Chevrolet Captiva (07 on) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
Last Updated: 24 March 2011
Chevrolet has traditionally been associated with iconic muscle cars like the Corvette and Camaro, and the small band of ex-Daewoo products it inherited in 2005 have struggled to establish themselves in the budget car sector. The Captiva is the first Chevrolet product that doesn't have its origins in an earlier Daewoo-badged model. It is also the first Chevrolet to reach the UK with a diesel engine - and diesel versions come with four-wheel drive and modest off-road ability. The single petrol model is front-wheel drive and only available as a cut-price entry point to the range. The Captiva diesel is available with seven seats and makes a decent car for a large family, but a few too many signs of cost cutting associated with budget brands are evident. The Captiva was given an overhaul in early 2011 with new diesel engines, new automatic and manual gearbox as well as some exterior and interior design tweaks. The latest engines offer more power than before, but are also cleaner meaning running costs are lowered. While an engaging drive is still not its forte, the new engines offer strong performance and practicality continues to be its trump card.
3 out of 5

Other Chevrolet reviews

3.5 out of 5

Running costs

The Captiva is priced to undercut another budget 4x4 with seven seats available - the Hyundai Santa Fe. However, there are cheaper alternatives, such as the SsangYong Rexton. Fuel economy of 37mpg from the manual diesel (32mpg for the auto) is acceptable, and because of the desirability of 4x4s over conventional family cars, depreciation shouldn't be a heavy burden. Servicing costs can be managed with a one-off payment when ordering a Captiva, covering the car for either 30,000 miles or 60,000 miles. Facelifted models that arrived in 2011 come with improved econonomy of 44.1mpg and 42.8mpg for the 161bhp and 181bhp engines respectively.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,980 - £1,980 *

Diesel

£1,457 - £2,003 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Every 12 months or 10,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£195.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
    170
  • I
  • J
  • K
    225
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The more popular diesel was previously the greenest model in the Captiva range, but compared to other 4x4s it's not particularly efficient, emitting 191g/km of CO2 and averaging 39mpg. The latest range of diesel engines are cleaner and more economical depsite being more powerful than before. The greenest choice is the 161bhp engine five-seat model with front-wheel drive that emits 170g/km while achieving a competitive 44.1mpg. The most popular model - the 181bhp with seven-seats and all-wheel drive - has emissions of 174g/km and claimed efficciency of 42.8mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2