Renault Captur Flagship SUV Discontinued In India: Here Are All Details

According to Autocar India, the brand did not have a good run with the Captur in the Indian market. The SUV was launched as the brand's flagship model in late 2017. Since then, Renault sold only 6,618 units until March 2020. This gives an average of 228 units per month, which is a poor number in an SUV loving market.

The Renault Captur shared its underpinnings with the Duster SUV in the brand line-up. It was the top-of-the-line model from the brand, however, the SUV lacked features and premium feel of the cabin as compared to its rivals in the segment.

After the BS6 norms came into effect, Renault also discontinued the much loved K9k diesel engine. This meant the demand for the SUV could have gone even lower. As a result, the company has decided to pull the plug on the SUV in the Indian market.

The Renault Captur was recently updated with an all-new platform in the international market with additional features. The company could have updated the Indian model as well. But this will make an already expensive SUV, even dearer and with low sales, the company decided to discontinue and concentrate on other successful models instead.

Renault had somehow managed to design the Captur giving it subtle looks, as compared to its segment rivals in the Indian market. Although the design made the SUV look contemporary, it was far away from the bold and muscular look of a conventional SUV. The design received a mix reaction from the Indian crowd and only appealed to niche buyers.

The Renault Captur was offered with two engine options: the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine produces 105bhp and 142Nm of torque, and the oil burner produced 110bhp and 240Nm of torque. The k9k 1.5-litre diesel engine has not been updated to meet BS6 emission standards.

The Renault Captur was placed in a highly competitive mid-size SUV segment in the Indian market. It took on the likes of the Hyundai Creta, the Kia Seltos, the MG Hector and its Japnese counterpart the Nissan Kicks; among others in the Indian market. Nissan upgraded the Kicks to BS6 standards with an all-new turbo-petrol engine. We expected the French automaker to do something similar with the Captur.

The company has decided to cut its losses and concentrate on the more successful model in its line-up. The new Kwid and the all-new Triber compact-MPV has been a runaway hit for the brand. Both models have brought in good volumes from the company.

The Renault Duster now becomes the flagship model for the brand, and it too has been suffering from sales numbers. However, the company will be launching a new turbo-petrol variant in the coming month which is aimed at boost sales of the SUV.

Another model in the company's pipeline is a new compact-SUV for the Indian market. Codenamed Kiger, the SUV is expected to launch sometime early next year. The SUV is expected to come with a host of features and a turbo-petrol engine as well — here are more details.

Thoughts About The Renault Captur Flagship SUV Discontinued In India

The current situation in the auto industry demands a lean business structure. As a result, we can see brands restructuring its line-up to remove models that are not performing in the market. The Renault Captur was certainly one of kind SUV with its subtle SUV looks that appealed to a niche audience in the country.