New 2012 Chevrolet Captiva launch in April!

Chevrolet India will officially launch the 2012 Captiva 7-seater SUV during the first week of April. The company unveiled the 2012 Captiva at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The new Captiva will get cosmetic changes, a spruced up engine and new features as well.

Looks and comfort

The 2012 Captiva has a bold front group with split grille, large fog lamps and skid plates hinting its off-road readiness. The side profile reveals the rear view mirrors with integrated turn indicators and the muscular wheel arches.

The rear of the new Captiva largely remains unaltered. The vertical headlamps, round shaped turn indicators and rear fog lamps, twin exhausts and skid plates add some muscle to the Captiva facelift. The overall design has helped the new Captiva to look stronger and it now has a more athletic stance.

On the inside, the 2012 Captiva retains the dual cockpit design but there are subtle changes including redesigned AC vents and sharp-looking centre console. The instrument cluster has been redesigned with easy-to-read fonts. However, the grey-black combination dulls the cabin, a bit. Also see our Chevrolet Captiva photo gallery.

The Captiva will have the same seven seat configuration arranged in 2+3+2 format. Expect plushy interiors offering good comfort to all the passengers.

Expected Performance

The 2012 Captiva gets a refreshed 2.2 litre turbo diesel motor that produces 184 bhp of maximum power. The performance of the new motor can be expected to better the outgoing model’s 2-litre, 148 bhp engine.  The engine will be mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

The new motor makes the Captiva more powerful than the Fortuner by 15 bhp and slightly more powerful than the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport by 6 bhp. However, the Captiva is less powerful when compared with the Santa Fe’s engine that puts out 194 bhp of power. Read more: Toyota Fortuner vs. Chevrolet Captiva

Expected Features

The Captiva is expected to come in both two-wheel-drive and four-wheel drive configurations. Expect the Captiva to get electric power steering, automatic climate control, six airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start assist and navigation system integrated to the central console.

Expected Price

At present, the Captiva is priced in the range of Rs.18.3 lakh – 20 lakh. The new Captiva is expected to have a price in the range of Rs. 19 lakh – 21 lakh. The excise duty hike for CBU units from 60% to 75% may also be a reason for the price increase in the new model.