For sale at a small exhibition stand in a corner of every motor show are amusing caricatures of sports cars and racing cars with the most exaggerated features being huge wheels. They are always popular with teenage petrol heads.
This is the first production car that I have seen with wheels getting on for the same size. It has a surprising impact on the car’s appeal. Rather than being a bland 4x4 that shouts, “CHEAP!” it gently whispers, “good value and good fun too.”
Inside, the Captiva continues its subtle demonstration that a “value brand” doesn’t mean cheap. Or perhaps I should say that a cheap car doesn’t have to be built on the cheap.
As you sit down, there is something quite remarkable about the front seats. They are the most ergonomic shape of any car seat I have ever used. They curve to the shape of the spine and have a slight natural recline. It is a very different solution to Saab and Volvo, but right up there with them in terms of comfort.
While the back seats offer nothing unusual in terms of seat comfort they do offer good leg room and the seats are quite high. This is good news if you ever give the elderly a lift and more comfortable for all than some of the bigger 4x4s (like Audi’s Q7) where you have to sit with knees at eye level. The test car also had the fold-down DVD player and screen. This screen is as big as my parent’s first TV set – although that was black and white. Assuming your kids can agree on what they like to watch this is going to make visits to the in-laws a lot more pleasant.
While the passengers are enjoying the show, you the down-trodden driver are presented with a beautifully built dashboard and switchgear. The plastics are in a subtle quality mat finish. The dials are clear and straightforward. Above the radio there is a neat little sat-nav that incorporates an entertainment system to store your iPod tunes in. A ‘cool’ system which is overshadowed, literally, by an enormous up-and-over garage door. Shut, it looks like a high-security rabbit hutch. Open, it looks unfinished. To put this in context, I would point out that in some Kias it looks like the radio was fitted by mistake. In comparison this isn’t the end of the world.
The main dials are like dinner plates and the steering wheel is equally enormous and this contributes to the driving experience. The steering is light at all times, which makes life relaxing when parking or manoeuvring in traffic. At open-road speeds, even through b-road corners at just 30 and 40 mph, if you judge things correctly, the car holds a nice balance. If you give slightly too much input – and because everything is feather light that’s easy to do – things can get a bit choppy as you correct things. In contrast, over speed bumps and pot-holes, the Captiva feels solid and gives you faith it will be reliable.
On the motorway wind and road noise was minimal. The 2.0 litre diesel engine in the test car was refined and quiet; it also delivered perfect torque at all times. So you don’t have to change gear too much, which is a relief because either someone forgot to put oil in the gearbox or it is made of wood. Every gear change reminded me of closing old kitchen drawers; the audible friction as the drawer brushes against the unit.
If you are looking to spend up to £15,000 on a nearly new family car, one of the jolliest sets of wheels on the market is the Nissan QashQai. It epitomises modern family transport. But in comparison to the Captiva it is expensive. Similar money buys you a bigger engine and more equipment, more comfortable front seats and a more solid-feeling running gear.
Summary
A high quality, great value family car that is satisfying to drive. A budget brand that you can be proud of and with nearly new prices making it better value than a Nissan QashQai, this is the first Chevrolet that can rival family cars from the major brands.
Road test car details:
Chevrolet Captiva 2.0 Diesel LT (5 seat) 5dr 4 X 4
OTR: £ 20,515 (new price – for used prices see the small 4x4 section)
0-62: 10.8 secs
CO2/KM: 191
MPG: 39.2
By: Matthew Tumbridge