Chevrolet is bringing the Captiva crossover to North America, not the US
It’s probably been a long time since you’ve heard of the Chevrolet Captiva. You might recognize the name of the Captiva Sport, a small fleet-only crossover that was sold in the United States for a brief period at the start of the previous decade. Today, the Captiva lives on as a midsize SUV for global markets. It strikes a happy medium between the aggressively styled Blazer and the tamer Traverse American consumers are familiar with. Unfortunately, the Captiva will probably not come to our part of the country.
Mexico will, however, receive the sleek SUV in the first half of 2021. Chevrolet has not announced engine specifications or pricing for the Mexican-spec Captiva, but the brand notes that it will arrive for the 2022 model year. The new Captiva has already been introduced to South America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
The history of the current Captiva originates elsewhere. The Captiva is a rebadged Baojun 530, produced in China by the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture. The model went on sale in China in 2018.
The Captiva is available with five or seven seats. It sticks to the basics, including vinyl seating surfaces, a 60/40 split-folding second row, a 50/50 split-folding third row and a panoramic sunroof. For connectivity, there are four USB ports and an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
In the United States, buyers can choose between two midsize SUVs: the Blazer, which seats five, and the larger Traverse, which has a third row and offers seating for up to eight passengers. Fortunately, both SUVs have their positive traits. Both models benefit from a smooth ride and the Blazer is sporty when equipped with the lively V-6 engine option. However, we had some qualms about some of the trim materials on both models. Also, the Blazer’s base four-cylinder engine isn’t powerful enough for our liking.
While we may never see the Captiva in US Chevrolet dealerships, we do know that Chevy plans to continue expanding its SUV lineup. Look for the new Bolt EUV electric SUV arriving for the 2022 model year.