A camouflaged prototype of what has become known as the ‘Grand Captur’ has been spied testing in Europe this week, hinting at a new addition to the existing Captur range.
As its press-blessed moniker suggests, the so-called Grand Captur appears to be a stretched version of the compact SUV first revealed early in 2013.
In its regular form, the Captur measures 4122mm long, sitting at the entry point in Renault’s growing SUV range below the new Europe-only Kadjar, which is markedly longer at 4450mm.
The Grand Captur would therefore sit, relatively comfortably, in the small space between these two vehicles.
The purpose of this longer Captur is unclear for now, although the stretched wheelbase could hint at either a tiny third row of seating, or simply a little extra storage and rear leg room.
It is also possible that this longer version is being developed for the Chinese market, where buyers are particularly drawn to models with greater rear space.
That obsession has seen many carmakers produce China-specific versions of their models, all focused on offering a more comfortable experience in the second row.
Above: the Captur in its regular compact form
If this ‘Grand Captur’ is bound for the huge Chinese market, it would likely also be built there as part of Renault’s partnership with Dongfeng.
An Australian debut for this variant probably isn’t on the cards, with Renault more likely to focus on the regular Captur and the replacement for the Koleos.
The Kadjar would fit neatly between the two, but, for now, that too is not on the cards for Australia.
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