The Captiva, being imported from the GM plant in Thailand, enjoys the preferential AFTA import duty rate of not more than 5% so it can be priced competitively. Tentatively, it is said to be priced between RM138,000 and RM155,000, depending on the variant, of which there are four. The variants are 2WD (FWD) with a 2.4-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine or a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine and 4WD with the same two engine choices.

The Captiva made its global debut about 18 months ago and was primarily developed by GM-DAT which is the former Daewoo company that GM acquired in the late 1990s. Of course, various other GM R&D units (no less than eleven) were also involved in its development too. Depending on the country, it is sold either with a Chevrolet, Opel, Saturn, Daewoo or Holden badge. The model name also varies with the brand so if you go to America and see a similar looking SUV but it is called a Saturn Vue.

2.4-litre petrol engine is one of two engine choices

Size-wise, the Captiva has almost similar dimensions as obvious rivals like the Toyota Fortuner, Naza Sorento and Inokom Santa Fe. The styling isn’t head-turning and in a crowd of SUVs, it won’t stand out (might even be mistaken for some other SUV!). In fact, the front end looks rather bland although this also has to do with an attempt to incorporate a semblance of the ‘Chevrolet look’.

The petrol engine is a Daewoo DOHC 16-valve unit which, for 2405 cc, generates only 136 bhp and 220 Nm at 2200 rpm but the SOHC 16-valve diesel, developed with VM Motori, produces 150 bhp at 4000 rpm and 320 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm. The latter engine has commonrail high-pressure fuel delivery which makes combustion more efficient, reduces noise and vibration levels and also lower levels of toxic exhaust emissions.

Both engines deliver their power through a 5-speed tiptronic transmission which gives the drive the choice of shifting automatically or manually. The power then either goes only to the front wheels or in the 4WD variant, to all four wheels. Its Active Coupling distributes torque to the front and rear axles according to surface conditions. On normal dry roads, the system sends torque only to the front wheels. This helps reduce fuel consumption to some extent. When conditions get slippery, the system (which is managed electronically) will vary torque distribution in proportions ranging from 50:50 front:rear, 60:40, or 70:30, depending on the situation.

For suspension, each wheel gets independent operation, MacPherson struts in front and a 4-point multilink arrangement at the rear. A self-levelling feature is standard though its usefulness only comes in if you are the sort who carries very heavy loads frequently.

Being from an American brand, it’s not surprising that the Captiva comes with a lot of safety features although only the 4WD diesel variant gets all of them. This variant, which would likely be the most expensive, comes with an Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Descent Control System, Traction Control System and Hydraulic Brake Assist. The ESP is sophisticated as it also has Active Rollover Protection which, presumably, uses sensors to detect when the vehicle tilt angle is excessive and uses the brakes to decelerate the vehicle so as to stabilize it. This is especially important for a tall vehicle like a SUV which has a higher centre of gravity.

Other safety features common to all the variants include dual front airbags, ABS, 4-wheel disc brakes, etc. ISOFIX mounts are also provided on the second row for childseats. EuroNCAP, the independent European organisation, has crashed the Captiva and it got a 4-star rating.

The Captiva is a 7-seater and the third row has two full-sized seats with a comfortable height so they can be used for long journeys. When not needed, they fold down into the floor to leave a flat floor for up to 930 litres of cargo. The reason why they can fold into the floor is because the spare wheel is stowed on the underside of the vehicle rather than in a wheel well. Loading can be either by lifting up the rear door or just tilting open the glass.

As is the industry norm these days, the Captiva comes with a 3-years/100,000 kms (whichever occurs first) warranty. HCSB also offers 24-hour roadside assistance to owners. Customers can place bookings at the 13 Chevrolet showrooms and deliveries will be made ‘soon’. HCSB won’t reveal what sort of numbers it expects to sell other than that they are aiming to get up to 5,500 units a year (total for all models) sometime in the near future.