Bold New Era? Bet on It!

It is one thing to take a demo vehicle from your auto dealer for a short test drive. And another altogether when you can push the vehicle through some serious and rigorous road testing on all terrains.

I was fortunate enough recently to get behind the wheels on 4 different 2007 Chevrolet vehicles for exactly such a purpose. In the Sultanate of Oman for two days and more than 700 kilometers of driving the new cars — which had taken GM several years of design and re-engineering — their road performance attested to the fact that those behind the drawing board had done something right!

The models I had the pleasure of driving were the Chevrolet Captiva, an all-new SUV bound to send tremors to competitors in its class, the Epica, the Lumina and the Caprice. And I came away pleasantly surprised after every test drive.

The 2007 Captiva combines all the ruggedness of an SUV with the stylishness and road comfort of a mid-sized sedan. On the terrain through the city of Muscat and the outlying mountainous roads, I put this vehicle through some serious driving and came away highly impressed. Road stability, a key factor in SUVs has been catered for by ground breaking ESP technology, while the DSC (descent control system) caters to maneuvering on hilly terrain.

Topped with a very surprising interior at speeds I wouldn’t dare try in my own vehicle, I found this SUV a very convincing candidate for those interested in rugged road vehicles, yet yearning for driving comfort. I was conscious of rollovers, but my apprehensions were quickly dispelled as I maneuvered this vehicle into several ‘S’ turns at moderately high speeds. The ESP system can easily defeat the most menacing of our road warriors with its remarkable stabilizing and spin control at high speeds.

The Captiva is being marketed with a choice of two engines — 2.4 liters with 141 hp under the hood, or 3.2 liters with a whopping 230 hp. It is one of the few compact SUVs on the market to offer a seven-seater version with standard features that include full power windows, central locking with remote control, luggage rack with tie-downs, AM-FM radio with CD player options. The LT and the LTZ offer a higher degree of customer functions with the addition of the ESP and 17-inch wheels and park assist system standard on the LTZ.

And to add icing to the cake, the price on this remarkable vehicle is very affordable for those ready to take the plunge into an SUV. GM’s Chevrolet division has earned full bragging rights on the compact SUV market with this baby. Go road test one for yourself. You will not be disappointed. You can bet on it!

As David Venticich, Marketing and Planning Director sums it up, “Chevrolet has long been a trusted brand in the region. We are here to further strengthen our line-up of exciting cars that are all about a strong personality and striking character. Most importantly, Chevrolet continues to offer its Middle Eastern customers a car for every taste and budget.”

Well David, you are absolutely spot on. Based on GM’s growth in the first half of 2006, Chevrolet sales were up by 21% over the same period in 2005.

More on Chevy’s new generation Epica, Lumina and Caprice next time.