While the French automaker has long benefited from the success of the small Captur crossover, it didn’t offer much in other segments for those interested in a car with higher ground clearance. However, the situation is changing rapidly.
While the Renault Captur was a success for the French, the Korean-based Kadjar and Koleos models did not perform well for the automaker. At the same time, cars with higher ground clearance have been the most dynamic segment for at least the last fifteen years.
Renault is moving closer to the successful Arkana, Austral and Espace SUVs, to which it recently added an electric novelty in the form of the Scenic E-Tech model and the coupé-style Rafale flagship with an upcoming plug-in hybrid drive of up to 300 horsepower . However, it won’t put an end to the flow of taller cars.
In Renault’s plans there is also a model that would fill the gap between the small capture (4227 mm) and the compact austral (4510 mm). So far the most frequent speculation was about the premiere of the stretched Captur model, which would offer more space for crew and luggage, but this option has not yet been publicly confirmed. However, the brand has already taken this path with the new Renault Espace, which is, accordingly, an enlarged Austral. A uniquely designed variant is therefore less likely. If only because of the higher costs, which may not be returned for a model with a price of around 700,000.
Although the novelty will most likely be based on the CMF-B platform for smaller cars (as well as Clio, Captur and Arkana models), conceptually it should be closer to the compact segment. After all, even Bruno Vanel, vice president of Renault, says that the French brand could focus too much on the B segment (small cars), while the interest of European customers is more concentrated on the upper category (lower middle class).
According to Vanel, Renault will also continue the upward shift of the mainstream, which manifests itself, for example, in the high-quality materials in the interiors of the new Renaults and in advanced multimedia content with an Android-based operating system.
Unlike the recently introduced Austral/Espace duo, the smaller model will have a nose in the style of the smaller Clio, Scenic E-Tech and flagship Rafale SUV. This means the end of the “saber-toothed” front headlights with a lower line, which are replaced by vertical LED light segments on the sides of the front bumper.
2024-01-22 07:00:00
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