Chevrolet Captiva - Front Angle, 2012 Louis Chevrolet would be proud of the entry of the latest SUV, the new Chevrolet Captiva. Bloody Chevrolet SUV have been given major makeover for 2011, including a fresh exterior design to give the presence of even more confident and dynamic, all new and looks more powerful and fuel efficient engine, chassis modifications and interior upgrades.
This compact SUV offers four new engines mated with a new six-speed transmission; a 2.4 liter petrol unit, a 258 hp 3.0 liter V6 and two variants of 2.2 liter turbo-diesel. The 2012 Chevrolet Captiva retains the advantages of its adaptable of becoming a mainstream player in the highly competitive European market. It is that kind of modern versatility and can-do attitude that encapsulates the spirit of a car like the Chevy Captiva, and why it is expected to appeal not only to family motorists but to anyone seeking an alternative to the conventional sedan or hatchback, a vehicle which says something about their lifestyle. Estimated price $46,000.
Exterior Design
Few can deny the handsome profile and confident stance of the current Chevrolet Captiva, still looking as fresh and modern as the day it was launched – until perhaps you see the new Chevrolet Captiva, an example of an already strong design being honed in all the right areas to ensure it has a more dynamic presence, but without losing any of the original Captiva design essence.
Taewan Kim, GM Vice President of Design, in charge of the Captiva project: “The key ingredient of the new design that you see with Captiva is confidence. The changes we have made to the front profile give the new Chevrolet Captiva an even more athletic stance and strong overall character. We wanted to ensure that we lost none of the spirit of the original model, while giving it a stronger and more sophisticated appearance. Captiva has presence but without looking overly big; it looks capable but also compact.”
A number of features are immediately noticeable when viewing the new Captiva from the front. The dual-opening grille has become one of the Chevrolet signatures, and there is no mistaking its intention on Chevrolet Captiva: significantly larger than on the outgoing model, it looks distinctive and progressive with its unique flattened honey-comb texture and chrome surrounds, lending the new model an almost high-performance car feel.
Sitting in the center line between each grille is the prominent family Chevrolet bow-tie, ten percent larger than before and finished with a grained, gold surface.
Just above the grille, Captiva’s aluminum hood is all new, its concave and sculptured lines also designed to make the front profile more aggressive and powerful. Working in tandem with the new hood, the headlamps take on a more purposeful shape while the cylindrical, prism-type lamps, housed inside the casings, look high-end and modern.
The area around the front fog lamps in the lower section of the front bumper has received a lot of attention, so that the fog lamp outline now runs seamlessly into the skid plate, which gives the whole front a more unified look.
The designers also refer to the ‘character lines’ incorporated into the new shape front bumper. They have been cleverly shaped so that they sweep into the body sides which not only adds to Chevrolet Captiva’s more aggressive character at the front, but also contributes to the overall stance when viewing the new car in profile as the line rises toward the rear of the vehicle.
Interior Design
Climbing aboard the new Captiva, the first impression is one of abundant light and spaciousness. It’s a quality that has always been there with the Chevrolet Captiva, but now and in tandem with the enhancements to the exterior design, the interior’s ambience has been taken up several notches in terms of quality and functionality.
It is still available with five or seven seats and with storage space that is among the best in class. The Captiva’s new upgraded interior now features an array of new finishes and textures, taking the new model up-market in feel and look.
A number of the elements found in the cabin have recently been introduced on other new Chevrolets, to ensure the best of the family DNA runs consistently through the model range, while one or two others, like the electric park brake for example, are the kind of premium feature normally reserved for higher end vehicle segments.
Of the characteristics that can be found on other new Chevrolet interiors, one of the key signatures is the dual-cockpit design and wrap-around front fascia, something that is well illustrated inside the Captiva. The Corvette-inspired dual cockpit lends the cabin a natural symmetry, while the wrap around fascia, which flows from the dash into the top sections of the driver’s and front passenger doors, gives the front of the cabin a seamless, unified look.
GM Vice President of Design Taewan Kim, explains what the design team wanted to achieve with the new Chevrolet Captiva’s interior environment: “In taking a fresh look at the interior the aim was to offer a blend of high end sedan comfort combined with the spacious ambience and practicality associated with an MPV. We have achieved this by use of superior textures and finishes combined with the distinctive Chevrolet wrap-around interior of the instrument panel; at the same time the abundance of storage and the versatile packaging offered by the five or seven seats emphasizes Captiva’s space and practicality.”
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