With the Toyota Yaris Cross match against the Renault Captur E-Tech, the battle for small SUVs is shifting to hybrid terrain. These two models offer different technologies, but their benefits are similar.
Test cars: Renault Captur vs Toyota Yaris Cross
| Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid Intens | |
|---|---|
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€ 29,900 no bonus |
| Toyota yaris cross 116h Collection | |
|
€ 30,500 no bonus |
If the name hybrid is sometimes overused by manufacturers, who use this qualifier to designate simple micro-hybrid systems that do not allow driving electric, with Toyota and Renault the promise is real. The first is the world leader in hybridization, the second converted to it in 2020 with its E-Tech technology. The two manufacturers have also shared the top five places in the non-plug-in hybrid market in France since the start of 2021 thanks to the Yaris, Clio, Captur, Corolla and C-HR. Their confrontation today takes a new turn with the arrival of the Yaris Cross hybrid facing the Captur E-Tech.
A new model in the Toyota range, the new Yaris Cross has been available since September 2021. Its technical base is that of the Yaris city car, but it has its own SUV look and a more generous size which brings it closer to the French: length 4.18 m against 4.23 m for the Captur. Its unique 116 hp hybrid engine is made up of a 92 hp three-cylinder thermal engine and an 80 hp electric motor. The whole is driven by a CVT type box, a mechanism proven for a long time at Toyota. Captur’s E-Tech technology offers more cumulative power with 145 hp, but it is also more complex. Here, the 91 hp four-cylinder thermal engine is assisted by two electric motors, one of which participates in the gear changes of the so-called multimodal clutch box.
Toyota Yaris Cross Collection price
No prize giveaways with the Yaris Cross. If the base price set at € 25,500 goes further, our version with a high-end Collection finish climbs to € 30,500. That’s a lot for a city SUV, but Toyota justifies this price by a seductive look in Collection (biton body, 18-inch alloy wheels) and flattering equipment. The endowment of series is even worthy of a model of the higher category by embarking head-up display, rear view camera, adaptive cruise control and heated front seats. So many optional or unavailable equipment on the Captur.
Renault Captur E-Tech Intens price
French is not there to soften the prices either. Its range, configured differently from that of the Toyota, is accessible from 27 € 600. And our trial version in Intens finish climbs to € 29,900. There too the exterior look is neat, adopting the same recipes as the Japanese but with additional chrome which gives the vehicle a more upscale appearance. On the other hand, if it also has a good endowment of series, the Captur does not hold the comparison with the Yaris Cross since it must add some 2,000 € of options to match his competitor (see table on next page).
To drive
The driving position of the Yaris Cross is close to that of a sedan with a low seat if desired. The hybrid propulsion ensures smooth travel in town, where this small SUV operates mainly in electric mode up to 40 km / h for the benefit of silence and consumption. The good visibility towards the outside and the compact size allow to slip easily in urban environment, predilection ground of the Japanese. Thanks to the cumulative power of 116 hp the performance is correct, with good thrust at the start when the two engines are working together. The management lacks responsiveness to make driving joyful, but the disappointment comes mostly from the noise level a little too high. The three-cylinder gives voice under load, and the wheel arches lack caulking. The 18-inch rims in our version are not ideal in these conditions. They also do not help to soften the road feel, a little firm at low speed.
Equipped with 18-inch rims, the Captur Hybrid Intens is no more a carpet fly at low speed. But, once the few dry reactions of the chassis in town have passed, everything is back to normal. Driving in an urban environment is comparable to that of the Yaris Cross, punctuated by numerous phases in electric taxiing. Too bad the sound signal for pedestrians, which is triggered under 30 km / h, is too audible in the passenger compartment. The start-up of the four-cylinder is more discreet than that of the Japanese three-cylinder, but the operation of the dog clutch sometimes gives rise to unpleasant transmission noises.
With 145 hp of cumulative power against 116 hp at the Toyota, it was thought that the Captur would be much more valiant in terms of performance compared to its rival. In reality, the gap is not that huge. The reason ? Japanese are almost 200 kg lighter. This hunt for pounds at Toyota testifies to the no.1 obsession of the designers of the Yaris Cross: reducing CO emissions as much as possible2, therefore consumption. Nevertheless, the driving pleasure is better on the French side with a greater feeling of “roundness” of the mechanics and a more responsive chassis.
It is obviously the consumption of these hybrid engines that are closely scrutinized because they replace the diesel that Renault has abandoned on its Captur and which Toyota has not thought about for a long time on this type of car. No disappointment on that side and even a good surprise in town and in peri-urban use, where Yaris Cross and Captur Hybrid remain easily below the 5 l / 100 km mark. Consumption that climbs by 0.5 l with reasoned use on the road. The Toyota has always been a little more sober than the Renault during our test, without however making a significant difference for the fuel budget. In exchange for this frugality, we must accept the not always satisfactory approval of hybrid systems. Although more limited than in the past, the thermal engine of the Yaris Cross in conjunction with the CVT box still rises more than reason in the revs during acceleration. As for the Captur, its battery management triggers the thermal engine at times when you do not expect it, with an unpleasant feeling of runaway. With practice, we get used to it …
On board
If the Yaris Cross takes care of its exterior look (very important for a small SUV), it relaxes in the cabin with a very classic presentation and furniture mostly covered with hard and dark plastics. The assemblies are executed with care, but the atmosphere is not very warm compared to that of the Captur, which displays a higher standard with its more qualitative plastics and its aluminum-like veneers. The savings are found in several places in the Toyota: central armrest too hard at the front, no ventilation grid at the back or USB socket, and a trunk shelf that is not one since it is a net that does not fit very serious (its only merit is to bend to store when it is not used). Our last complaint concerns access to the rear seats, which is difficult because of the narrow passage for the feet between the central pillar and the bench.
On all the aforementioned points, the Renault Captur makes no concessions. It even drives home the point by offering an easier installation in the rear and better passenger legroom thanks to its more generous wheelbase and sliding bench seat. On the multimedia side, the Captur Intens is equipped with a 7-inch touch screen, but it can optionally be equipped with the Easy Link system with a 9.3-inch vertical screen (as in the photos). The Yaris Cross hosts a 9-inch touch screen and above all a new multimedia interface which brings it into a more modern era compared to what we find aboard the Yaris, C-HR and Corolla. The two small SUVs receive Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections as standard, essential on a new vehicle in 2021.
