CHEVROLET CAPTIVA test drive since 2006 SUV

Everyone may not be enough for everyone

For some reason, it seems in absentia that it is made specifically for our buyer. Although the Russian version of Captiva is not compiled by a diesel engine, this is familiar to us.
 

Dealers sell only all -wheel drive versions: despite the fact that in Korea there are cheaper ones, with a drive to the front axle. But $ 30,690 for a seven-seater car with four leading wheels The formula that stretched out the lines behind the off-road Chevrolet for three to four months.

 

Since October 4, Chevrolet Captiva has been erected from large nodes right in St. Petersburg, in the workshops of the Arsenal factory. They say that this will not yet work the General Motors plant under construction in Shushara. The current capacity of the enterprise on the arsenal embankment is only 4,000 vehicles per year, and only 10 cars per month will go to each of the dealers. It seems not enough for everyone ...
 

Koreans awarded Captiva with a recognizable appearance: it guesses the features of Audi, Honda, Volvo, and the front sight resembles the relative of the Aveo sedan. The resemblance to the latter is easier to explain: both cars with crosses on the lattices are the products of one team of designers. So, if you do not blame the creators of the SUV’s own associations, we can assume that it turned out to be harmonious, whole and places even interesting.
 

Suddenly, the start from the place impressed all four passengers. The car weighed up to two tons, they instantly responded to the dawn of the accelerator, imprinted in the backs of comfortable leather armchairs. And then they froze in anticipation of a dynamic miracle unknown to the Koreans.

  

But it did not happen: Captiva raised her nose slightly and cheerfully accelerated, but the intensity of acceleration disappeared, and just as vigorously. Even if I facilitate the burden of the SUV, having kicked passengers to the street, the increase in the dynamics will not change the nature of the Korean engine (albeit not cast iron, like a 2.4-liter unit) ...

And against the background of a powerful start, reactions to the gas pedal were very upset. In other words, acceptance, and to be extremely accurate, then its absence. The impression was that the gas pedal has only two working positions: Kik-Dawn (pedal in the floor) and the gas is slightly ajar. Plus, the first few centimeters of the stroke at the pedal are idle. Captiva barely found the strength to raise the speedometer arrow above 110 km/h. And you can initiate a kik-Daown only up to three and a small thousand revolutions.
 

Prices

Prices for Chevy Captiva start at $ 29,900. The basic package includes a 2.4-liter engine, a mechanical checkpoint, a five-seater salon, front and ceiling airbags, ABS, air steering wheel, ESP, Doors, Remote Clockwork, Audiosystem with MP3 support. The seven-seater layout of the cabin is available from $ 30,690, and a 3.2-liter 230-horsepower engine from $ 39,960.
 

Suddenly it became terribly interesting: how difficult is it to move on a 2.4-liter captiva loaded under the eyeballs? ..
 

Chevrolet Captiva was an example of how engineers can overdo it with caring for comfort. The car goes smoothly and softly; On a flat road, the sensation to match the Audi Q7 in a comfortable air suspension mode and if you do not make any more or less sudden movements, the impressions of the car will be the best.
 

But even with the most unpretentious maneuvers, the body begins to bow to shock absorbers clearly lacks stiffness (however, like the springs). This becomes especially noticeable when braking: the rate of slowdown is arranged (according to the brake efficiency, it seemed one of the best in the segment), but the stop is accompanied by integral grades of passengers: first ahead, and then (when the front springs stabilize the body) back.

  

Captiva is a great tool to teach the rear passengers to fasten. You just have to slow down slightly
 

For the driver, the sensation of the suspension is always close to comfortable. At low speed, everyone else experiences something similar. But sitting in the second row more sensitively than on the first, react to changing the relief of the road.
 

The steering wheel, although large in diameter, but quite conveniently lies in the hand of the exact copy of the baroque on the Epica sedan. During operation, it does not please the lack of severity, but also does not reflect the relief of the roadway.
 

It is necessary: \u200b\u200bstarting with Epica and Captiva models, the Korean branch of Chevrolet begins to equip its cars with ESP stabilization system! Her work on the crossover left the most flattering reviews on dry asphalt and alerted with delay on slippery coatings. Miracles happen, but, for example, the choice of rubber is not always possible to compensate for ESP.
 

Captivate in birches

It sounds funny, agree! Just like bulls in the tomato there is something native in this phrase. And even before the start, I want to consider the capiva itself as a Russian car.
 

Koreans worked well on the interior of the salon would leave a great impression if not for the backlight. Here, as in Epica, the instruments and monitor of the on-board computer have an emerald green subscription that does not fit into the interior of the SUV.
 

Otherwise, Captiva has a very comfortable and ergonomic interior, with a pleasant one -to -eye and touch with a sheathing, inserts under the metal, favorably diluting the blackness of plastic. The central console is connected to the central tunnel, and behind the lever the gearbox hides the original shape of the parking brake handle here, it is made in the form of an hilt of the saber.
 

The leather armchair (in the top configuration) is well fixed by the driver’s body, possessing quite developed side support. And the presence of seats of seats in the maximum configuration added to the Korean branch of the Chevrolet public capital

  

To look towards Chevrolet Captiva, you need to have at least three reasons. The first on the way constantly occurs obstacles with a height of 20 cm. The second cargo with a volume of more than 900 liters has to be carried more often than once a week. The third new seven -seater car is impossible to find for this money.
 

In all other respects, Captiva does not stand out among competitors. There is also a counterargument: dealers will be able to sell no more than a dozen cars per month. They simply do not have more.
 

The car was provided for the test by Atlant-M Baltika


Text: Alexander Korobchenko
Photo: Roman Ostanin
 
 
 
     
 
 
 

Source: Wheel magazine [No. 115/2007]