A Captiva-ting Deal

Shopping for a small SUV? The market’s getting crowded these days, but judging from the number of CR-Vs, Fortuners, X-Trails, RAV4s, Foresters and the usual suspects on the road, it looks like there’s still room for one more. With the introduction of the Chevrolet Captiva, the bow-tie brand’s lineup is more or less complete what with a roster of platforms from the pocket-sized Spark to the full-size Suburban. About the only thing missing would be a pickup truck, but that’s another story…

Anyhoo, you’ll be forgiven for doing a double-take on this SUV the first time you mistake it for Honda’s immensely popular CR-V. The silhouette and window profile are roughly the same, but the Captiva has a more masculine look care of well-defined flanks and a front fascia that shares familial ties with Chevrolet’s larger SUVs. The Captiva is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and with your choice of a gasoline or CRDi diesel engine. The top choice is the all-wheel drive CRDi, and with a price of P1.499M, it’s a very competitive package.

The gasoline engine is a 2.4-liter DOHC unit rated at a respectable 142 PS and 22 kg-m of torque, but the CRDi is the star. Despite a relatively small displacement of 2-liters, common rail direct injection technology plus a variable geometry turbo give it peak output of 150 PS and 32 kg-m of torque. Through a standard 5-speed Tiptronic, it propels the relatively light Captiva (1,770 kg. curb weight) with enthusiasm.

Using a global platform, the Captiva blends European ride characteristics with Asian-sized dimensions and faintly innocuous American blandness. The CRDi still makes more noise than we’d like even with a huge engine shroud, but stout engine mounts tame the vibrations to nil. Optra and Aveo owners will find familiarity with the design of the instrument panel and dashboard, and even with the rubbery feel of the switches and stalks, but otherwise it’s a pleasant enough cabin that will neither offend nor endear anyone. The airconditioner is the conventional manual-type for the blower and thermostat, but the stereo gets points for an AUX jack on the center stack. The thick Tiptronic shifter invites you to take control, and the steering wheel feels substantial in your hands. The cowl is higher than in the CR-V and the A-pillars are overly thick, so if you want the panoramic view, the Honda does it better.

What the Captiva does very well is pull, and pull hard. The CRDi’s grunt lends itself well to hurried driving without the high-rpm histrionics of your typical 4-cylinder gasoline engine. At an indicated 150kph on the speedometer, for example, the engine is just over 2,600 rpm on the tachometer in 5th gear. While the steering feels a tad numb, at high speeds the Captiva’s European genes show with excellent stability, noise insulation, and bump absorption. Aiding these highway manners are firm and supportive seats. Leather is not available, but the fabric used breathes well and the padding feels thick.

Over the course of my 5-day test drive, the Captiva performed competently and invisibly. The slightly generic styling neither drew raves nor rants, but on closer inspection, observers liked the little details like the dual tailpipes and the turn signal lights on the side mirrors. On the other hand, I appreciated the rain-sensing wipers, the automatic headlamps, and the headlamp leveling feature; a useful European touch. Other standard features that value-conscious buyers will like are reverse sensors, rear foglamps, ABS, and dual SRS airbags. Naturally, the rear seats can fold.

At its price point, the Captiva competes head-to-head with the Honda CR-V and undercuts the slightly larger Hyundai Santa Fe. The CR-V, however, doesn’t offer a CRDi engine, while the most affordable CRDi Santa Fe costs P1.528M (the 4x4 is P1.653M). As it is, the Chevrolet Captiva is a compelling offer. Gasoline fans can opt for the 2.4, while diesel converts will be more than satisfied with the CRDi. It has the full plate of features, it’s built well, it’s as spacious as the rest, and if you like the thought of making that cocky bagets driver next to you eat your dust, then the Captiva should be on your short list.

The Good: Gutsy CRDi engine. Transparent all-wheel-drive. High-speed stability and noise insulation. Handsome styling. Excellent value-for-money.

The Bad: Some dials and switches still feel cheap. Slightly ambiguous styling.

The Verdict: A muscular SUV that’s bound to do some damage in the compact SUV ranks.