Chevvy hits spot

3:11pm Thursday 14th February 2008

If the name Chevrolet makes you conjure up images of great whale-like machines from the 1950s, or Prince singing about his Little Red Corvette, then think again.

The iconic American brand maybe establishing a foothold in this country but what it is putting on our roads is very different to the Chevvies' driven by our Transatlantic cousins.

That is mainly because most of the line-up still largely consists of re-badged Daewoos dating from parent company General Motors' decision to buy the struggling Korean manufacturer.

But the Captiva is the first attempt to break away from an ageing and dull range to nail the company colours to the mast in the ultra-competitive sports utility vehicle (SUV) market.

In America, Chevrolet built its reputation on being value for money and the Captiva at least has that much in common, with a starting price of £16,995 which will make many sit up and take notice.

For that money you get a good looking vehicle with plenty of room and bags of practicality. For a shade over £5,000 more, you can add four-wheel drive, seven seats and a choice of engines, including the two-litre diesel on the LT model tested here.

The overriding impression of the Captiva is that it is extremely well made, which inspires confidence when you get behind the wheel.

The diesel engine is modern and reasonably quick and, although a little sluggish in second gear at times, was otherwise perfectly happy on both motorway and around town.

Refinement and economy are also reasonable for a car of this size.

Driving through the recent bad weather with continuous rain over a period of several hours, the Captiva never missed a beat.

And the four-wheel drive, which only activates when the going gets tough, means it was sure-footed splashing through some significant pools, giving no cause for alarm behind the wheel.

Like most SUVs, the driving position is excellent and the seats reasonably comfortable, although lacking in thigh support.

But even when they were pushed fully back, there was still plenty of room for the passenger behind.

The third row of seats was not really big enough to accommodate an adult but ideal for picking up the kids from a school disco.

When they are not needed, they easily flip and fold flat to reveal a very large boot. And if you want even more space, the second row bench also splits and folds, adding to the practicality.

There are also several boxes in the boot to store bits and pieces which could prove useful, while the rear window opens separately by using the key fob to provide handy access.

The list of standard kit includes air-conditioning, 17-inch alloy wheels, eight-speaker CD audio system with a jack for an MP3 player, and steering wheel remote controls, cooled glovebox, leather covered steering wheel and gearknob and rear parking sensors.

That sounds good until you consider that the likes of seat heaters, full climate control, on-board computer and crusie control are missing from that list, and to have those you have to spend a significant sum more.

By then you will be competing with the likes of Land Rover's Freelander and Honda's CRV, which are among the market leaders, but the case for the Chevvy is still a strong one.

That is because it offers solid, reliable no-nonsense motoring with good performance at a reasonable price.

For most people that is exactly what they want from an SUV and that gold cross on the front and rear somehow lends a little cache and sets it apart from the competition.

Model: Chevrolet Captiva 2.0LT Performance: 0-62 in 11.5 seconds, top speed 111mph Economy: 37.1mpg combined Co2: 197g/km Price: £21,140 Web: www.chevrolet.co.uk Car supplied by County Chevrolet, Bicester, 01869 244000

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