Chevrolet Captiva facelift launched at Rs 23.49 lakh

What’s really ironic is that while most manufacturers are busy making a hue and cry about every other small car selling in India and also those which are slated for launch later this year, GM decided to pull the sheet off its Captiva SUV upgrade without even so much of a whisper.

The voracious 2,231cc four cylinder VCDi engine, which up until last year was being offered only on the AWD version, is now standard across the Captiva range here in India. It makes 186.5PS of power and a whopping 424Nm of torque at a lowly 2,000rpm. The automatic version we tested last year returned 7kmpl on the road and approximately 10kmpl on the highway, but GM claims average fuel economy as being 14.6kmpl for the LT manual variant and 12.21kmpl for the LTZ auto (Read : Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 AWD First Drive).

The exterior touches on the 2013 model are subtle, but they won’t go unnoticed even to the untrained eye. The front grille, front & back bumper, LED Taillamp & rear fog lamp are all better looking now and blend well with the bulk on the rest of the vehicle. 

The Twin Rear Tailpipe is now among many other body parts like the door handles, the rear garnish, the widow sash and the surround on the front grill which have received the chrome treatment. 18 inch alloy wheels are also standard equipment on the Captiva model for 2013.

The insides are an even cosier affair now with better ambient lighting options, a reworked multimedia screen, illuminated keyhole and steering wheel switches, better finish on the dash and a 2DIN audio system with 8 speakers in all.

Rugged and robust an SUV as it is, the Captiva has made most of its safety equipment standard across the model offering. Front Driver & Passenger and Front Side & Curtain Airbags, Antilock Braking System with Electronic Brakeforce, Descent Control System, Traction Control System, Electronic Stability Program and other handy safety features are all packed in to the Captiva, regardless of trim.

It’s not exactly an all-new car, but official prices for the LT 6 Speed Manual version with 2WD now start at Rs 23.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The top end LTZ 6 Speed Automatic with Adaptive All Wheel Drive will cost you an additional three. As of now it will be brought in as a CBU model.