01/12/08

• Price21,239
• We like...Good looks, tough build
• We don't...Storage box in dash; noisy engine

For a seven-seat off-roader, it's good value. But is the Captiva talented enough on other fronts? We find outAaahh! That’s more like it. At last, a Chevrolet that matches our image of the make – big, bold and American. In the UK, the Chevy line-up is mostly cute little runabouts that were once Daewoos.

But the Captiva is a cleanly styled off-roader, big enough to seat seven (if you pick the right model). It is also low priced for what you get.

Chevrolet has a history of building big, chunky people carriers and pick-up trucks in the US, but the Captiva is made and styled in Korea, so it’s unlikely that much of its Stateside heritage has rubbed off.

That said, it looks neat, purposeful and smart on the outside, with nothing to betray its cheap price. And while the inside looks dull and sober, with no hint of any design flair, it is solid and durable-looking. But inside it’s what’s missing that jars. Where top-spec Captivas have a sat-nav display high on the dash, that space on cheaper models is used for a lidded storage box. The trouble is that it looks cheap and wrong, because it’s obvious that the designer meant a screen to be there. It’s a glaring reminder you’re driving a cheaper model, whenever you look at it.

The Captiva’s ace is that it seats seven, and it ds so in fair space and comfort. The rear two seats are best left for kids but reaching them is easy thanks to its big rear doors and easy to fold (though) heavy mid-row seats. Boot space all but disappears with every chair in use, but the back two drop easily into the floor until needed, freeing a good-sized load area.
The tailgate opens big and wide, while you can also just pop up the rear window, to drop in bits and pieces.

The 2.0 diesel in ours sounded gruff but it punts the Captiva along at a fair lick. It’s Chevrolet’s first and although it’s no class-beater for fuel economy or low emissions, it manages a fair average. Like other off-roaders, the Captiva pulls itself along by its front wheels, although its all-wheel-drive set-up directs power to the rear wheels whenever it senses a need. There’s also a hill descent control, which helps the car ‘walk’ down a steep, muddy bank.

The steering feels low-geared, meaning plenty of twirling whenever you turn around in a confined space but on the move it feels positive and accurate. It rides well enough but cannot match its closest rivals, the Citrn C-crosser or Peugeot’s 4007, for their ability to soak up bumps.

While £21,000 for a new one beats rivals, keep in mind that Captivas lose a predicted two-thirds of their value by the time they reach their third anniversary, or after 36,000 miles. Put another way, the car’s been around a year and a half, so one of those early ones will make a handsome half-priced buy.

Should you buy one? If you definitely need a seven-seater, it’s fair value for what you get. If you don’t, then an entry-model Land Rover Freelander is a better bet, at similar money.

For new and used Chevrolet Captivas, visit motors.co.uk

• Engines2.0 VCDi
• Power148bhp
• 0-60 mph11.5secs
• Economy37.1mpg
• CO2g/km197
• Insurance groups12E
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats7

Motors.co.uk value verdict: