Chevrolet

Captiva

With the spacious styling of a sports utility vehicle, the Captiva is everything you could possibly want in a family motor. Excellent safety specifications combined with first class equipment levels make this vehicle an excellent option with an attractive price tag too.

Test Drive

Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 VCDi LT

Bring on the winter chill that’s what I say. For behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Captiva with its on-demand all-wheel-drive, nothing Mother Nature throws your way will be a problem.

With its beefy, athletic stance, the Captiva certainly looks the business and the spacious interior is richly equipped with plenty of built-in technology.

During my week-long test I clocked up almost 400 miles and icy windscreens, torrential downpours and strong winds didn’t cause the Captiva any problems whatsoever.

I tested out the mid-range LT model and it looks great from any approach thanks to its 17-inch alloys, roof rails, tinted windows, double grille, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, front and rear fog lights and sweeping headlight clusters.

The interior can seat four adults in absolute comfort – five at a little bit of a squeeze. But hidden below the boot floor are two additional seats that can quickly and simply convert the Captiva into a seven-seater.

With all seven seats in use the vehicle’s storage capacity is 97 litres, but this can be increased to 1,577 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

Elsewhere, there’s a number of handy cubby holes scattered throughout the cabin.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include a six speaker sound system, Bluetooth compatibility, cruise control, electric windows, rear parking sensors, automatic lights, part-leather upholstery, dual zone climate control, rain sensing wipers, and lots more besides.

The layout is simplistic but very effective and the driver-focused instrumentation is designed for ease of use with clear and precise instrumentation.

The Captiva was powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine and it proved impressive in and around town and out on the faster country lanes and motorways.

Acceleration through the automatic transmission was both smooth and responsive with a constant supply of power on tap as and when required.

All round visibility is excellent and the driver benefits from a high seated position which is another bonus.

My only slight criticisms were the rather loud engine noise and the car’s windscreen which was prone to misting up when I didn’t expect it.

But that aside, the Captiva was an absolute pleasure to drive and Chevrolet has packed the vehicle with a comprehensive range of safety features that have helped it achieve the maximum five starts in the Euro NCAP safety ratings.

It’s sad news that Chevrolet has announced it will be pulling out of Europe but that does mean there are some fantastic bargains to be sought out at existing dealers.

For example, the test car was priced at £21,295 (£28,430 with options fitted) but under the new pricing structure it has been reduced by £9,000 to £19,430.

And buyers will still be entitled to all their warranty and servicing plans as explained by a Chevrolet spokesman: “All existing Chevrolet dealers will retain their authorised repairer status, which means they’ll be able to service and maintain Chevrolet cars for as long as needed. In addition, all Chevrolets can be serviced at any GM (Vauxhall) dealership, so there’s plenty of national coverage.

“In terms of ongoing parts supply, the cars benefit from full GM aftersales care, meaning parts will be available for at least 10 years and beyond. All cars will come with a full three-year 60,000 mile warranty as per normal, backed up by GM globally so again no cause for concern.”

Test Drive

Chevrolet Captiva 2.0 Diesel LTX (7 seat) 5dr

Bring on a cold snap and suddenly the importance of a responsive climate control system becomes all the more valuable.

Thankfully, the Captiva comes equipped with one of the most efficient systems I have come across to date and ice cold mornings were quickly transformed thanks to the snug cabin complete with heated seats. In fact, the system was so good, I was reducing the temperature before long.

The all-wheel-drive Captiva is crammed with quality features and has a spec level many rival companies could only dream about.

These include a cooled glove box, automatic lighting, a multi-function trip computer and rain-sensing wipers plus bags more.

And the real appeal to all potential buyers in the current financial climate is the very reasonable price tag.

The model supplied for my test drive boasted a 2.0-litre engine which provided ample power both in and around town and out on the more open road and the high-seated driver’s position guaranteed excellent all-round visibility.

The vehicle is capable of carrying up to seven people, but unlike many other sports utility vehicle, has not sacrificed space for good looks.

In fact, the smooth lines and attractive curves on the Captiva really do help it stand out in a crowd.

Another plus is the vehicle’s load capacity with plenty of storage compartments throughout, along with an ample-sized boot area.

And the safety aspects on the Captiva are top notch too with front, side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, a descent control system and active rollover protection included as standard on all models.

All in all, the Captiva is amazing value for money and boasts features that could bring out the green-eyed monster in onlookers.