Chevrolet’s Korean-built Captiva is the vanilla ice cream of SUVs. It can easily out-dull the Toyota Corolla any day. That’s too bad, because there is some creamy goodness under that bland shell, including a competent diesel engine and roomy seating for seven.
Now, Chevrolet is set to add a little spice to that recipe, in the guise of a freshened exterior and interior look, as well as new engines. The exterior follows Chevy’s new family look, with the large split grille and angular headlamps. It adds a welcome bit of attitude to the car, and is ten times more memorable than the current design. There’s not much a company can change with the side view, unfortunately, but there are new trim bits including the sharper side air vents. New colors and wheels, from 17 to 19 inches, round out the changes.
The interior also gets a rework, with new materials and seat fabrics. The Crest toothpaste-style instrument bezel is finally banished, in favor of the cool Camaro-style blue gauges seen in the Cruze. Theater-tiered seating for seven is retained.
Under the hood is a range of new engines, including a 2.4-liter gasoline (171 bhp), and a pair of 2.2-liter turbodiesels, good for 163 bhp or 184 bhp. The 184 bhp should give the Hyundai Santa Fe’s same-sized diesel a run for its money.
Cornering will reportedly be improved with a retuned ride and reduced body roll. Stability control, traction control, and six airbags will be standard on the European model, and hopefully in the Philippines, too.
The new Captiva should do wonders to bolster Chevrolet Philippines’ sales figures, and make for an interesting five-way fight with the Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe, new Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V. If the value pricing holds, the facelifted Captiva should be a formidable contender.
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