Chevrolet Captiva, 2012
Chevrolet was the creator of the first sports utility vehicle back in the 1930's with the iconic Suburban, a nameplate that has spanned an incredible seven decades and is still going strong in the U.S. today.
All the changes and improvements that have been made, the new Chevrolet Captiva retains the advantages of its adaptable, theater-style seating in three rows which comfortably accommodate up to seven passengers and the electronically controlled all-wheel drive system that distributes power as it's needed.
Chevrolet Captiva captures the spirit of the age
The appeal of a vehicle like the Chevrolet Captiva is that it will fulfill its duties on the shopping run one day, it will then take half the football team to the match the next day, followed by some off-roading or a trip onto the beach on the weekend.
Across Europe, Chevrolet Captiva has sold around 120,000 units since the end of 2006, with its popularity not restricted to one region; strong sales have been recorded in Italy, Spain, Germany, Turkey, France and the U.K. The popularity of the SUV segment shows no signs of abating; back in 2005, it represented 6.2% of the total European market, while at the end of October 2010 its share of the market had rocketed to nearly 10%. In Western and Central Europe, the segment represents 9% of all sales, in line now with both the mid-size and mini car sectors, which only a few years ago would have eclipsed SUV sales.
The Exterior Design
Few can deny the handsome profile and confident stance of the current Chevrolet Captiva, still looking as fresh and modern as the day it was launched - until perhaps you see the new Chevrolet Captiva, an example of an already strong design being honed in all the right areas to ensure it has a more dynamic presence, but without losing any of the original Captiva design essence.
Taewan Kim, GM Vice President of Design, in charge of the Captiva project: "The key ingredient of the new design that you see with Captiva is confidence. The changes we have made to the front profile give the new Chevrolet Captiva an even more athletic stance and strong overall character. We wanted to ensure that we lost none of the spirit of the original model, while giving it a stronger and more sophisticated appearance. Captiva has presence but without looking overly big; it looks capable but also compact."
A number of features are immediately noticeable when viewing the new Captiva from the front. The dual-opening grille has become one of the Chevrolet signatures, and there is no mistaking its intention on Chevrolet Captiva: significantly larger than on the outgoing model, it looks distinctive and progressive with its unique flattened honey-comb texture and chrome surrounds, lending the new model an almost high-performance car feel.
Sitting in the center line between each grille is the prominent family Chevrolet bow-tie, ten percent larger than before and finished with a grained, gold surface.
Just above the grille, Captiva's aluminum hood is all new, its concave and sculptured lines also designed to make the front profile more aggressive and powerful. Working in tandem with the new hood, the headlamps take on a more purposeful shape while the cylindrical, prism-type lamps, housed inside the casings, look high-end and modern.
The area around the front fog lamps in the lower section of the front bumper has received a lot of attention, so that the fog lamp outline now runs seamlessly into the skid plate, which gives the whole front a more unified look.
The designers also refer to the 'character lines' incorporated into the new shape front bumper. They have been cleverly shaped so that they sweep into the body sides which not only adds to Chevrolet Captiva's more aggressive character at the front, but also contributes to the overall stance when viewing the new car in profile as the line rises toward the rear of the vehicle.
Sporty, muscular profile
Moving round to the front fenders, the side air-vents have been re-shaped and now take on a more angular shape to emphasize the new Captiva's sporting intentions. They are positioned in line with the rising shoulder line which runs along the profile all the way to the rear light cluster and gives the new Chevrolet Captiva its overall stance.
Captiva's front fenders now also have re-sculptured and more muscular wheel arches - complete with rugged protective moldings - and are able to accommodate increased wheel sizes of between 17 to 19-inches. The 19-inch wheel comes as standard fitment with top of the range models, but all Captivas come with generously sized alloy wheels which have attractive, rugged five or six-spoke design.
A number of detail features contribute to give the new Chevrolet Captiva an upscale look, such as the chrome strip that runs along the bottom edge of the windows and the turn signals integrated into the exterior wing mirrors, now a standard feature. Judiciously applied 'brightwork' has also been applied around the upper and lower grille surround, the fog lamp bezels, side body moldings and front fender vents. Depending on the trim, the Captiva comes with black roof-rail and body-colored door handles, or silver roof-rails and door handles.
The Chevrolet Captiva's characteristic kink in the C-pillar remains and along with the shape of the rear side window and the raked roofline, give the Captiva a coupe-like appearance toward the rear.
The Interior Design
Climbing aboard the new Captiva, the first impression is one of abundant light and spaciousness. It's a quality that has always been there with the Chevrolet Captiva, but now and in tandem with the enhancements to the exterior design, the interior's ambience has been taken up several notches in terms of quality and functionality.
It is still available with five or seven seats and with storage space that is among the best in class. The Captiva's new upgraded interior now features an array of new finishes and textures, taking the new model up-market in feel and look.
A number of the elements found in the cabin have recently been introduced on other new Chevrolets, to ensure the best of the family DNA runs consistently through the model range, while one or two others, like the electric park brake for example, are the kind of premium feature normally reserved for higher end vehicle segments.
Of the characteristics that can be found on other new Chevrolet interiors, one of the key signatures is the dual-cockpit design and wrap-around front fascia, something that is well illustrated inside the Captiva. The Corvette-inspired dual cockpit lends the cabin a natural symmetry, while the wrap around fascia, which flows from the dash into the top sections of the driver's and front passenger doors, gives the front of the cabin a seamless, unified look.
Perceived quality improved
The perception of quality in the cabin has been significantly enhanced with the new Captiva. A raft of upgrades which may seem minor individually, when taken as a collective add up to a major overhaul, which takes the Chevrolet Captiva much more up-market.
Particular examples of this include the new seat fabrics, the satin chrome rings which accent the cabin vents which have been re-shaped for better ventilation and de-misting performance, the horizontal trim which runs the full width of the interior between the lower and upper instrument panel and the re-designed more premium gearshift lever.
In line with Chevrolet interior DNA, the interior illumination in the control faceplates is now a crisp, high-tech ice-blue while the analogue instrument cluster itself has also been modernized.
The center stack features a new digital clock while new switches for the heated seats are re-positioned at the base of the infotainment display for better ergonomics. Switches for the electric wing mirrors and headlamps have also been re-positioned for easier and safer reach for the driver.
The center console has been given a facelift with new vinyl surfacing and interior finish; it has also been repositioned marginally lower than previously - and is slightly longer - to improve the position of the armrest.
Practicality and versatility are still there
Practical considerations have not been lost amid the drive for better quality and finish. Consequently, the new Captiva's cabin is as functional as it is attractive, with storage to cater for the increasingly diverse demands of today's motorists.
Its reputation as one of the more versatile SUVs on the market is retained with the continued availability of a seven-seater version, whereby the additional two seats are accommodated in theater style seating across a third row. Access is straightforward as the second row can be easily folded forward and tumbled. When the third row of seats isn't required, it can be folded virtually flush, producing a cargo volume to the second row of 769 liters (477 liters below window line). By folding flat both the second and third rows the cargo area is increased so that it is one of the most voluminous in the compact SUV class at 1,577 liters (942 liters below window line). Even with the third row of seats in place, the Chevrolet Captiva maintains a useful 97 liters of available space.
A significant area has been opened up by the fitment of an electric park brake, the switch for which is placed at the base of the center console. Full use has been made of the rear console space as a result, including the integration of dual cup holders that slide underneath the console armrest to reveal a further storage compartment.
Further storage includes pockets to the back of the front seats, large compartments in the doors and on models with LT or LTZ trim, a drawer beneath the front passenger seat.
New Captiva retains its generous interior dimensions; shoulder room in the first and second row of seats is 1455 mm while leg room is 1036 mm in the front and 946 mm at the rear; headroom is 1026 mm in the front and 1017 mm in the rear.
The Captiva comes with Aux-in and Bluetooth connectivity with commands integrated on the steering wheel as standard, as well as a USB port offered with the 7 inch screen navigation system.
Sound quality inside the cabin has been improved, as the audio speakers have been re-positioned in the doors and a raft of engineering improvements to the interior acoustics - including on the windshield, doors and headlining - have resulted in reduced road, wind and engine noise.
Ride & Handling
Since its launch, Chevrolet Captiva has featured a range of chassis and active safety technologies such as ABS, ESC and TCS. However, a raft of improvements has been made to chassis hardware on the new model to make Captiva an even safer, more composed and enjoyable drive on the road.
The new Captiva's credentials as a true sports utility are underpinned by the option of the latest active on-demand four-wheel drive, which means that Chevrolet Captiva not only has excellent safety reserves, but true to its nature, it can be taken off the beaten track when its occupants are feeling a little more adventurous.
The chassis features McPherson suspension at the front and an independent four-link axle at the rear. All four wheels are fitted with internally ventilated disc brakes - 296 mm at the front and 303 mm at the rear - and a modern ABS system, which features sensors on all wheels and is standard on all models. For new Captiva, improvements have been made to the ABS software to further reduce stopping distances.
New Captiva comes with electronically controlled, speed-sensitive steering as standard which means lower steering effort for the driver and better steering precision.
For the first time on Chevrolet Captiva, Hill Start Assist (HSA) will feature on all vehicles. This clever feature will ensure that no driver needs to worry about roll-back on hills when moving off from stationary; HSA holds the vehicle on gradients of 3% or steeper for 1.5 seconds after the brake pedal has been released, to assist in a smoother and safer drive away from standstill.
Out on the road is where owners of the new Captiva will feel the improvements made to the chassis hardware. Special attention has been paid to improve cornering characteristics by reducing body roll while also enhancing ride feel. Consequently, front spring rates are increased from 30 N/mm to 33 N/mm for better ride stability; the spring isolators have been softened to improve ride isolation; body roll is reduced through the use of a larger front stability bar while the front bushings are re-tuned to improve impact 'feel' and minimize road vibration.
At the rear, damper and spring rates are increased to improve isolation and a larger rear stabilizer bar is introduced to improve rear vehicle balance, while the use of a hydraulic rear link is introduced to reduce vertical floor shake.
All-wheel drive when you need it
Customers will retain the option of choosing between two and four-wheel drive. The optional active on-demand four-wheel drive system brings the rear wheels into play via an electronically controlled clutch, for optimum traction in a flash when needed. Front-to-rear torque distribution can be varied continuously and automatically up to a ratio of 50:50. Under normal circumstances, 100% of drive is to the front wheels.
In addition to wheel slip, AWD also senses engine speed, vehicle speed, yaw and steering angle. The all wheel drive system is fully integrated into the ABS and ESC system to increase control yet further.
ESC has it all covered
New Captiva's electronic stability control program is an advanced system which works on individual wheels to prevent loss of grip and therefore loss of control. By processing a range of data such as vehicle speed and steering and yaw angle, it automatically intervenes in a critical situation; so for example, if oversteer is detected it will brake the front wheel on the outside of the curve, while understeer is corrected by slowing the inside rear wheel.
ESC incorporates a number of individual functions, all of which have their specific active safety role to play and are controlled by high-speed CANBUS data line. Individual functions include Hydraulic Brake Assist, Descent Control System and Active Rollover Protection.
Hydraulic Brake Assist increases the braking force applied in an emergency by recognizing if the brake pedal has been applied suddenly by the driver, thus reducing overall braking distances; Descent Control System allows the driver to concentrate purely on steering by automatically slowing the vehicle on steep gradients, without the driver having to keep a heavy foot on the brake pedal.
With SUVs generally having a higher centre of gravity than other passenger cars, Active Rollover Protection is another guardian against more extreme situations. It is able to detect sudden lateral vehicle movements that might be typical of avoiding an obstacle for example, and in doing so, reduces lateral acceleration at the front wheel to prevent the onset of pitch and roll.
Wheel and tire combinations
Setting the new Chevrolet Captiva off perfectly and available for the first time, the top level LTZ trim comes as standard with a handsome 19-inch wheel. The new 19-inch rim is fitted with 235/50 R19 profile tires.
Other trim levels are also adorned with generous wheel and tire combinations, designed to not only enhance the Captiva's profile but ensure that occupants get a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride. LT Plus models come with an 18-inch wheel and 235/55 R18 profile tires, while the LS and LT models come as standard with a 17-inch rim fitted with 235/60R17 profile tires. All alloy wheels are an attractive, rugged five or six-spoke design.
Development on the Captiva's chassis had a distinctly European flavor, and was mainly carried out at GM's facilities in Pferdsfeld, Germany, and at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, U.K.
