Renault Captur now available with hybrid engine

Renault has added a hybrid option to its Captur range, strengthening its electrified offering.

The Captur E-Tech hybrid uses the same technology that debuted on the Clio E-Tech hybrid, which was engineered with input from the Alpine F1 team. It combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 1.2 kW lithium-ion battery and two electric motors, together with the automatic, multi-mode dog gearbox that features in all other E-Tech models. In operation, it starts the vehicle in electric mode.

The hybrid powertrain allows significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It is designed to use the optimal energy output to recharge the battery whenever the energy created is more than the required power. Then, kinetic energy recovered during deceleration or braking can be transformed into electrical energy to recharge the battery. The electrical energy is then in reserve to assist with acceleration, or for all-electric operation at lower speeds in urban areas, later in a journey.

The Captur’s hybrid powertrain offers three levels of energy regeneration and regenerative braking:

Battery regeneration during deceleration: When the driver lifts their foot off the accelerator and the gear selector is in D (Drive), the main electric motor works as a generator by recovering kinetic energy produced by the deceleration, turning it into electrical energy that is sent back to the battery.

B Mode: To recover more energy, the gear selector can be put into B (Brake) mode by nudging the gear selector backwards, allowing one pedal driving when driving in full electric mode, increasing the level of regeneration allowed by the battery, up to an idling speed of around 4mph.

Regenerative braking: When the brake pedal is depressed, braking is triggered electrically, with mechanical braking support from the brake pads if necessary. The electric motor provides additional braking here, recovering excess energy and returning it to the battery that can be deployed again later on.

The All-New Captur E-Tech Hybrid generates 145hp delivering a zero to 62mph time of 10.6 seconds and a maximum speed of 106mph. After the E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid, it is the most powerful Captur available. It blends this responsive performance with efficiency, emitting as little as 114g/km CO2 and delivering fuel economy of up to 56.6mpg.

As with other E-Tech equipped models, the All-New Captur E-Tech Hybrid features MULTI-SENSE driving mode selection. This sees the powertrain automatically adapt to the driving conditions and the way in which it is being driven – managing its power supply accordingly, as well as the battery regeneration opportunities.

The change from one mode to another is barely noticeable and requires no input from the driver – the E-Tech powertrain automatically decides the most appropriate mode for the situation to optimise efficiency and emissions, while continuing to deliver responsive and enjoyable driving.