If, when in town for instance, you want the car locked into battery-only drive, then you'll activate this 'EV' button on the fascia.

There are three, 'Pure' (which engages all-electric drive) joined by 'Sport' (which is engine-only) and 'My Sense' (which is a hybrid setting engineered to use both power sources most efficiently). What then happens once you get going depends on how much charge there is in the battery and which of the various driving modes you've selected. This plug-in Captur always pulls away on full-battery power. And, thanks to that, the kind of super-low CO2 reading that in turn, delivers a super-low Benefit-in-Kind tax liability. Our focus in this test though, is on this Plug-in Captur 160 model, which thanks to its much larger 9.8kWh battery can offer the commuting distance all-electric driving range that its self-charging E-TECH showroom stablemate lacks. The other is a more affordable variant you can't plug in, the E-TECH Hybrid 140, which uses the same powertrain fitted to petrol/electric versions of the Clio supermini and might actually be a better bet for quite a few customers perusing what's on offer here. There are actually two Captur E-TECH hybrid models. If you want this kind of tech when the time next comes to swap your car or your lease, then here's one of the most affordable ways to get it - Renault's Captur E-TECH Plug-in Hybrid 160, the PHEV version of our market's favourite Renault model. Slowly but surely, Plug-in Hybrid technology is beginning to get more affordable amongst family cars - and the list of choices available is gradually widening. Which all creates a car that's worth a second look. Here though, it's all presented with a combination of family friendly flexibility - the sliding rear bench for instance - and a bit of Gallic pizzaz courtesy of the available opportunities for bodywork and cabin customisation.

This compact crossover offers a 31 mile electric driving range and super-low Benefit-in-Kind taxation exposure, both things common in this class and highly valued by potential customers.

Renault has been a market leader in delivering Plug-in hybrid technology in smaller cars - models like this one, the Captur E-TECH Plug-in Hybrid 160.

Renault captur phev review