RENAULT CAPTUR E-TECH

New version of Renault's full hybrid system comes to compact SUV

- MURRAY SCULLION

We've come to accept that CVTs moo, but assigning a farmyard animal to Renault's Full Hybrid E-Tech system is quite hard. It can deliver a CVT-like moo from the chest, but it can also offer up something more gravelly, and on occasion it can be near silent. Basically, it isn't the quietest or smoothest full hybrid system in the pen. But it is new.

The engine has grown from 1.6 to 1.8 litres, making this Captur crossover more than a second quicker from 0-62mph than before, while the battery has grown from 1.3kWh to 1.4kWh for extra electric-only driving. Renault has also made a few software changes in response to complaints from owners and reviewers about noise, vibration, drivability and overall oddness. But they haven't worked.