The Chevrolet Captiva

With a busy weekend planned, it was the ideal time to try out the new Chevrolet Captiva and it didn' disappoint. A new launch by Chevrolet, the Captiva is designed to meet the increasing demands of modern family life.

A cross between a stylish SUV and the practicality of a family car, the first thing that strikes you is the space it affords all passengers. A failing of the many previous incarnations aimed at this market has been that they lacked clout in the aesthetics department and looked like the big family wagons that they were.

There is no such danger with the Captiva, managing to look sufficiently compact on the outside to assuage many of the style fears associated with 'family' vehicles.

First up was a 220-mile drive up to Manchester, which proved smooth and comfortable. Touches such as cruise control (ideal for the M6 Toll road) and plenty of reclining space for my sleepy partner helped the journey prove a doddle.

Suitably refreshed the following day, I was able to collect my niece and nephew from around the corner and take them out to the park. With my folks and partner in tow also, there was more than ample room for the six of us and the robust nature of the vehicle, including airbags and side impact bars, allowed everyone to feel safe.

Parking was a breeze with both a camera built in so the display on the dashboard can help you see where you are going and a parking sensor to boot; a good added element in a big vehicle when reversing.

The following day I was returning to London, but not before a detour to my grandma's. Despite numerous trips there over the years, I managed to get lost on the way back to the M60, so the in-built sat-nav was perfect as I sheepishly plotted the short route.

Arriving back home, after a quick refresh, we were back out again to go to Ikea. Of course, having just driven 200 miles, this was high on my list of priorities! One grumpy hour and a new wardrobe later, we were thankfully heading back. The opportunity to put down the seats meant the storage space in the back was terrific.

In all, the Captiva proved to be a nice drive, responsive and packed full of useful features rather than gimmicks. The kids had enough space to be settled and the diesel engine meant more miles for my money.

For more info please check out www.chevrolet.co.uk