Category: Small 4x4s 
Price Range: £17,815 to £25,455
Good value for money, large and reasonably roomy, well-equipped; doesn't pretend to be a proper off-roader.
Bouncy, wallowy ride; less-than-sharp handling; gutless petrol engine.
Cheap and cheerful, but has no unique selling point, nor any reason to choose it over its similarly cut-price Korean rivals. Feels dated already.
Despite a self-levelling suspension system, the Captiva is rather prone to wallowing and rolling, and it can also get bouncy on rough roads - it's not the smoothest SUV to ride in. The seats are supportive, though, and noise intrusion is well-contained.
At 4635mm long, 1850mm wide and 1755mm tall (including roof rails), the Captiva is roomy, and there's good headroom for everyone. Legroom is very limited in the optional third row of seats, which really are just for children though an adult could squash in there for a short journey, but with relatively upright seating positions, seven people could ride in reasonable comfort.
The boot has a high load floor, but is long and, with the rear seats folded, flat. The middle row of seats tumbles forwards, and can also be split-folded for further potential versatility. Only a tiny load-space with the seven seats in place, though (the case with most seven-seat SUVs), and it's difficult to stow away the load-area cover, which is much longer than the width of the opening aperture.
As expected in family cars these days, there's a useful allotment of storage holes, cupholders, sunglasses holders, a large glovebox and (LT and LTX models) under-seat storage trays, as well as a 12-volt power socket, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and separately-opening tailgate glass. The entry-level LS petrol models have air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, electrically-adjustable door mirrors and a CD player with MP3 input jack. LT versions (five-seat, with seven-seat option) add 17-inch wheels, front fog lamps, a leather-covered steering wheel and gearknob and an eight-speaker audio system, whilst LTX versions (seven-seat only) have 18-inch alloys, full leather upholstery, heated/electrically-adjustable front seats, power-folding door mirrors, cruise control, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control, a six-CD autochanger and a trip computer.
