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By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 75

Renault's little Captur Crossover model has matured nicely in this smarter second generation guise. It's now a little bigger but as before, is a Clio-based design offering super-economical engines, some genuinely clever interior touches and no small dose of style. It'll appeal to supermini buyers wanting extra versatility as well as family hatchback customers in search of something more interesting and affordable. And it's the kind of car that'll certainly drive sales in this segment.

Background word count: 161

You can't fault the thinking behind the modern SUV Crossover, a class of car that aims to blend the versatility of a people carrying MPV, the attitude of a high-riding SUV and the sharp driving dynamics of a family hatchback. It's a segment that's now divided into a couple of sectors, the larger one typified by cars like Nissan's Qashqai and Peugeot's 3008 and based on Golf-sized models. The real sales growth though, is coming from smaller-sized supermini-based SUVs, cars that have built on the original success of Nissan's pioneering Juke and are now a hot ticket for almost every mainstream brand. Here's one of the most tempting - the second generation version of Renault's Captur. It continues to be based on the Clio supermini and is priced to sell at the more affordable end of this segment, claimed strongpoints being extra versatility and buyer personalisation, along with class-leading running costs and a decently responsive driving experience. Let's check it out.

Driving Experience word count: 207

So what's it like? If you're used to a supermini, the more commanding driving position will be welcome - unless you're the kind of enthusiastic owner who realises that with extra ride height, you usually also get extra body roll through the bends. Under the bonnet, there are now just two petrol units, the diesel and PHEV variants having been abandoned. The 91hp three-cylinder 1.0-litre TCe with a six-speed manual gearbox is the base option. We'd suggest a better bet though, would be the E-TECH Hybrid 145 model, a petrol/electric self-charging auto variant that delivers diesel-like efficiency figures. The original Captur hailed from an era where no one really expected a small SUV to handle with any real sense of driver engagement, but things have been changing in recent times and this Renault has tried to change with them. That might explain why the suspension doesn't have quite the same fluid kind of feel we remember from the original version of this car. But on the plus side, thanks to revised electric steering and a more sophisticated CMF-B platform, there's now much more of a purpose to the way this little crossover turns into bends - and a level of body control that certainly wasn't there before.