Tuesday, March 27, 2012

It’s vehicles like the second generation Captiva which are spearheading a range of models that are doing wonders for Holden in this country.

The company is finally showing they more than just a maker of large six cylinder cars. To drive this point home, they are currently offering a model line up that has something for everyone from the Barina mini hatch to the 7-seater Captiva SUV. With six cylinder car sales on the slide as people move to smaller and more economical cars, Holden is well positioned to cash in on this sea change in our new car market with the Barina and larger Cruze hatch and sedan.

The Korean designed Captiva has well and truly put Holden on recreational 4WD map since making its debut in 2006. The release nearly a year ago of an upgraded Series 2 model is continuing that upward sales momentum. This was a mid-life make over with some worthwhile changes that give the Captiva even more appeal.

Visually its looks pretty much the same as before. To help ensure buyers can differentiate between this and the first generation model, the Series 2 faces the world and it competitors with new front-end styling. Other changes see the turn signals integrated into exterior mirrors and the headlamps now arc further along the front guards toward A-pillar. The top-shelf LX turbo diesel provided for this road test rides on imposing 19-inch alloys to emphasis it is the head honcho in the Captiva camp.

Model names are determined by their seating capacities. The Captiva 7 scores a handy third row of seats to give it 5+ 2 people carrying abilities, two more than the standard Captiva 5. Upgrades over the previous model include leather wrap steering wheel, cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity. I found the push-button electric hand brake fiddly and complicated. It may be a nifty techno geek selling feature, but not being of that persuasion, it really did not cut for me in real world driving. This high tech park brake appears to be a case of technology for technology’s sake.

One of the reasons behind the Captiva’s success is its “Something for everyone and every budget” model line up. The Series 2 continues that theme with eight models the cheapest starting at $38490 for the 4-cylinder 5-speed manual. The all bells and whistles LX Captiva turbo diesel automatic I drove sells for a competitive $57890. There is a petrol powered version that uses the same 190kw 3.0 litre V6 found in entry level Commodores. I cannot understand why anyone would want this big and rather thirsty six after driving the live wire diesel.

The all new 135kw 2.2 litre turbo diesel adds some serious performance kick to the Captiva and is more sophisticated than the smaller 2.0 litre diesel it replaces. Throttle response is strong and you get an illustration of just how strong, the first time you pull out to pass slower moving traffic that rapidly disappears in your rear vision mirror as the engine hits its straps.

There is plenty of oomph for towing or effortless open road cruising. This motor lifts diesel powered Captiva’s to the next level, somewhere they really needed to be to compete with a growing band of strong contenders in this market segment. Holden could have done an even better job and applied a lot more pressure on its rivals, by placing greater emphasis on the engines smoothness and refinement. This is the only area where the motor falls short of expectations.

At idle and under hard acceleration the engine turns up the vocals, while not of heavy metal proportions, well I guess it is in one sense, its not music to the ears of the driver or passengers. Smarter use of and a lift in the quality of sound deadening material in key locations around the engine compartment, would help knock the top off the motor's current elevated noise levels.

The diesel is given every opportunity to showcase it talents, thanks to a slick intuitive six-speed automatic that plucks out the right ratio from its gear changing hat to optimise performance and fuel economy.

Handling and road holding is far more disciplined and controlled than the previous model with noticeably less body roll at higher cornering speeds. This combined with improved levels of grip, mean the suspension is less likely to fold when it is under siege from rougher road surfaces. I was pleasantly surprised at the ride and handling gains that have been made between the previous Captiva and this one. While the steering is still a bit light and vague, overall it is now a far more enjoyable vehicle to drive.

What is verdict? A welcome and worthwhile update of one of Holden’s best selling models.