Since Chevrolet introduced a facelifted version of its Captiva last year, the General's SUV has only been available in the local market with 2,4- and a 3,0-litre petrol engines. Now the manufacturer has added a 2,2-litre turbodiesel that develops 135 kW and 400 N.m.
At the recent launch event I asked a General Motors engineer about the delayed introduction and he explained that there were concerns about the quality of South Africa's diesel. A lot of testing had to be done.
During our launch drive from George to Oudtshoorn, it became clear that this engine is the one that the Captiva needed all along. Not only should is it lighter on fuel than the 2,4- and 3,0-litre petrol units, but as is the case with most turbodiesel engines, you have more torque at your disposal lower in the rev range and you don’t need a lot of revs to accelerate. This Captiva model should prove quite a capable towing vehicle, too.
The usual clatter associated with most turbodiesel engines is kept to a minimum in the Captiva, and sound insulation might even be better than I remember from my previous Captiva experiences.
Although the six-speed automatic gearbox is not one of the latest dual-clutch systems, it works well with the engine, and even while driving over the mountain passes in the southern Cape I never felt the need to shift the gearlever into “S” to improve responsiveness. Drive is sent to all four wheels, making driving on the wet or greasy roads (as was the case on the launch) a lot easier and safer.
In terms of pricing, the turbodiesel slots in at R27 100 less than the 3,0-litre petrol LTZ AWD AT model. The most affordable AWD is the 2,4-litre petrol LT with a manual transmission (R356 700).
Specifications
Model: Chevrolet Captiva
Engine: 2,2-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 135 kW at 3 800 r/min
Torque: 400 N.m at 2 000 r/min
0-100 km/h: 10,1 seconds
Fuel consumption: 8,0 L/100 km
CO2: 213 g/km
Top speed: 191 km/h
Price: R427 500
Service plan: 3 year/60 000 km
Service intervals: 12 months/15 000 km
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