NOT PC, BUT NEW CHEVY IS GOOD FOR ALL THAT In these days of political correctness, it takes a brave individual, whether corporate or private, to stick a head above the parapet and do or say the wrong thing. So full marks to Chevrolet for going its own way. It has just introduced the Captiva, a new SUV, and if that wasn’t sin enough in the environmental lobby it then proclaims in its press pack how it invented the whole concept back in 1936 with the Suburban Carryall, the first seven seater to use rough road suspension. "Stick it in your test" begs the press pack about this historical fact, and as Chevrolet were good enough to lend me a Captiva for eight days I have obliged. "Stick it somewhere else" is what the anti-4x4 lobby is likely to say when it sees you in your Captiva but what the hell – once you've bought it you might as well brass it out. Emblazoned on the front of the Captiva is the Chevrolet "bow tie", evidently based on a wallpaper pattern General Motors founder William Durant first saw in a French hotel. You may have seen it elsewhere since, such as on the front of the company’s Blazer 4x4, a massive machine some people imported privately from the States, and Isuzu pick-up trucks that have been grey imported from heaven knows where. No need for grey imports with the Captiva, though, as it's well enough priced to make it attractive. The car was designed by a team headed by a guy called Max Wolff, who showed it at the Paris Motor Show in 2004 as the S3X concept. What has finally arrived looks pretty similar, which is good news as often concepts are so watered down by the time they arrive they have lost the desirability of the original. The Range Rover Sport is a prime example – a mere five door shadow of the three door Range Stormer concept that heralded it. Back to the Captiva, though, which comes with a choice of five or seven seats, petrol or diesel engines, and manual or auto gearboxes. Chevrolet predicts that the biggest seller in the UK will be the mid range 2.0 LT diesel so I had one for test, fitted with the automatic gearbox which might never have been sold to London buyers. The reason is that its CO2 output used to be 233 g/km which meant it would have cost £25 a day in the ever-growing congestion charge zone and even outside there would have seen a road tax bill of £400 a year from next year. Miraculously, remapping of the ECU suddenly brought it down to 225 g/km, saving owners a potentially vast amount. The manual does much better as its output is 197 g/km and in this form will be popular. Its £21,140 price will boost its appeal when you consider that Korean rivalry in the form of the Hyundai Santa Fe seven seater costs a few hundred pounds more. But the Hyundai does run cleaner. People like cars such as this for carrying big loads and again the Hyundai scores with its 2,213 litres of load space with the seats folded. The Captiva offers 1,565 litres but to get that you have to fold the front passenger seat, too, With all this, you might think I'm against the Captiva, but I'm not. Chevrolet says no other maker can offer such a package at the Captiva's price level, although I reckon the Santa Fe makes it a very close call, but the Captiva does bring a higher quality feel and this alone should make it appeal. If it had come here as a Daewoo, which is what these small Chevrolets used to be, it would have been largely ignored but the Chevvy badge does give it 4x4 pedigree. I liked it, and not just because it was doing 34 mpg. It’s also good off-road. Judging it by Isuzu standards – Isuzu Troopers were always so cheap their owners gave them a hard time – I took the Captiva down a track I normally reserve for Land Rovers. It came through unbloodied and unbowed despite its part time, self selecting 4x4 set-up. It’ll do for me. Maurice Hardy One of the drawbacks of SUV models is that they can literally give you a hard time when you are travelling in them. It's not so bad when you are driving, as you have a steering wheel to hang onto. But in the passenger seats they can bounce you up and down or come with such soft springing that they make your head bob about as they wallow along the road. With the Captiva, the Chevrolet development engineers appear to have got things about right. The car rides well in virtually all circumstances and as the LT and above also get the electronic stability program it also handles well, too. I think it is wrong that such a safety feature should be rationed by price and, particularly in a vehicle like this, reckon it should be standard. Which? magazine has recently made the same call about ESP being fitted to all cars – it’s reckoned that this device alone could save more than 300 lives a year in Britain. It's not much more than a simple extension of electronic systems as other programs such as ABS mean that many of the sensors needed are already fitted. The Captiva is good for passenger space and the extra seats in the boot are easy to set up, with passable space for adults if needed. As usual, access is a scramble, but one most kids will enjoy. Annette Hardy Car: Chevrolet Captiva 2.0LT seven seat automatic Does it fit your ego?... 0-62 mph: 12.2 secs Top speed: 112 mph Bhp: 148 @ 4000 rpm Torque: 236 lb ft @ 2000 rpm ...and your wallet?... Price: £22,320 Urban: 26.4 mpg Extra urban: 38.7 mpg Combined: 32.8 mpg CO2 emissions: 225 g/km Insurance Group: 12 Best bits: looks as good as the concept; great value; capable off road.