Chevrolet Captiva

While the exterior of the Chevrolet Captiva has a couple of design tweaks over the Baojun 530, the cabin has no such revisions. The all-black cabin of the Captiva has contrast silver accents on the T-shaped multi-functional steering wheel, exterior sides of the AC vents and inner door grab handles. 

The tilt and telescopic adjustable multi-functional steering wheel of the Captiva has a modern 7-inch full-TFT instrument console behind it, that also has a tyre pressure monitoring system display within it. The MPV comes with a three-row seating arrangement, with 60:40 split seats in the second row and 50:50 split seats in the third row. 

The centre console of the cabin of the Chevrolet Captiva is dominated by a huge 10.4-inch portrait-styled touchscreen infotainment system, which also houses the settings of the automatic climate control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and the 6-speaker audio system. The Captiva also features leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, a push start-stop button, rear AC vents, cruise control, electronic parking brake and four USB charging ports. 

Having the dimensions and stance of a mid-size SUV, the Chevrolet Captiva has a terrific exterior appeal and road presence for a vehicle of its class. Being a rebadged version of the Baojun 530, the Captiva has tweaked front and rear profiles, giving it its own identity. 

At the front, the Captiva has a muscular grille inspired by other Chevy SUVs, with it having a split design with horizontal dark chrome slats and a Chevrolet bowtie logo in the middle. The headlamps on the sides also have a split design, with the Captiva having sleek LED DRLs placed to the sides of the upper edges of the grille, while also having C-shaped housings for the LED headlamps and LED fog lamps on the corners of the front bumper.

The Chevrolet Captiva also has muscular-looking front and rear blacked-out skid plates, giving the MPV a rugged stance. Moving to the side, the Captiva has body cladding over the wheel arches and bottom of the door panels, with the latter also having chrome garnish. The MPV gets 18-inch machined alloy wheels as standard.

At the back, the Captiva has trapezoidal tail lamps on the sides, which have sleek all-LED lights within them. The rear bumper here has dual, chrome-garnished faux exhaust ports, while the MPV also gets a roof-mounted spoiler.

The Chevrolet Captiva has a suspension combination of Macpherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear, which have been tuned on a softer side to give the MPV a plush ride quality even at higher speeds. However, while the 18-inch wheels give it a decent stance and stability at fast stretches, the light steering and soft suspension setup make high-speed handling a bit nervous around corners. 

Both the variants of the Chevrolet Captiva have a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which has been developed by SAIC for the SUV. Paired with a CVT as the standard transmission choice, this turbo-petrol engine develops a maximum power output of 150 PS and a maximum torque output of 265 Nm, making it one of the most powerful MPVs in its class.

The Chevrolet Captiva might be missing out on ADAS features, which are gradually becoming popular even in compact cars. However, both the variants of the MPV are decently equipped with features like six airbags, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, rear parking sensors, reverse camera, ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, hill start assist and tyre pressure monitoring system. The Premier variant further gets front parking sensors and a 360-degree parking camera.

At its price, the Chevrolet Captiva offers a nice blend of the stance and exterior appeal of a mid-size SUV and the comfort levels of an MPV. While it might not be a true driver’s car due to unprecise handling at higher speeds and light steering, the Captiva manages to offer a decent proposition of space, comfort, and features.