Review of the new Chevrolet Captiva - MPV & 4x4 In One

Since they landed on these shores, Chevrolet have been carving out a healthy market niche for themselves with an array of small cars. The Matiz, the Kalos and the Lacetti. All strong value products with much to offer but not necessarily what you'd picture from the bow tie brand. For that kind of car, you'd need something like Chevrolet's latest Captiva, a model that has represented the start of a new era for the company in the UK.

This is Chevrolet as many would picture it. Purveyor of a family-sized SUV that looks better but costs less than virtually all its competitors, with prices from just over £16,500. More than half the battle in the Freelander/RAV4/X-Trail sector is getting both styling and pricing right. The value side of things we'd expected but no one was quite ready for just how right this product looks, the first all-Chevy-developed model since the brand was re-launched across Europe.

"Chevrolet's real European future starts here.."

Accurately hinted at by the S3X concept car that was warmly received at the 2004 Paris Motorshow, the Captiva is a compact SUV and a sweetly styled one. In the publicity shots and even in the metal, the vehicle's dimensions are well disguised. The neat, attractive front end, the BMW-esque concave flanks and the roofline that falls away toward the tail. The Captiva is a balanced piece of work with the chunky bumpers, oversize wheelarches and roof rails suggesting it's rough 'n' ready potential but not so much so that it would appear a fish out of water on the high street.

"Chevrolet's real European future starts here.."

Chevrolet are offering a choice of five or seven-seater interior configurations, adding to the vehicle's versatility. Interior space has been a key consideration in the design process and the Captiva achieves the kind of roomy passenger accommodation you'd expect in a vehicle measuring 4.6m in length with a 2.7m wheelbase. There's 1.8m in width to play with as well and headroom shouldn't be a problem as this car measures in at 1.7m from rubber to roof rails. Interior durability is another must in a family vehicle where inquisitive little fingers are going to give the fixtures and fittings hell. The Captiva aims for toughness but with quality fabrics and materials for an impressive all-round ambience.

Under the skin, Chevrolet have introduced two new powerplants to drive the Captiva forward. A strong diesel engine is key to the success of any SUV range in Europe, hence the effort the company has put into their 2.0-litre 150bhp offering, the unit we opted for on our long term test car. It's a common-rail direct injection diesel that has been developed jointly by GM Powertrain and VM Motori. Using a 16-valve layout, it's capable of producing its 310Nm maximum torque at a usefully low 2,000rpm with peak power unleashed at 4,000rpm. Plumb one into a Captiva and Chevrolet claim a combined economy figure of 37.2mpg, which we've managed to get pretty close to in our test. That isn't half bad for a vehicle of this kind. An automatic transmission is being offered with the diesel unit and, although this brings the economy down to 32.8mpg, it should deliver a noticeably more relaxed driving experience.

Petrol customers will take delivery of their Captiva equipped with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder in-line 16-valve unit. It develops 142bhp at 5,200rpm and 320Nm of torque at 2,200rpm. Expect it to be smoother and more refined than the oil-burner but with slightly less pulling power through the mid-range. Fuel economy should average just under 30mpg, helped by the fact that unlike the 4x4-only diesel models, this variant comes with front wheel drive only. The headline £16,995 entry-level price applies only to this 2.4-litre five-seater petrol model. The variant that in the real world, most customers are likely to actually buy is the 2.0VCDi 7-seat diesel, costing £20,395 in LT spec (though there's also a five-seat version of this car available for £19,995). This car can be ordered as an automatic and in plush LT-X guise for £25,245.

The Captiva runs on MacPherson strut suspension at the front with an independent four-link layout at the rear. Chevrolet have obviously been keen to ensure that their vehicle could perform well in poor road conditions and still not embarrass itself offroad because on four wheel drive versions, they've included an on-demand all-wheel-drive system which instantly diverts drive to the rear axle when the front wheels lose traction. The vehicle also features an ESP electronic stability programme and HDC hill decent control to help negotiate particularly difficult terrain. Should the worst come to the worst, there's Chevrolet's ARP active rollover protection to keep passengers safe.

So, Chevrolet's real European future has started here. For the first time, they're plugging into a growing market sector and, for the first time, they've a state-of-the-art diesel engine to make the most of it. Our experience with the Captiva so far over the first few thousand miles is that it seems to tick the boxes that European buyers will look towards and is a vehicle that can capitalise on the Chevrolet brand image. A new era beckons.

TOP 4 CAPTIVA DEALS

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Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 VCDi LTZ 5dr [7 Seats] diesel estate
Price £24,840 Read Captiva Reviews	Save £6,090
Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 VCDi LT 5dr [7 Seats] diesel estate
Price £22,384 Read Captiva Reviews	Save £5,876
Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 VCDi LT 5dr Auto [7 Seats] diesel estate
Price £23,682 Read Captiva Reviews	Save £5,963
Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 VCDi LTZ 5dr Auto [7 Seats] diesel estate
Price £26,138 Read Captiva Reviews	Save £6,177
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