| A Week at the Wheel | Cambs, England | Chevrolet Captiva LT 2.0 VCDi |

Inside & Out:

Right away the Chevrolet Captiva looks the part and has made it through to production largely unchanged from the S3X concept car first revealed in Paris in 2004. It bears all the necessary hallmarks of a modern SUV and has plenty of road presence. The Chevrolet is marked out from its relatives by dashes of chrome, as well as prominent badging. Only the oddly understated twin exhausts let it down; more expensive models get more finely finished items that look a good deal better.

The interior is very spacious and for the most part well thought out and finished. We found the seats a little lacking in comfort during longer journeys though. The dash is clean and well laid out, but the large central cubby in the console served no real practical purpose other than acting as a reminder that you didn't splash out on satnav.

Engine & Transmission:

The 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel unit is certain to be the top selling model in the Captiva range. Offering a decent blend of economy and performance, it out punches the petrol alternatives whilst using significantly less fuel in the process. It's a refined cruiser with very little intrusion from the engine at motorway speeds. It does have the usual diesel clatter from cold and can be a little vocal when extended, but by and large it suits the Captiva well.

Unfortunately, the gearbox is a little notchy, but it's the weakest link in a clever transmission that boasts automatic engagement of the four-wheel drive system - as and when the computers decide it's required - and hill descent control. Many owners will probably never feel the benefit of these features but they are worthy additions and compare well with those offered in rivals.

Ride & Handling:

Weighing in at almost two tonnes and with a typical SUV stance the Captiva is never going to offer BMW X3 road manners. It does however improve significantly on something like the Mitsubishi Shogun Sport and makes a decent fist of behaving more akin to a car than an off-roader. The ride is forgiving and supple for the most part, although a few crests and ridges at motorway speeds upset it a little more than they perhaps should.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

The standard fit equipment list is generous to say the least. Similarly specified rivals will cost significantly more money but the Chevy is intended to be aimed more at the lower end of the market. As such it offers very good value for money in terms of the amount of metal your £21k gets you and the long term service packs will ensure it's cheap to run as well, along with the 32mpg fuel economy. It is likely to depreciate more rapidly than some of the competition though.

Overall:

Chevrolet's Captiva is a fine car and the blend of looks, size, practicality and value will make it hard to resist for many buyers, and deservedly so. It isn't the last word in comfort or manners on the road but it is certainly competitive. A few years ago this car probably wouldn't have been viable. £20k+ for what was then a Daewoo would have caused many buyers to baulk; a Chevy badge on an SUV is much more credible. The fact the Captiva is a worthy addition to the market makes it all the more so. It's fitting that the most expensive car in the current Chevrolet range is also its best.