good motoring
Fuel-efficient SUV
H. Kishie Singh

The Captiva is a beauty and its engine should win hearts.

The most common question from scribes, prospective customers and the public in general when a new car is launched is: "Diesel engine hai?" I can answer that with confidence: "Ji, iss mein diesel engine hai." That is the most important offering from General Motors in their Captiva. It is an SUV in the classic sense—big, seven-seater with huge space, thanks to folding seats. The third row of seats, as always, lacks leg room. It is good for small children or midgets.

Best to keep them folded and have plenty of storage space for baggage. Entry to the third row is from the left hand rear door. Pull a lever and the hydraulically operated second row seat folds forward to allow egress to the third row. No pushing or pulling. Very user-friendly. The Captiva is a good-looking SUV with macho looks to give it an aggressive road presence.

The bow-tie in front sits in a large chrome-lined grill flanked by neat looking headlights. The rear view mirrors are obvious and the indicators incorporated into them are a growing trend. The air dam stretches across the width of the car. The fog-lights are nestled below the headlights. The silver coloured skid plate is highly visible and is a definite pointer to the Captiva's 4x4 heritage.

Sadly, the Indian Captiva is a 4x2 and front-wheel drive. The skid plate incorporated into the rear bumper is a further proof that it was originally a 4x4. Two chrome-tipped exhaust pipes peep out from below the bumper. The rear end is neat and uncluttered. No spare wheel in sight. The spare wheel is housed under the vehicle and is released from inside the vehicle. The rear gate is split. You can lift the entire gate or open just the glass.

A windshield wiper clears the rear glass. The door handles and roof rails are chrome as is the air vent behind the front wheels. The large 17-inch wheels are six spoke alloys and should take care of potholes and rough roads. The interior is huge, comfortable and well laid out. There are numerous cubby holes in the arm-rests, in the doors and one in the roof above the rear view mirror for your spectacles. Cup holders are there all over, plus four power outlets to charge mobile phones or work a laptop. You can live in the car.

There is a unique automatic level ride control that makes sure the SUV stays level. Normally, if there is a heavy load in the rear, it has the tendency to sit low on its suspension. The ALRC helps keep the vehicle level. Inside and out the Captiva is a beauty. However, it is the engine that should win hearts. The diesel engine, 4 cylinder VCDi, is 2000 cc and the manufacturer claims about 16 km/litre if driven at a reasonable speed—80-85 kmph. The high torque of the vehicle means that the huge and heavy (1820 kg) SUV can be driven around the city at 40 kmph in the fourth or even the fifth gear.

Happy motoring.