SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.
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*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.
This vehicle is known as Holden Captiva in some markets
Published in The Witness Motoring on Wednesday August 17, 2011
Back in the days of ducktailed hair and ponytails, hooped skirts and chunky Jarman shoes, wealthy neighbours used to buy new cars every year simply because the styling had changed. They rationalised with platitudes but the real reason was that they could. And they wished to rub other people's noses in it. There was an inevitable backlash against such foolishness, so car manufacturers changed tactic, keeping shapes going long enough to become familiar.
That was all very well, but it soon became apparent that a four year-old shape was no longer considered a new car. "Why," people asked, "would I want a 2007 model at 2011 prices, when I can get a brand new car for similar money?" You laugh? Manufacturers found that this was actually happening. Even fans of the brand were ignoring older-shaped cars, hence a swing to regular facelifts that pretty much bring us back to the way things were...
Chevrolet's mid-sized SUV, the Captiva, was treated to a "refresh" a few months ago. It was more than just a little nip and tuck, though. It was an extensive remodelling, with interior and exterior styling changes, chassis improvements, new electronics, improved NVH levels and upgraded engines.
A dual-port grille with black honeycomb inserts, chrome surrounds and prominent Chevrolet “bow-tie” insignia in a body coloured grille surround marks its bolder new face. New headlamp treatment sees them sweep forward into the front corners of the vehicle, with polycarbonate lenses providing a smooth surface over the functional elements. A revised windscreen and roofline gives it a sleek aero profile, while a tight tyre-to-body relationship imparts a well-grounded appearance.
New seat fabrics and décor items create a more upscale atmosphere in the spacious interior. Ergonomics and comfort have been improved with revised controls for some front seat movements and the repositioning of others to place them within easier and more natural reach of the driver. All models boast a front-loading six-CD and RDS radio combination with eight speakers, MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth connectivity and auxiliary input. The analogue instrument cluster has been redesigned as well.
Hardware and software enhancements built on already high levels of ride, handling and safety. Stopping performance is improved through revisions to ABS software and fine-tuning of the chassis. An electronic parking brake placed in the centre console features Hill Start Assist as well as Dynamic Assist that applies selective four-corner braking when required to slow the vehicle down in unstable conditions.
Front spring rates have been increased for enhanced ride and improved stability while a thicker anti-roll bar with stiffer mounting bushes improves roll-stiffness. The front sub-frame has been revised for added chassis rigidity. Rear spring and damper rates and stabiliser bar have been revised too. Improved insulation on suspension mounting points reduces noise and vibration transmission. Hydraulic engine mounts, revised inlet and exhaust systems, improved seals and added sound damping material all help to reduce noise.
Just as with the taxman, one needs to be wary of wonderful gifts, though. Those who have grown used to level ride suspension, an on-board trip computer and rear parking assistance will have to bid them farewell. They're no longer available, not even on the 3.0 litre LTZ. Sorry about that.
Engines include a revised, slightly smaller version of GM's Ecotec 2.4, now with VVT, producing 123 kW and 230 Nm and a more powerful 3.0 litre V6 to replace the old 3.2. Combined cycle fuel economy is listed as 8,8 l/100 for the front driven 2.4, 9,2 l/100 km for the awd model and 10,6 l/100 km for the V6 automatic. The 2.4 on-demand awd version we drove, is fitted with a six-speed manual shifter. There isn't a diesel option in the new range.
Oh, so you have only read this far because you want to know whether GM's seven-seater is actually any good at moving masses on those weekends when it's "yours, mine and ours" all happily together? Short version - it is. The sixth and seventh chairs fold right down into the floor when not in use, so should you only need one, loading space is not compromised too much. With both of them up, baggage room shrinks to just 85 litres but as seats are flattened, space opens up to 477 litres, then 942 and finally 1565 litres when you have left everyone at the mall and gone off to the DIY store by yourself. Even the rear window plays along; it opens to allow you to load stuff directly into the load area without having to open the hatch.
Just like its predecessor, it's spacious, comfortable and well behaved on dirt. It also drives easily with plenty of power in reserve, although you will find that sixth gear is meant for economical cruising only. Steering wheel and driver's seat go through all the expected motions by means of mechanical adjusters and there is plenty of storage space. Even the glove box is of a decent size and shape, with a divider to separate the car's books from other items.
The new Captiva is quieter, more powerful and more comfortable so buying one may possibly go beyond "because you can" to "because you should."
The numbers
Price: R341 200
Engine: 2 384 cc DOHC inline four cylinder
Power: 123 kW at 5 600 rpm
Torque: 230 Nm at 4 600 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 10,3 seconds
Maximum speed: 186 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: about 12,0 l/100 km
Tank: 65 litres
Warranty: 5 years/120 000 km with roadside assistance
Service plan: 3 years/60 000 km
Intervals: 15 000 km
This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.
What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
My articles appear every Wednesday in the motoring pages of The Witness, South Africa's oldest continuously running newspaper, and occasionally on Saturdays in Weekend Witness as well. I drive eight to ten vehicles most months of the year (press cars are withdrawn over the festive season - wonder why?) so not everything gets published in the paper. Those that are, get a tagline but the rest is virgin, unpublished and unedited by the political-correctness police. Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so I do actually exist.
I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax.
So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8