Renault Captur Discontinued in India

Renault has discontinued its flagship SUV, the Captur in the Indian market. The main reason to shelve off the SUV is its low sales figures. Launched in 2017, the Captur had just recorded sales figure of 6618 units until March 2020. On average, it has just sold 228 units per month which are quite low. The SUV was placed in a highly competitive mid-size SUV segment in the market. It was competing against the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Hector, and Nissan Kicks. Being launched at a sticker price of Rs 9.99 lakhs (ex-showroom), the entry price was deemed too pricey in comparison to its competitors. Where the starting price of premium SUVs started bordering Rs 10 lakhs in 2019 only, the high sticker price of Captur failed to impress the Indian buyers.

In terms of design, Renault gave a contemporary look to the SUV which was far away from the bold and muscular look of the conventional SUV. The design was not appealing to most customers, leading to a downfall in the sales numbers. Like its European counterpart, the India-spec model was based on the MO platform. It shared its underpinnings with the Duster SUV. Being the top-of-the-line model from the brand, the Captur lacked features and premium feel of the cabin as compared to its rivals in the segment. In the international market, the Renault has updated the Captur with an all-new MO+ platform. The India-spec model did not get the update as this would have involved an additional cost. But due to the low sales number, the company preferred to discontinue this particular SUV and concentrate on its other successful models instead. However, the updated model of Renault Captur will continue to be sold at least in Russia and CIS markets.

Under the skin, the SUV was offered with two engine options. A 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that produced 105 bhp power and 142 Nm torque and the oil burner produced a power output of 110 bhp with 240 Nm of peak torque. The k9k 1.5-litre diesel engine was not updated to meet the BS6 Emission Norms. With the discontinuation of the diesel engine, the demand for the SUV decreased altogether. Thus, this is another reason why the company decided to discontinue the model. 

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