CHEVROLET CAPTIVA 2.0

Of the imported SUVs, the Honda CR-V so far has managed to remain on top of the game because it performs brilliantly, drives like a car and its interiors are superb. However, it does not come with a diesel option, can only seat five people and costs
quite a bit too. Still, it reigns supreme in this segment. The Hyundai Tucson failed to make it big in this small but growing segment, and the car that comes closest is the Ford Endeavour. Now, Chevrolet has launched the Captiva and this baby is powered by diesel, boasts of flexible seating and lots of space. What’s more, it has been priced competitively too.

Design and engineering


With typical soft-roader looks; the Captiva does not possess the same imposing road presence like the Endeavour. The Captiva has been styled completely at GM Korea’s design centre in Incheon by a team led by Max Wolf. The Captiva’s styling is modest by SUV standards and a tad innocuous in the metal. Features that give the new Chevy the soft-road looks are the raked windscreen and curved roof which sweeps down, coupe-like, at the rear. Certain design elements like the grille and beltline or even the flared arches stand out and the brighter colours work better on this car as the black Chevy we tested masked a lot of the Captiva’s interesting lines and styling features.

On the inside it is well packaged and even a much larger vehicle like say the Audi Q7 does not match the Chevy in interior space. Both the body and the chassis, which is of monocoque design, are constructed from high-tensile steel and this greatly enhances crashworthiness. Cost enhancing options such as Hill-Descent Control have been excluded on the Indian version but are available on foreign versions of the Captiva. However, even ESP and traction control has been omitted from the Indian versions.

Interiors


The materials used on the dashboard feel soft to touch and the quality of plastics on the Captiva feels better than the ones found in the endeavour or Vitara. With a the two-tone dash that has plenty of brushed metal inserts is anything but boring and the faux wood strips across the centre of the dash look similar to those found on the BMW 5-series.



Climb into the driver’s seat and the big ‘bowtie’ logo on the centre of the wheel and the Optra-like dials tell you this is a Chevrolet. The audio and air-con controls are easily reachable and the big rotary knobs assist in changing temperature with ease. The steering-mounted audio controls feel natural to use and the best feature is the information display above the audio system that houses the trip computer info and a Mitsubishi Pajero-esqe digital compass and air-con mode information. India will get the seven-seat version – two seats flip up from the boot floor – and this third row is not a place to spend a lot of time in. The seats are almost on the floor, so while there’s plenty of headroom and decent legroom, you will end up sitting with your knees near your chin. The front seats are comfortable and offer good support but the seats at the rear are short on thigh support owing to the short seat base.

Engine and gearbox


This 2.0-litre diesel is similar to the Optra Magnum’s engine. The four-cylinder, common-rail diesel displaces 1991cc (the same as the Magnum), but puts out a considerable 28bhp more, thanks to the variable-geometry turbocharger that provides more boost. It uses a Bosch common-rail system to deliver fuel at up to 1600-bar and an alloy head with four valves per cylinder, but uses only one camshaft to open and close all 16 valves. The Captiva has a five-speed manual gearbox that has a short-throw but it is quite notchy and engaging gears requires some effort.



Fuel economy


In the city we got a good 9.5kpl as the short gears kept the engine in the meat of its power-band – meaning it didn’t need huge throttle openings to get going. However, on the highway, the Captiva delivered 11.5kpl – with the short gearing making the engine work harder and thereby consume more fuel.


TECHNICAL DATA
CHEVROLET CAPTIVA 2.0

layout: 4 cyls, in line, 1991cc
Max Power:
148bhp at 4000rpm
Max Torque: 32.6kgm at
2000rpm
Top Speed:
177kph
0-60: 5.08secs V0-100: 11.72secs
CFE: 10.5kpl
Fuel
tank capacity: 65 litres
Boot capacity: 465-930
litres (with seats folded)
Length: 4660mm
Width: 1870mm
Height: 1755mm
Wheelbase: 2705mm
Weight: 1820kg
Ground clearance: 197mm