Chevrolet Captiva

11:02am Friday 4th April 2008

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BIG on space, big on practicality, big on value the Chevrolet Captiva is winning a lot of plaudits.

The Captiva displays the "bow tie" badge of the American giant with a sense of authority, while all around are smooth curves and attractive headlamp styling, presenting an aura of security and beefiness.

And anyone stepping inside this vehicle for the first time will be pleasantly surprised by what's on offer for both drivers and passengers.

In profile, the Captiva looks reassuringly expensive - and certainly more so than the showroom price of between £17,000 and £25,000.

The entry-level car is in fact a 2.4-litre petrol variant. However, it doesn't come with all-wheel drive, which is fitted to the manual and automatic diesel-powered cars, and lacks the pulling muscle and frugality of the oil-burners.

Chevrolet's 2.0-litre diesel is a pleasant surprise: it's refined and will carry you and up to six passengers for 37 miles on a gallon of fuel. Yes, there's a fair amount of clatter at start-up, but once it gets into its stride it proves to be great company.

It's also capable of reaching 60mph in a respectable 11.5 seconds and seems to thoroughly enjoy itself at motorway speeds.

A big bonus is the choice of a five or seven-seater, which means you can tailor your choice of model to your needs for load and passenger-carrying.

But with a price difference of little more than £1,000 between the two, it would make sense to go for the seven-seater option. Admittedly, the third row of two seats is more suited to children, but it folds flat when not in use. With the second row also folded flat, an enormous load space measuring almost nine feet in length is created.

The list of standard kit on the LT-specification cars includes air-conditioning, 17-inch alloys, eight-speaker CD audio system plus an auxiliary jack and steering wheel remote controls, ESP, cooled glovebox, leather-covered steering wheel and on-demand four-wheel system.

The all-wheel drive system allows power to be directed to the front wheels in most circumstances, and only brings the all-wheel drive element into effect when needed.

If you want to push the boat out, the flagship LTX cars come with the aforementioned seven seats, full leather upholstery, 18-inch wheels, heated front seats, electrically folding door mirrors, cruise control, auto headlights and wipers, climate control and a six-disc CD changer.

If that long list fails to totally impress, the driving experience should seal the deal. No SUV is going to raise a smile with keen drivers, but the Captiva - in diesel form at least - feels able and willing whatever the conditions. The ride is comfortable over most roads, while visibility is good thanks to the lofty driving position. The steering, brakes and manual gearshift work as you'd expect, and the whole package gives the impression of thoughtfulness in the design.

There seems to be a storage place at every turn, and the ability to open the rear window independently of the tailgate is a nice touch, too.

On the safety front, all models come with with twin front and curtain airbags and anti-lock brakes. LT models add stability control, and front side airbags. For security, all get an alarm and deadlocks.

It's difficult to fault the Captiva, flagship for Chevrolet. Built at General Motors' production facility in Inchon, South Korea, it was put through three million miles of test-drives through climates as diverse as the Australian outback and frozen tundra of Scandinavia. So by the time my test vehicle arrived at the offices of The Press it is fair to say that it had already proved itself.

Some SUVs are better on really rough terrain while others are better at doing the luxury thing, but the Captiva strikes a smart balance. On the practical front it easily beats a family hatch or estate car, offers better visibility and feels more sure-footed than both in adverse weather and comes with all the essential creature comforts.

Chevrolet claims it is the best-value seven-seat SUV on the market, and it's difficult to argue with that bold assertion.

At a glance

Model: Chevrolet Captiva 2.0 LT VCDi (Seven-seater)
Price: £21,140
Engine: 2.0-litre diesel
Transmission: Five-speed manual driving front wheels, with on-demand all-wheel drive
Power: 150bhp
Performance: 0-60mph in 11.5 seconds; top speed 111mph
Fuel economy: 37.1mpg (combined cycle)
CO2 emissions: 197g/km