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There's a lot to be said for the Holden engineering teams' efforts with models sourced from Korea, especially the Cruze sedan. It's a shame they can't do more with the Captiva SUV. The pricepoint and features list is competitive, but the new model seems to have lost its way dynamically.
We're in the LX seven-seater all-wheel drive flagship. At $42,490, it's $2000 cheaper than the pevious model. Another $1000 gets you into the turbodiesel. The LX has a long standard features list - climate control air conditioning, power windows, three 12 volt power outlets, split second and third row seats, leather trim, power-adjustable driver's seat, automatic headlights (but no rain-sensing wipers), bluetooth phone (which was temperamental at best) and audio link for the eight speaker sound system, cruise control, electrochromatic centre rearvision mirror, satellite navigation (with compass), tilt-and-reach adjustable leather-wrapped steering wheel, mu ltifunction driver information display, rear parking sensors and rear camera and a trip computer.
There's little ground-breaking gear here. The 3.0-litre direct-injection V6 is good for 190kW/288Nm, but feels short of that. The diesel has 400Nm on tap. The V6 doesn't seem to be enamoured of the six-speed auto, which feels a little slow and confused when asked for quick action. The combined fuel use claim is 11.3l/100km. We got 13.2 during our time in the car, which was not always driven for frugality, which is on par with its petrol competition.
The all-wheel drive system is on-demand. This, like most of such systems, takes a very long time to bring the front wheels into play, despite extreme provocation. The delay suggests anything other than fire trails and hard-packed beach sand would be a challenge. The descent control system does a reasonable job of bringing the big SUV down a hill at a gracious pace, but serious off-road work would probably bake the brakes.
That's an issue in any of these SUVs with electronics in lieu of a good low-range. There's a USB port within the more spacious centre console for added connectivity the extra room comes from the inclusion of an electric park brake.
The main change aesthetically comes at the front, with a sharper, sculpted snout and more air intake grilles. The bonnet and headlights have been re-designed and seem to be following a similar path to the new Ford Territory.
The Captiva rates a four-star crash performer, though it has dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags, anti-lock braking on four-wheel ventilated discs, emergency brake assist, a hill descent control system (which is too fast), electronic brakeforce distribution, rollover, stability and traction control.
Immediately the ride was a concern very sharp over small bumps and not much better over bigger ones. A quick check with the pressure gauge prompted five pounds of pressure out of each tyre and the ride became a little less brittle, but it was still too firm for the rugrats and the Speaker Of The House. Part of the problem is, regardless of the myriad seating configurations, the seats themselves are flat and not overly comfortable.
The suspension's taut control does deliver flat cornering and that shows up the seating's deficiency in terms of lateral support, but the compromised ride is too hard for a family truckster. As mentioned, the six-speed auto and the petrol V6 are not the best of bed-fellows, with a dearth of low-down torque to overcome the transmission's indecision.
The infotainment side of the cabin is considerable, with Bluetooth phone and music link, but the system seems more adept at the latter than the former. The satellite navigation screen is clear and easy enough to use and read but gets confused. Despite claiming signal from nine satellites, the map was telling me I was driving on the South Eastern freeway when I was still well and truly on Upper Sturt Road, more than a couple of kilometres away.
Not a great step forward over its predecessor, the petrol LX has potential but needs another makeover and more input from the locals. If you have to have one, get the diesel.
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SX (fwd) | 2.0L, Diesel, 5 SP AUTO | $7,700 – 10,780 | 2011 Holden Captiva 2011 SX (fwd) Pricing and Specs |
| SX (4X4) | 3.2L, ULP, 5 SP AUTO | $6,710 – 9,460 | 2011 Holden Captiva 2011 SX (4X4) Pricing and Specs |
| LX (4X4) | 3.2L, ULP, 5 SP AUTO | $7,700 – 10,890 | 2011 Holden Captiva 2011 LX (4X4) Pricing and Specs |
| CX (4X4) | 2.0L, Diesel, 5 SP AUTO | $7,260 – 10,230 | 2011 Holden Captiva 2011 CX (4X4) Pricing and Specs |
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