Chevrolet Captiva
in South Africa


Above : Moyo’s restaurant, Zoo Lake, Johannesburg

The car provided for the test, was fitted with a 3.2 litre naturally aspirated, V6 petrol engine, driving a five speed automatic gearbox. It had seven seats. Part of the test took place in and around Johannesburg, which is at an altitude of around 6,000 feet. We also tested the car in and around Cape Town, which naturally is at sea level. Perhaps the most boring part of the test was the long drive between Johannesburg and Cape Town. This is a distance of around 1,000 miles (1,600 km), through incredibly boring and monotonous countryside. It was here that I eventually came to discover the relief offered by Cruise control.
In many ways the Captiva is the ideal car for the conditions. Its somewhat higher build gives the occupants a better view of the surrounding countryside. It also provides the driver with an enhanced view of the surrounding traffic, which certainly in Johannesburg, has scant regard for the rules of the road, or the other traffic on the road. It has a usefully large luggage space for four people touring, yet it can accommodate up to seven, when there is no need for luggage.

Above : Lion’s Head, Cape Town

During the course of the test, we covered some 4,016 km (2,485 miles) and averaged around 24 mpg (12.079 lt/100 km). Our lowest fuel consumption was around 14 mpg, but we also recorded highs of 27 mpg (10.4 lt/100 km) on two occasions.
At the high altitude we were less than happy with the overall gear ratios, which seemed to be a bit on the high side. Going up hills the transmission would be constantly changing up and down in order to maintain a steady speed. Down at see level this tendency was not nearly so noticeable and perhaps that was due to the low altitude. A naturally aspirated engine looses a lot of power as the altitude increases. Years ago this would become immediately obvious as the ignition would misfire as the altitude changed. Today with electronic engine management systems the technology adjusts automatically for these changes.
Speed limits vary tremendously, but the maximum we encountered was 120 kph and the loaded Captiva was perfectly at home at that speed. Indeed it would comfortably go above that speed when overtaking, but you did need a sharp and hard prod on the accelerator to get it to drop a ratio or two, in order to accelerate past the slower vehicle.
On the return journey from Cape Town, through the incredibly monotonous and boring Karoo, after about four hours behind the wheel, my right leg started to feel uncomfortable, having to stay in the same position on the accelerator pedal for so long. That was when I decided to try the cruise control. It certainly made a difference. It maintained a steady speed set just below the maximum limit, without any pressure on the accelerator. I could brake or accelerate in the normal manner whenever necessary and then simply press the resume button on the steering wheel to return to a steady speed. I could then exercise my right leg whenever I pleased, in order to keep the blood flowing and the muscles relaxed.

Above : On the road to Cape Town

In Johannesburg it is advisable to drive around with the windows closed and the doors locked. Out on the open road it is frequently more comfortable for your passengers to keep the windows closed, in order to avoid buffeting inside the cabin. In such circumstances you need an excellent air-conditioning system. I am not convinced that the system fitted to the Captiva is fully up to the job. On the other hand the exterior temperatures did vary from around 27 degrees centigrade to as high as 38 degrees centigrade. It seemed capable enough at the lower levels but less able to manage the higher temperatures.

Above : Typical dull, boring, monotonous, Karoo scenery

To put this heat into perspective, I kept small change in the covered storage box in the top centre of the facia. When parked at the local supermarket one day, on returning to the car I went to get some change to tip the local parking attendant/security guard. The coins were so hot I could not touch them, without burning my hand ! The car had actually been parked in the shade under a tree for some time, but before that we had been driving around for a while ! Down in Cape Town, we parked close to the lower cable car station. On returning to the car some hours later, the leather upholstery was so hot we could not comfortably sit on the seats and the steering wheel was likewise too hot to handle.

Above : A view of Cape Town from the side of Table Mountain.

Above : A rest stop in the Pilansburg game reserve.

Generally speaking, South African roads are long and straight, wider than most Irish roads and kept in a good state of repair. City, suburban and inter urban main roads are tarred. In the many game reserves the roads are untarred and the quality of the surfaces can vary tremendously. The Captiva seemed to have no difficulty, whatsoever, in coping with these conditions. No doubt its higher ground clearance was a huge advantage in the rough, as was its all wheel drive system. It is fitted with a hill descent control, but we never encountered a situation where we had to use it.

Above : The Cape peninsular south of Cape Town

Above : Northcliff ridge, a suburb to the north west of Johannesburg

From a driving point of view, the instruments and controls are all conveniently laid out.

The hooded binnacle behind the steering wheel contains four analogue instruments. Reading from left to right these are : engine temperature gauge, tachometer, speedometer incorporating a digital trip and total distance mileometer and the fuel level gauge. High up in the centre console there is a digital information panel, covering the air-conditioning, audio, plus outside temperature indicator and a compass. For some reason the compass on the test car seemed to be about 90 degrees out. Below this panel there was another covered storage space with the digital clock below that. Below the clock were the audio controls and the air-conditioning controls. The right hand side of the steering wheel has the buttons for the cruise control, while those for the audio were on the left.

When travelling long distances, you need to have comfortable, supportive seats. Generally speaking we have no complaints about those fitted to the Captiva. The driver’s seat had electric adjustments for reach, height and backrest angle. It also offered a manual adjustment for lumbar support. The steering was adjustable for both reach and height, so finding the most comfortable position was not difficult, even if it took a few minutes initially to select the ideal position. One of the front seat passengers was rather tall, so required his seat to be positioned further back. In spite of this our rear seat passengers never felt squashed or confined in any way. Sitting for long distances, for hours at a time can be a pain in the butt, but that is in no way a reflection on the quality of the Captiva’s seating.
The front seating area is well provided with storage spaces. Besides the two covered small spaces at the top centre of the facia and below the central digital information panel, there is also a large covered box under the central armrest, with a separate shallow tray above it. Each of the front doors has an open tray in its lower section and there is an open space in the passenger footwell, up against the transmission tunnel. Items stored here are retained by a net. There is a large sliding tray under the passenger seat as well as the large glovebox. The glovebox itself has a removable divider, so it offers the possibility of two spaces depending on your requirements. There are two open cupholders in the centre console, between the two front seats alongside the handbrake. Finally there is a covered box in the centre of the roof, for keeping your sun glasses, but these tended to rattle and vibrate over certain road surfaces, which can be very annoying, so we did not use it after a short while.

Above : Comfortable and spacious front seating area.

Above : Spacious rear seating area.
The rear seats are comfortable and well padded. There is a folding centre armrest in the middle of the backrest, for additional comfort when only two people are occupying this space. The two doors have open storage boxes in their lower edges and there are map pockets behind the two front seats. Two cupholders are provided in a drawer that slides out from the back of the console between the two front seats. When even more passenger space is needed, there are two decent sized seats that fold up into position from below the luggage floor.

Above : Two full size additional seats available when needed.

When only five seats are in use, the Captiva offers 0.465 cubic metres of luggage space, when loading to the lower edge of the windows. If additional loads need to be carried, this can be enlarged by folding the backrests onto the seat cushions in the centre row seats. This then provides 0.930 cubic metres of space, when loading to window level. If you load to the roof you will have 1.565 cubic metres of space. Luggage space is minimal when all seven seats are in use, a mere 0.085 cubic metres. My main concern about the Captiva, as tested, was its lack of a tonneau cover to keep the contents of the luggage space private. The diesel Captiva tested in Ireland some time ago had such a cover and this is essential, especially when travelling.

Above left : 7 seats luggage space 0.085 cu.M.
Above right : 5 seats luggage space 0.465 cu.M.

Above left : Maximum luggage space 0.939/1.565 cu.M (window level/roof).
Above right : Versatile luggage space.

One of my major concerns when travelling, especially in a foreign country, is the type of spare wheel provided. Thankfully the Captiva comes with a full size spare wheel and tyre, carried out of the way in a sling below the luggage floor.
The Captiva is fitted with a speed sensitive, power assisted, rack and pinion steering. It is geared to give 3.2 turns from lock to lock. It thus was easy and relaxing to drive in both urban and rural surroundings. The leather covered steering wheel has a comfortable feel - except when it has been roasted by the sun - and has a diameter of 390 mm.
It is fitted with ventilated disc brakes, front and rear. The braking system incorporates anti-lock with electronic force distribution and an electronic stability programme. The test car was fitted with Dunlop SP Sport 270 tyres on 18” diameter rims. The tyres were 235/55 R 18.
Overall we found the Captiva more than satisfactory for the purpose and in many ways ideally suited to the job in hand. My only small reservation is those gear ratios.

Technical data