Foreign press reviews the CHEVROLET CAPTIVA!

[Lion Prince]

Making comparisons really helps understanding – what is it and is it not?



The Chevrolet Captiva’s Size

The Chevrolet Captiva is a medium size crossover SUV (sports utility vehicle). At 4639 mm long it’s bigger than more compact SUVs under 4600 mm. Compacts include the BMW X3, Honda CRV, Jeep Cherokee, Freelander, X-Trail, and Rav4.

The Captiva is not as big as huge SUVs over 4900 mm long, which include the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Shogun, Range Rover, and Mercedes GL. Some SUVs are way wider than the Chevrolet Captiva’s 1849 mm width, including the Q7, X5, and all the new Land Rover range, the Mercedes GL and ML, and Patrol. All are over 1900 mm wide.

The Chevrolet Captiva is more the size of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorrento, Grand Cherokee, Discovery, Lexus 400, Mercedes ML, Outlander, Mirano, Pathfinder, and Volvo XC90.

Where the Chevrolet Captiva scores is whilst scraping into the medium size class, its interior space and the versatility of 7 adult size seats challenge larger vehicles. This is because its total space is not compromised by unnecessary gearbox, and suspension mechanisms. The space is used to accommodate people and luggage.

The Chevrolet Captiva’s Style

Style is matter of taste so this is my personal opinion. It seems to me SUVs can have a utility, rational – wanna be a Hummer tough look, a classy slab-sided style, a sporty, dynamic appearance or look like elevated estate cars.

Attempts at the Tonka-Toy look include the Honda CRV, all Jeeps, Mitsubishis, and nearly all Nissans.

The new Land Rover Range and Vauxhall Antara very successfully achieve the classy slab-sided look.

Various attempts at the more sporty style include the Q7, BMW range, Chevrolet Captiva, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorrento, Lexus, Mercedes range, Murano, Cayenne, Rav4 and VW.

The Subaru and Volvo appear to be elevated estate cars.

Driving the Chevrolet Captiva.

You must always test drive a car for yourself. Don’t listen to pundits who compare every car with the pleasures of driving a Ferrari. I always judge a car by what it holds itself out to be – what it promises. I must say I find expensive cars boasting their badge – disappointing. The performance figures may look impressive but they’re not even achievable on a German autobahn. Cheap cars I generally find just that – cheap but not disappointing. Later drivability might be the deciding factor.

Economy

You can dismiss most SUVs on the basis of running costs. Out go the Audi, BMWs, Land Rovers, Mercedes, Porsche, VW and Volvo on the basis of cost. Generally these SUVs are also uneconomical, have poor CO2 emissions and high insurance groups.

In summary, the new Chevrolet Captiva is not a huge SUV. Big SUVs are TOO big. The Captiva is just that bit bigger than compact SUVs with interior space and 7-seat versatility to challenge larger SUVs. It gets 100% for style. And the whole package represents value.

So the Captiva is not a big Audi Q7, BMW X5, Shogun, Range Rover, or Mercedes GL. It’s not a compact BMW X3, Honda CRV, Jeep Cherokee, Freelander, X-Trail, or Rav4. The new Chevrolet Captiva is more a Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorrento, Grand Cherokee, Discovery, Lexus 400, Mercedes ML, Outlander, Murano, Pathfinder, or Volvo XC90.

In styling approach it only resembles the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorrento, Lexus 400, Mercedes ML and maybe the Murano.

The Lexus, Merc and Murano we can discount on the basis of cost.

So we have three contenders to test drive – the Chevrolet Captiva, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Kia Sorrento.

[Lion Prince]

A crossover SUV – like the new Chevrolet Captiva – is a development of the traditional SUV which has been criticized for its huge size, truck based construction, economy and safety. And the joke is most are not as comfortable or spacious as their size suggests.

A crossover SUV – the new Chevrolet Captiva – has a car like unibody construction and may be car derived. They’ve limited off-road capability. Normally described as having ‘on demand four wheel drive’ or ‘all-wheel-drive’, AWD and called soft-roaders. Some have car drive trains and suspension. They retain the sports utility vehicle appearance. That would be a Captiva. Some are no more than truck styled hatches or estates on slightly elevated suspension.

Crossover SUVs – like the Chevrolet – can have car or MPV like features.

New market niches are created by mixing vehicle features.

The advantages of a crossover SUV are:

1.

The SUV styling is retained.
2.

The size is more compact and manageable.
3.

The SUV image is retained.
4.

Inside the driver still enjoys an elevated view of the road ahead.
5.

Passengers in the new Chevrolet enjoy the space found in an MPV.
6.

Some – like the Chevrolet Captiva – can have MPV 7 seat versatility.
7.

The large load space and carrying/towing capabilities are retained.
8.

Handling is improved with a lower ground clearance and centre of gravity, lower profile tyres, and shorter car suspension travel.
9.

Front wheel drive makes crossovers easier to handle on slippery surfaces.
10.

Overall compact and medium sized – Captiva – crossover SUVs are more stable and responsive on the road than large truck based SUVs.
11.

Economy is improved by lighter construction, lighter transmission systems and on-road tyres. They are far more economical than large truck based SUVs though like MPVs suffer from poor aerodynamics.

Insatiable demand for SUV type vehicles and competition has driven these improvements in this market sector. The new Chevrolet Captiva is today’s example.

[Lion Prince]

What on earth is clean diesel?

For years, diesel has been seen by many as a dirty fuel, typically producing clouds of black smoke. So what's changed? Why is it now regarded as clean? And just what is clean diesel? Lots of questions, so let's look at the answers.
Fuel for thought

Firstly, it may be an idea to define what diesel is and why it's different from petrol. While both are refined from crude oil, each has different properties. Petrol, for example, needs a spark to ignite. Diesel simply needs compression and when the piston in a diesel engine compresses the fuel-air mixture, the fuel combusts spontaneously. This process provides more torque and is more efficient than the spark plugs in petrol engines.

Diesel engines also last longer, typically running for anything up to 250,000 miles before they wear out. And as the world's most efficient internal combustion engine, diesel engines provide more power and efficiency than those that use other fuels.

Lastly, diesel has environmental advantages over other types of engine. While petrol engines, for example, emit carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, modern diesel engines emit only small amounts of the first three.

All of which begs the question: why isn't every car fuelled by diesel?
Saying goodbye to sulphur

The answer lies in the sulphur content of diesel which, until new emission controls came into place in 2006, was damagingly high and prevented exhaust control devices from working properly. Just as the lead in petrol was harmful before unleaded became the norm, so high sulphur content has given diesel that dirty reputation.

Now, however, the introduction of ultra-low sulphur diesel has reduced the sulphur content by 97%. At the same time, it has enabled engine manufacturers to introduce advanced engine technologies and exhaust systems that reduce particulates by 90% and nitrogen oxide by up to 50%.

So the term 'clean diesel' doesn't just refer to the fuel, it's the combination of cleaner fuel, advances in diesel engines and emission control systems, all working together.
Saying hello to new technology

As well as emission control systems, manufacturers have introduced other advances in diesel engine technology such as electronic controls, high-pressure fuel injection, variable injection timing, improved combustion chamber configuration and better turbo charging. The result? Not just cleaner diesel engines, but ones that are quieter and more powerful.

The 2.0 litre, 16-valve, single overhead cam, common rail diesel engine that sits beneath the bonnet of the Captiva, for example, uses the very latest clean diesel technology. Jointly developed by GM Powertrain, VM Motori of Italy, and GM Daewoo Auto and Technology, the engine complies with stringent Euro IV emission standards and features design details that offer significant improvements in noise, vibration and harshness.

The engine has undergone incredible durability trials on new dynamometers at the powertrain engineering centre in Incheon, Korea, and has survived real-world testing under the most severe climatic conditions across the globe. It is now being produced in a huge, specially built facility capable of manufacturing 250,000 units every year.

The state-of-the-art 16-valve unit produces 150 PS at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 320 Nm at 2000 rpm. Which, roughly translated, means it delivers all of the performance modern drivers expect. As importantly, the high performance variable geometry turbo (VGT) engine delivers a fuel consumption figure of 37.2 mpg* in the EC combined cycle.

And this is only the beginning of clean diesel technology for Chevrolet in Europe. With the Captiva, Chevrolet has demonstrated that a diesel model can be as appealing - if not more appealing - than the petrol alternative. Welcome to clean diesel.