This Would Give The Fortuner A Run For Its Money

[Donnyboy]

Some how, I guess not due to the high taxes, great looking SUV that could perfom as well.

Holden has announced it will offer three models of its new Captiva sports utility vehicle, all powered by the Australian-built 3.2 litre Alloytec engine.

The flagship Captiva MaXX model - based on the Opel Antara in Europe - will be introduced to provide two distinctive offerings under the same nameplate.

To be introduced later this year, the Captiva line up will include the SX and LX models topped by Captiva MaXX.

All models will feature active all-wheel-drive, Descent Control System, cruise control and the acclaimed crash avoidance feature Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) as standard.

Side curtain airbags, driver and passenger airbags are standard across the range as are front and rear power windows.

The 3.2-litre Alloytec V6 engine will deliver peak power of 169 kilowatts at 6600rpm (Captiva MaXX 167kW @ 6600rpm) and peak torque of 297 Newton-metres at 3200 rpm.

All models will have a five-speed automatic transmission, with Active Select at the gear shifter, as standard.

Holden New Zealand Managing Director, Peter Keley, says Captiva will give Holden a legitimate presence in the competitive SUV segment in New Zealand.

"Captiva has eye-catching appeal and extensive testing for New Zealand and Australian will ensure that it delivers Holden's proven ride and handling requirements for local conditions," Mr Keley says.

Other notable features include:

Seating - SX and MaXX have five seats with the 60:40 fold-flat split second row. The LX model offers seven seats, in which the second and third seating rows fold flat to carry long or bulky loads. The second row is 60:40 split, the third row 50:50 split. SX will offer cloth seating while LX and MaXX will offer leather-faced seating.

Cargo volume - SX and LX offer 930 litres with rear seats folded and 1565 litres with the front passenger seat also folded. MaXX offers 865 litres with rear seats folded.

Wheels - SX offers 17-inch alloy wheels while LX and MaXX have 18-inch alloy wheels. All models have 200 millimetres of ground clearance.

Audio entertainment - SX offers a single-disc player while LX and MaXX offer six-disc players. All units offer MP3 compatibility.

Colors - Captiva has seven exterior colors and Captiva MaXX six exterior colors.

Pricing and full specifications and features will be released closer to launch.

[think_too_mut]

Holden has announced it will offer three models of its new Captiva sports utility vehicle, all powered by the Australian-built 3.2 litre Alloytec engine.

The flagship Captiva MaXX model - based on the Opel Antara in Europe - will be introduced to provide two distinctive offerings under the same nameplate.

Neither Holden nor Opel have experience or track record in building 4WDs.

Holden Jackaroo was a rebadged Isuzu.

The Captiva vehicle may appeal to women and other "shopping mall safari adventurers" but, still, IMO, won't make Toyota or Nisssan lose much sleep over it. They have been covering the "sissified" segment of the 4WD market for nearly 2 decades already.

I guess, even in Australia/NZ, the new entrant could well be a flop. In other parts of Asia stands no chance at all.

Edited September 18, 2006 by think_too_mut

[taxexile]

The new Captiva is the first all-new model since GM bought up Daewoo and relaunched it under the Chevrolet brand. In a model line up whose staples include the bland Nubira and Matiz city car, the Captiva stands out like an 18-year-old at a Daniel O'Donnell concert.

Like the rest of the Chevy range, the Captiva represents incredible value for money. But unlike its cheap and not terribly nice siblings, the Captiva is actually quite good. It's big (about the same size as the outgoing BMW X5), can accommodate seven seats although five seats are standard and will start at around £16k in the UK. Forget buying a house, you could live in one of these.Which bit of the SUV acronym applies:

sporty or utilitarian?

A bit of both. The chassis will form the basis of the new Vauxhall Antara due in the UK in mid-2006. It's relatively lightweight at 1585kg, which makes for reasonable performance from the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine. It has a decent mid-range surge, thanks to 233lb ft of torque. The 2.4-litre petrol, which kicks out 140bhp and 162lb ft, feels gutless in comparison.

The utilitarian bit is a little shaky. Yes it's got four-wheel drive and yes it has more ground clearance than an estate car but it's not a mud plugger. The all-wheel drive system does without a transfer box and the underside is left exposed. The flipside to this is better on-road dynamics and 37mpg from the common rail diesel engine. Glad to hear it's fought the flab.

The Captiva feels nimble, thanks to that lighter-than-average chassis. This is a big car yet it never feels like it. Unfortunately the promise is never quite realised thanks to slow-witted steering and soft damping. You can feel the potential but there's a suspicion that GM is saving a tauter set up for the Vauxhall version.

The soft suspension endows the Captiva with a comfy straight-line ride, but pronounced roll through corners. It's very refined, the cabin is quiet even at high speeds and road noise is kept on the outside. Get playful, however, and squealing understeer sets in early.

Is it any good off-road?

Think 4x4-lite. It might lack clever diffs and a limpet-like grip on the planet but it can still cope with a trip into the muddy stuff. That soft ride means it can barrel along at relatively high-speeds without the ride getting choppy and the short front and rear overhangs means it can traverse a hillside without leaving large collections of plastic behind.

What's it like inside?

Built like a challenger tank, so it's functional rather than fancy. It's comfortable, everything works and the spec is generous, given the bargain price. And the plastics are unexpectedly classy. Getting into the third row of seats is tricky but once in there's enough legroom for adults, although you wouldn't want to spend a long time in them.

Verdict

The new Captiva is a massive step in the right direction for Chevrolet. The only glitch is the wait - the new car won't arrive here (the uk) until the spring.

GM neglected to check that the chassis could be converted easily to right hand drive. As it turns out the steering mechanism fouls on the engine block and the exhaust needs re-routing. The upshot is a six-month delay as the car is certified and crash tested at huge expense to GM. The same hitches affect Vauxhall's version, too.

Chevrolet needs the Captiva in showrooms right now, with the new Land Rover Freelander and Honda CR-V imminent. But the Captiva could still prove a headache for both. It's good value, well built, comfy and massive inside. It's a promising start for the all-new Chevy range.

6 of 7

Need to know: Chevrolet Captiva

How much? £16,000 - £24,000

On sale in the UK: Spring 2007

Engine: 2000cc, common rail diesel, 148bhp @ 4000rpm, 233lb ft @ 2000rpm

Transmission: five-speed manual, four-wheel drive

Performance: 0-62mph in 11.8secs, 110mph, 32.1mpg, 225g/km CO2

How heavy/made of: 1730kg/steel

How big (length/width/height in mm)? 4639/1849/1726

Other models in the range: 2.4-litre, 4cyl, petrol

Or try a... Land Rover Freelander,

Honda CRV,

Toyota Rav4

from car magazine

[chuchok]

Holden has announced it will offer three models of its new Captiva sports utility vehicle, all powered by the Australian-built 3.2 litre Alloytec engine.

The flagship Captiva MaXX model - based on the Opel Antara in Europe - will be introduced to provide two distinctive offerings under the same nameplate.

Neither Holden nor Opel have experience or track record in building 4WDs.

Holden Jackaroo was a rebadged Isuzu.

The Captiva vehicle may appeal to women and other "shopping mall safari adventurers" but, still, IMO, won't make Toyota or Nisssan lose much sleep over it. They have been covering the "sissified" segment of the 4WD market for nearly 2 decades already.

I guess, even in Australia/NZ, the new entrant could well be a flop. In other parts of Asia stands no chance at all.

Holden Rodeo,holden Crewman.....

[John 1]

There is a new SUV from Nissan " Qashqai " to be released in Europe soon it was featured in the Bangkok post Friday, it looks neat if it could be made in Asia could be a big seller, but it would definitely need a name change

[think_too_mut]

Holden has announced it will offer three models of its new Captiva sports utility vehicle, all powered by the Australian-built 3.2 litre Alloytec engine.

The flagship Captiva MaXX model - based on the Opel Antara in Europe - will be introduced to provide two distinctive offerings under the same nameplate.

Neither Holden nor Opel have experience or track record in building 4WDs.

Holden Jackaroo was a rebadged Isuzu.

The Captiva vehicle may appeal to women and other "shopping mall safari adventurers" but, still, IMO, won't make Toyota or Nisssan lose much sleep over it. They have been covering the "sissified" segment of the 4WD market for nearly 2 decades already.

I guess, even in Australia/NZ, the new entrant could well be a flop. In other parts of Asia stands no chance at all.

Holden Rodeo,holden Crewman.....

Neither of those vehicles are SUV. Rodeo is a commercial pickup truck (a workhorse of plumbers and other tradesman) and Crewman is a competitor for Falcon 1Tonne - again, tradesmen's choice.

Keep on whistling while looking at this page:

http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action...ew?modelid=9006

[Donnyboy]

Holden has announced it will offer three models of its new Captiva sports utility vehicle, all powered by the Australian-built 3.2 litre Alloytec engine.

The flagship Captiva MaXX model - based on the Opel Antara in Europe - will be introduced to provide two distinctive offerings under the same nameplate.

Neither Holden nor Opel have experience or track record in building 4WDs.

Holden Jackaroo was a rebadged Isuzu.

The Captiva vehicle may appeal to women and other "shopping mall safari adventurers" but, still, IMO, won't make Toyota or Nisssan lose much sleep over it. They have been covering the "sissified" segment of the 4WD market for nearly 2 decades already.

I guess, even in Australia/NZ, the new entrant could well be a flop. In other parts of Asia stands no chance at all.

Didnt BMW,BENZ and others have little to no experience building 4x4 SUVs as well??

In all honesty it will be hard for a new entrant to break the dominance of the Japanese brands.

[chuchok]

Holden has announced it will offer three models of its new Captiva sports utility vehicle, all powered by the Australian-built 3.2 litre Alloytec engine.

The flagship Captiva MaXX model - based on the Opel Antara in Europe - will be introduced to provide two distinctive offerings under the same nameplate.

Neither Holden nor Opel have experience or track record in building 4WDs.

Holden Jackaroo was a rebadged Isuzu.

The Captiva vehicle may appeal to women and other "shopping mall safari adventurers" but, still, IMO, won't make Toyota or Nisssan lose much sleep over it. They have been covering the "sissified" segment of the 4WD market for nearly 2 decades already.

I guess, even in Australia/NZ, the new entrant could well be a flop. In other parts of Asia stands no chance at all.

Holden Rodeo,holden Crewman.....

Neither of those vehicles are SUV. Rodeo is a commercial pickup truck (a workhorse of plumbers and other tradesman) and Crewman is a competitor for Falcon 1Tonne - again, tradesmen's choice.

Keep on whistling while looking at this page:

http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action...ew?modelid=9006

You said "4WD" mate.The Rodeo is one of the better 4WD farm vehicles.It's not just a fancy wagon for plumbers and tradesmen.

I suppose that GMC have no experience at all in building SUV's or 4WD's...

Thanks for the web site, I never would have known where to look....

[taxexile]

The Captiva vehicle may appeal to women and other "shopping mall safari adventurers"

should also appeal to those families who need 7 seats occasionally , a lot of load space , the added security and usefulness of 4wd , the practicality in this country of an unsophisticated design and the higher ground clearance and the value for money offered by companies such as chevrolet.

[Plus]

With a 3.2 l engine and over 220 hp power it will be taxed beyong reason.

[moonoi]

According to my Isuzu dealer this car will be coming to Thailand badged as an Isuzu MU9. She said it will be released end of this year.

[wilko]

Holden has announced it will offer three models of its new Captiva sports utility vehicle, all powered by the Australian-built 3.2 litre Alloytec engine.

The flagship Captiva MaXX model - based on the Opel Antara in Europe - will be introduced to provide two distinctive offerings under the same nameplate.

Neither Holden nor Opel have experience or track record in building 4WDs.

Holden Jackaroo was a rebadged Isuzu.

The Captiva vehicle may appeal to women and other "shopping mall safari adventurers" but, still, IMO, won't make Toyota or Nisssan lose much sleep over it. They have been covering the "sissified" segment of the 4WD market for nearly 2 decades already.

I guess, even in Australia/NZ, the new entrant could well be a flop. In other parts of Asia stands no chance at all.

Holden Rodeo,holden Crewman.....

The Rodeo is a rebadged Izuzu (Cab/chassis built in Thailand), and the Captiva looks like there's a lot of Izusu in it too.

The Crewman and Adventra would make interesting additions to the Thai market.!

I've seen a lot of new Commodores, with a Chevy badge just recently, is this a part of the Aussie/Thai F/T deal? Have they reduced import duty on cars from Oz? If that's the case we might get a few more interesting vehicles on the road in Thailand, let's face it the range of vehicles available is neither large nor inspiring.

Edited September 18, 2006 by wilko

[Plus]

In principle yes, that would be a good thing. However, I haven't seen even one Chebrolet Lumina, as they are called here, despite it having best specs for under 2 mil.

If large petrol engines in SUVs were sellable here, Toyota would stick 3.5l V6 in Fortuners, like they offer in Australia.

New MU-9??? That's interesting. Will they just import it from OZ, or are they going to build them here? It's not pickup based, they will need a separate assembly. Will it be replacement for now diseased Zafira, under Chevrolet brand? Will it be priced like Ssangoyng, in upper 2 mil range? I doubt they could offer it for less without diesel.

[teej]

Will it be priced like Ssangoyng, in upper 2 mil range?

Ssangyong has a car in the upper 2mil range?!?! who in their right mind......

[nikster]

Didnt BMW,BENZ and others have little to no experience building 4x4 SUVs as well??

Not true. Before the M class, Mercedes made the "G" wagon - they still do. They used to be sold as low-spec version to businesses and military, later only high spec to consumers. That car was impossible to break and had legendary 4x4 capabilities. A wonderful 4x4. The whole history and pix here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_G-Class

BMW - I think that's true, but you can be certain they did their homework... also, they made the X class be more like an urban 4x4, not an off-roader. It comes standard with high-speed road tires.

There are tons of excellent SUVs and 4x4s out there that would give the Fortuner a run for its money, but they usually cost 2 - 3 x as much due to taxation. The Captiva will come, but it's more like a CRV-type car, urban SUV. The Fortuner is a pretty amazing crossover as it can be used for semi-serious 4x4 as well as a "limousine" and it uses very little gas - comparatively. For me, it's the perfect compromise.

One thing though: Why doesn't Toyota sell their Landcruiser Troopy anywhere but Australia? I love that car - yeah, it's very basic, but it's also inexpensive and indestructible. It's made of thick steel panels. I was thinking about importing one to California, but it's near-impossible. Importing to Thailand would also triple the cost...

[percy2]

Didnt BMW,BENZ and others have little to no experience building 4x4 SUVs as well??

Not true. Before the M class, Mercedes made the "G" wagon - they still do. They used to be sold as low-spec version to businesses and military, later only high spec to consumers. That car was impossible to break and had legendary 4x4 capabilities. A wonderful 4x4. The whole history and pix here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_G-Class

BMW - I think that's true, but you can be certain they did their homework... also, they made the X class be more like an urban 4x4, not an off-roader. It comes standard with high-speed road tires.

Didn't they own Range Rover for a while?

[Plus]

Ssangyong sells Kyron and Rectal or something like that here. As complete imports they cost way over 2 mil.

Nothing but another pickup based SUV can give Fortuner run for the money. Not because it's so good, but because of taxation, so the topic is a non-starter, really.

[wilko]

Ssangyong sells Kyron and Rectal or something like that here. As complete imports they cost way over 2 mil.

Nothing but another pickup based SUV can give Fortuner run for the money. Not because it's so good, but because of taxation, so the topic is a non-starter, really.

Yes well said.

what about a Mitsubishi replacement for the G-Wagon...that must be due soon.....?

[nikster]

Ssangyong sells Kyron and Rectal or something like that here. As complete imports they cost way over 2 mil.

Nothing but another pickup based SUV can give Fortuner run for the money. Not because it's so good, but because of taxation, so the topic is a non-starter, really.

Yes well said.

Aye.

what about a Mitsubishi replacement for the G-Wagon...that must be due soon.....?

I have heard rumors, and besides it would only make sense for Mitsubishi to go for the "7 seater" passenger transport vehicle SUV - if based on the Triton, it would be very competitive.