By Peta Lee
Chevrolet has truly excelled itself with this one. The new Captiva SUV is great: smooth, refined, very handsome, stylish, and spacious. In fact it's everything your heart might desire from such a vehicle.
I was delighted to see the distinctive Chevy Spark's Noddy-type circular tail lights included here to give the Captiva a rather saucy expression from the rear! Loved the front end as well
We kept the third row of seats flat, using it as luggage and schoolbag space instead, but as a five-seater it's more than adequate for a normal family.
Pop the back row up and it's a bit on the squashed side, though not unduly so. Of course this then cuts down on luggage/golf bag space
Drive-wise the Captiva is, as its name suggests, quite captivating. I was driving the range-topping, all-wheel-drive, 3.2-litre V6 LTV auto, which is impressively smooth with loads of torque.
The Captiva's all-wheel-drive system springs into action only when it senses that the front wheels are getting less-than-optimal traction; the transition is instant through an electronic clutch. The system interacts with the anti-lock brakes and an electronic stability programme.
It's very nicely finished, too. Quite un-American, more European, if anything, and it has a handbrake similar that of the revamped Volvo, sort of square but quite easy to use, although somehow I managed to pinch my finger somewhere the first I pulled it up.
I thought the gauges very understated and easy to read, with a white surround adding some class - and a shrieking orange in place of the usual red above the 6500rpm mark on the rev-counter, which I also enjoyed!
The Captiva is available with a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, a 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine or a two-litre, four-cylinder diesel. You have the choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive on the 2.4-litre while the V6 and diesel come with all-wheel drive only.
A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the 2.4 petrol and two-litre diesel while a five-speed auto transmission accompanies the 3.2-litre V6 model.
Auto headlights, power mirrors that you can fold in when necessary, gradient descent control, active rollover protection, a neat little drawer under the front passenger seat and a tail-door window that opens all add to the very impressive mix of this car.
Also useful, girlfriends, is the centrally placed screen on the fascia that gives you at-a-glance info on the air-con mode, the outside temperature, a compass (so if you get lost, at least you'll know if you're wandering north or east!) and distance in kilometres until your tank is empty. Nifty and convenient.
The Captiva - any Captiva - is a far cry from the Chevvies of old - thank goodness!
- R329 900 for the V6, including a three-year or 100 000km service plan. Three-year and five-year maintenance plans are available as extra-cost options. Service intervals are 15 000 km or a year, whichever comes first.