by Damian Doyle

Created on: July 23, 2007

The Captiva is Chevrolet's latest addition to their European stable, aimed at the mid-range family Sports Utility Vehicle segment of a very competitive sector of the market. This car is an important addition, not only to the market; but also to Chevrolet it must attract customers away from more established brands, solely within the European market in order to survive as a product. Launched on 24th June 2007, the entry-level LS, starts at 16,995 with a good selection of trim and engine variants available through to the range-topping 24,920(GBP) LTX equipped with automatic transmission. In plain terms, the Captiva needs to set itself apart from the mainstays in the market to capture the interest of consumers. The Captiva is a seven-seater and is supplied with Chevrolet's first ever diesel engine.

Chevrolet invited me to test-drive the Captiva a month before its launch and flew me to the South West of Ireland where they had a rigorous itinerary planned in the rugged Cork and Kerry Mountains. Less rigorous, however, was my stay at base camp', the luxurious Sheen Falls Hotel and Country Cub in Kenmare. I was waited on and generally spoilt by the smart, attentive staff and stationed in a suite, with a balcony overlooking the waterfall. Needless to say, I was refreshed and ready for the couple of days of demanding driving ahead of me. The weather had taken a turn for the worst and I hoped that the car was everything it was cracked up to be I didn't relish the idea of being stranded in the middle of nowhere, out of mobile range and in the driving rain.

Aesthetically, the Captiva is a good looking car. Everything is neat and pleasing front and rear lights are comfortingly sensible, yet well formed. The shoulder-line is quite high, however closer inspection reveals this to be elementary to a clever design feature raising the shoulder line has the effect of lowering the cabin floor without compromising ground clearance, providing easier passenger access. The A' pillar is rakishly angled, lending a sleek appearance to the front, whilst a nicely angled feature line leads the eye to the rear. The C' pillars at the rear are quite thick but do not appear to have produced any serious blind spots for the driver. The mirror mounted indicators fitted to the higher specced models are really nifty.

The interior of all the models I tested appeared to be well put together, nicely trimmed and generally a nice place to be. If it was my money, I'd definitely go for the leather seats I was

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