Renault has made its award-winning Captur even more of an attractive proposition with the addition of the highly distinctive Rive Gauche.

Sitting next to the R.S. Line trim at the top of the range, the Rive Gauche stands out from its Captur stablemates with an array of eye-catching design elements, both externally and within its inviting interior. Its elegant style pays homage to its namesake, the special edition’s title coming from the southern bank of the River Seine in Paris with Rive Gauche translating to “left bank” in French.

Only 800 of the Rive Gauche are destined for the UK, the limited production run adding to the special edition’s exclusivity and ensuring it will be highly sought-after by compact SUV buyers.

The Rive Gauche cuts a sophisticated dash with such exterior features as 18-inch glossy black diamond cut alloy wheels, black contrasting roof and wing mirrors, unique black ‘Renault’ and ‘CAPTUR’ badging, and a shark fin antenna. The striking glossy black finish also extends to the front and rear skid plates, front air intake surrounds, and lower door protection, all of which are complemented by metallic paint as standard in either Oyster Grey, Arctic White, Diamond Black or Flame Red.

Inside, the glossy black theme continues with a unique dashboard insert, while there is also a dark roof lining and specific black synthetic leather and cloth upholstery. In addition to the equipment of the S Edition, the Rive Gauche adds wireless phone charging capability and the EASY LINK infotainment system with a 9.3-inch portrait touchscreen.

The Rive Gauche can be specified with a choice of E-Tech Hybrid 145 or TCe 90 engines. The E-Tech Hybrid 145 complements the special edition’s style with the efficiency of an electrified drivetrain. Developed by Renault using technological innovations that originated in Formula 1 and utilising its vast electric vehicle expertise, the E-Tech Hybrid 145 works to provide more fun with less fuel. Twinned with a fully automatic transmission, the 1.6-litre engine enables a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds and returns combined fuel economy of 57.7mpg (WLTP) with CO₂ emissions of only 112g/km.

Standard equipment also includes full C-shape LED front signature lighting (daytime running lights), automatic high beam headlights, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, automatic air conditioning and Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™.

A comprehensive list of safety and driver assistance features include front and rear parking sensors with rear view camera, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Active Emergency Braking System (AEBS), speed limiter and cruise control.

Together with the rest of the Captur range, which also encompasses Limited, Iconic Edition, SE Edition and R.S. Line variants, the Rive Gauche can be purchased at any official Renault dealership.

The Rive Gauche is available to order now and is priced from £24,490 OTR.