The plug-in hybrid is seen by a lot of manufacturers as the solution to comply with the stricter emission rules.
However, in the meantime, regular hybrids are becoming more and more popular as well. Without a plug. Honda has been moving into that...
territory for years now, and the most recent Jazz is only available as a hybrid. Renault has taken the leap as well, with a hybrid version...
of the Captur. And you might think 'a Honda Jazz isn't an SUV, why would you even put it up against a Captur?'
But you've clearly haven't thought about the Crosstar-version. That's slightly higher up, it's got widened arches and a different nose.
And as you can see, it has now become a very cool, good-looking and a very urban crossover. Or not.
Anyway, it's been toughened up in comparison to the regular Jazz, and that's why we're comparing it to the Captur.
In the meantime, this is a special Captur. It's an RS-line, and the Captur wasn't available in that trim before.
It was launched at the same time as the Hybrid, so you can now have your Captur with a unique, sportier front bumper, bigger wheels and RS-line on the fender.
On the inside, an RS-line looks a tad sportier than a regular Captur as well. For example, you've got red accents everywhere. Even...
on the seatbelt, which is nice. Other than that, it really reminds us of the Clio. The whole interior looks very similar.
Before I continue, I want to make clear that this isn't the new Captur plug-in hybrid. Because Renault has one of those.
We've already tested that as well, but shortly after Renault introduced that plug-in hybrid, they introduced this one.
It's officially called Captur E-Tech Hybrid 145, and it's just a regular hybrid. It's got the same drivetrain, only with less power and a...
smaller battery pack. You aren't able to charge it with a cable and you can't drive it electrically for longer distances. It's a plugless hybrid.
We already know the drivetrain from the Clio and the new Arkana. And the funny thing is that it's called 145 in here and the Arkana,
whilst it's called 140 in the Clio. And the number stands for the amount of horsepower it has. So it actually differs.
For the Captur and for the Arkana, Renault has recalibrated the engine, which means it now puts out 143 horsepower. Not exactly 145,
but it's three horsepower more than in the Clio. Not that you're going to notice anything about that.
What you do notice is that it's a special piece of technology. We already know that from the Clio, but Renault has developed the hybrid...
drivetrain in a slightly different way. It's powered by a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine, which was originally developed by Nissan.
It's connected to two electric motors, and one of those electric motors has two gears. Also, it's got a 4-speed automatic gearbox.
It all works in a way that there isn't any need for a clutch or a torque converter. The second electric motor is used for matching the revs,
and the advantage is that the car is able to work as a parallel hybrid and a series hybrid, according to Renault. That means it's able to...
always choose the right configuration. However, it does so without feeling elastic and distant like other hybrids with CVT-transmissions.
And Renault has partly succeeded in that plan. It doesn't feel out of breath, it doesn't feel that elasticky. Sure, when you put your foot...
it revs, but it's not screaming its lungs out like in other hybrids. On the other hand, it doesn't feel natural either.
That's because it has to make a lot of choices between different drivetrains, different gears and gear settings. You name it.
And that's something you notice. It's constantly calculating, and that can result in a delay when you want to accelerate.
And sometimes, it accelerates more than you'd expect, because the engine kicks in all of a sudden.
And it's not disastrous or anything. It's not like the car feels shocky, but it just feels different. Something you'll have to get used to.
Also, it's not always as refined. Luckily, there's always enough power to play with. Sure, it's less than in the plug-in hybrid, but it's a lot lighter as well.
And 140 horsepower is more than enough for a Captur. However, if you look at the hard numbers, it's not that quick off the line.
That's mostly because of the delay you have when you set off from a standstill. If you're already rolling along,
it performs very easily. And it feels the part as well.
Other than that, it's just a Captur, and that's good news. It has a very nice drive. It's very accessible and comfortable.
The only thing I don't really like is the seating position. I think I'm too high up, but for a lot of other people, that's an advantage.
What's an advantage for a lot of other people as well, is the fact that it has a very nice interior. It still looks very modern,
but it does depend on the version you select. This is a very lavishly equipped version, so you've got a nice vertical screen and a floating part...
inbetween the seats, which has the drive selector. That's not available in all versions, but even if you don't get those options,
the interior still looks very good. The design is original and the used materials are all alright..
If you get into the Honda Jazz coming out of the Captur, you'll immediately know that this isn't an SUV at all.
The seating is much lower to begin with. The positioning is actually better relative to the steering wheel though.
It feels more like an MPV to be honest. That's partly because of the big windscreen, but also because of the deep dashboard and an extra...
set of windows, which provide a lot of light and thus a lot of visual space.
The interior looks very tight. They've used a lot of hard plastics though. Even for the dashboard over here.
At least in the Renault, they tried to use softer materials. On the other hand, the build quality is very good in this Jazz.
Everything you touch feels incredibly decent. Also, they have thought all the ergonomics through very well. So you can easily find what you're looking for.
So it feels like a very thought-through car, despite the hard plastics they've used. It does feel a little bit premium.
What's typical for an MPV as well is the amount of storage space. You've got two glove compartments, some cupholders or something on the dashboard,
so you can always put away your loose stuff. And that's a big advantage.
Just like Renault, Honda has a quirky view when it comes to hybrid technology. So we're talking a different technology again than we know...
from Toyota or other European competitors. And Honda uses the same system we already know from the CR-V. However, they've used a smaller...
engine so there's less power. But the principle it runs by, is that the engine can only be connected to the wheels at a certain gear.
So only when you're driving at high speeds, like on the motorway, the engine is powering the wheels. At lower speeds, because there is...
no gearbox, the combustion engine serves as a generator for the electric motor. In turn, that electric motor powers the wheels.
That's why the system output of 109 horsepower, as stated by Honda, applies only to the electric motor. And the same goes for the torque.
The indicated amount of torque it produces, is the amount of torque the electric motor produces. It has nothing to do with the combustion engine.
In the real world, it all works out smoothly. It kind of behaves like a CVT-gearbox, even though there's some kind of 'gear change' incorporated in there.
Despite that, it feels rapid and it feels a little more linear than the Renault. When you put your foot down, you'll always know what's happening.
And it always happens in the same way. Also, it's always incredibly smooth, because there's no need for gear changes.
I do have to say, whenever you do put your foot down, you can clearly hear the engine. On the other hand, it produces its power relatively...
easily. And that comes as quite the surprise, especially if you compare that with the power output from the Renault.
It's quite a big difference. 109 horsepower for the Honda versus 143 horsepower for the Captur. However, whenever it comes to sprints,
the Honda beats the Captur. Other than that, you won't notice the power gap. And it doesn't stop there. The Honda is a very nice car to drive, just like...
the Renault. The Jazz even is a tad more comfortable than the Captur. Especially when you encounter a speedbump, the Jazz processes them much...
better. The steering is direct and precise, so I can actually call this a very nice car to be in.
And then there's the fuel consumption. A pretty important factor when it comes to hybrids.
I don't know the exact figures yet from the Honda, but I do know that it's more economical on paper than the Captur. And in the Captur...
I was easily able to reach 16 kilometres per litre. So you can count on it that both cars will be very economical.
A big advantage of the Honda Jazz has always been the amount of space it had to offer, and this Crosstar is no exception.
It has only three litres less than a regular Jazz, and that's because the Crosstar has a more comprehensive sound system with a subwoofer.
That's a difference you won't really notice. But having said that, a regular Captur will still offer more luggage space than a regular Jazz.
That's not very strange, because it's longer and taller. However, this is not a regular Captur. This is a hybrid. And that changes a lot.
Now we've got two cars which barely differ, only judging by net litres. If the rear seats are up, the Captur wins it, but if you fold them down,
the Jazz is more spacious. But that's not the whole story, so allow me to tell you.
Compared to a plug-in hybrid Captur, this car is much more practical. That's because you've got this compartment over here that you can use.
That also means you can lower the boot floor, so you've got the full 300 litres available. However, that's less than in a regular Captur,
and that's because the whole floor has been raised to incorporate the battery pack. If you fold down the seats, the Captur is about just...
as spacious as the Jazz. However, the difference in here is that the loading floor isn't flat. If you want to utilize all of the litres, you'll have to lower...
the floor which results in some sort of a bump here. Also, the opening is a lot smaller than in the Jazz and the loading height in the middle...
is much more limited. That's because the seats of the Jazz don't only fold away forwards, they also go down in the car.
And with that, the Jazz clearly is the more practical car of the two. Even when the net amount of litres is pretty much the same.
And that trend continues on the rear seat. Having said that, the seating in the back of the Captur is more than decent for me and my 1.84 m. self.
Although, the headroom could be better. If you're taller than me, you might be in trouble. So I would get into the Honda, because that's more spacious in...
all directions. I do have to say, you can move about this rear seat. Even as a hybrid. On the other hand, Honda has the 'magic seats',
which means you can fold the seats up. That way, you can haul tall things, which can be handy as well.
If you want a Crosstar at Honda, you'll be done pretty quickly. Crosstar is a trim level for the Jazz, which will cost you €31.500 without extra's.
However, you do get almost everything you can get for the Jazz for that price. That does mean it's a tad more expensive than the simplest...
Captur Hybrid, but if you want a regular Jazz, the Honda becomes cheaper again. If you equip them like these particular cars, the price difference is...
incredibly small. For the Captur, this second E-Tech-version is a very welcome addition to the range.
For example, it's just a tad cheaper than the only other petrol version with an automatic gearbox, so private buyers will find this a good deal.
At the same time, the Honda does a lot of things better. Also, it's more practical and it offers more refinement. Especially when it comes to...
the drivetrain. So it could win the comparison on points, but I can still understand if people choose the Captur. You still have to live with the looks of the...
Jazz. Crosstar or not.