190Nm 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol and 67kW/220Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel powerplants.
It’s unclear at this stage whether the Captur will be offered with an all-wheel-drive option or if it will be a strict front-driver in the pursuit of optimum fuel efficiency.
Renault Australia corporate communications manager Emily Ambrosy said the new crossover model was not officially confirmed for our market at this stage, but admitted a 2014 launch appeared the “most likely scenario”.
Stay tuned for more details on the all-new Renault Captur on Friday.
