Renault Captur PHEV under study for Australia

Renault has signalled its reduced focus on electrification in Australia will be temporary, confirming it wants to bring the plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation Captur small SUV down under.

But while the ICE-powered second-generation Captur will be launched here by early 2021, the petrol-electric plug-in hybrid E-Tech won’t be seen for some time.

“The earliest we would get it is in a couple of years” Renault Australia spokesman Andrew Ellis told EVcentral.com.au.

“We are very, very interested and it is something we want but for us next year it will be internal combustion.”

Renault Australia was an electrification early adopter in Australia, launching the Zoe EV in 2017.

But in July it announced it wasn’t bringing the second generation to Australia and the Kangoo small van would be its sole battery electric vehicle.

At the same time Renault Australia also revealed it would be culling the non-RS Megane small car and Clio mini-car from its local range.

There are E-Tech versions of the Megane and Clio – the latter an orthodox hybrid – as well as the Captur and all three have just been launched in the right-hand drive UK market.

But given the recent model movements at Renault Australia, the Captur is the only E-Tech that is a chance to come here.

Ellis said Renault Australia recognised electrification as the future, hence its interest in Captur, but slow local uptake impacted timing.

“It will just take longer in Australia, for a multitude of reasons we are slower than elsewhere,” he said. “The good thing about Captur is it is a SUV and that is the most palatable electrified solution for Australia.

“We will watch with great interest how it performs in the UK and then we have to assemble the business case.”

Ellis indicated a hybrid version of the Arkana SUV coupe could also be a chance for Australia. ICE versions of that new model launch in Australia late in 2021.

Pricing in the UK for the Captur E-Tech starts at the equivalent of AU$55,000 – at least $25,000 more than the new ICE model will start at

Sold here at that price the E-Tech would have to contend with the likes of the Kona Electric BEV as well as plug-ins such as the Mini Countryman.

 The Captur E-Tech is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine sourced from Renault’s alliance partner Nissan and two electric motors, one that acts as an e-motor and the other as a high voltage starter-generator.

The battery is a 400v 9.8kWh 68 cell lithium-ion pack.

System power output is 118kW – making the E-Tech the most powerful Captur – while the ICE contributes 144Nm and the e-motors 205Nm of pulling power. Renault claims the E-Tech can deliver up to 48km of electrified emissions-free running (WLTP).

The 0-100km/h acceleration claim is 10.1 sec and the top speed in electric mode is 135km/h.

Based on Renault’s CMF-C/D architecture, the Captur E-Tech can run in pure electric mode, hybrid and ICE-only. It has guaranteed electric-only start and a B mode to capture energy lost under braking and deceleration.

Theoretical claimed fuel economy is 1.25L/100km with CO2 emissions of as little as 34g/km.

Renault claims its Formula 1 team influences E-Tech technology, including energy use and recovery and a multi-mode clutchless ‘dog’ six-speed gearbox that debuts here.

In the UK, Captur E-Tech buyers get a free 7kW home-charging wallbox. Zero to 100 per cent recharging takes approximately three hours.