OK, I’ll admit that the official TV ad for the 2016 Holden Captiva Diesel (and its petrol sisters) really appeals to the geeky side of me. If you haven’t yet seen it, here it is:

The Holden Captiva Diesel has a lot of practical features that are bound to appeal to any busy family or, for that matter, a busy tradesperson who likes the space offered in a good-looking SUV and definitely doesn’t want to buy a van. The fact that you can fold five of the seven seats up and down in various combinations depending on who’s in the car and how much luggage you’re hauling around is a bit of a winner. In fact, the commercial potential of the Holden Captiva Diesel is pretty impressive. I could see one of these being fitted out as mobile coffee vendors, campers, florists’ vans, electricians’ and plumbers’ vans and more. However, even though it’s got the space inside to be a hearse, something tells me that it probably won’t be used for this purpose. The styling lacks that funereal touch and is more down-to-earth (not the best choice of phrase when you think about it).

The Holden Captiva Diesel, as opposed to its petrol sisters, has one thing that is likely to appeal to the tradesperson as well as to the busy family with a load to tote: torque for towing. A very, very respectable 400 Nm right down at 2000 rpm, in fact. There’s no “may” about it: the Force will indeed be with you with figures like that. The maximum towing capacity (braked) is 2000 kg (that’s two tonnes), which is ample for most things you want to tow – I doubt the average Holden Captiva Diesel  owner is going to want to carry an elephant about the place. It’s no slouch in the power department, either, with 135 kW at 3800 rpm.  Automatic transmission is standard in both variants of the Holden Captiva Diesel (the 2WD LS and the AWD LT) with six speeds and Active Select function.  The test figures for the combined fuel economy come out at 8.5 L/100 km, which isn’t bad at all for an SUV of this size.

One thing you don’t want to be worrying about whether you wish to use the Holden Captiva Diesel as a family vehicle or as a trade vehicle (or, in a number of cases, both) is getting into trouble when cornering, braking or tackling hills. While the laws of physics and common sense are your best defence against accidents, the Holden Captiva Diesel does its best. All variants of the Holden Captiva Diesel have hill start assist, traction control and descent control for the hilly bits; active rollover protection and electronic stability control for the bendy bits, and EBD, brake assist and ABS braking for the bits where you need to stop in a hurry. Other features found as standard on all variants of the Holden Captiva Diesel include the cruise control, the rear parking assistance, the satellite navigation and the rear view camera.

Other electronic features found as standard in all Holden Captiva Diesel variants are bound to please most of the crowd and will help you get through a busy day. Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming capacity makes sure that you won’t miss out on an important call (just don’t try to text and drive, OK?) but the rest of the time, you can enjoy the music stored on your smartphone, or else switch on the radio, play a CD or plug in a player through the auxiliary jackpoint or the USB port (with iPod connectivity). A 7-inch colour touchscreen display panel conveniently mounted where it’s easily seen shows you what’s playing or where you’re going. The screen also talks to your smartphone through the Phone Projection function for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which allow you to use Google maps instead of the satellite navigation or to access all of your Spotify playlists. Dual zone climate control, keyless entry and a pair of 12-volt power points round out the cabin comfort and convenience features.

What do you need to know if you are trying to decide between the LS and the LT – if the difference between 2WD and AWD doesn’t make your mind up for you? The LT variant of the Holden Captiva Diesel has all the 18-inch alloy wheels whereas the LS has 17-inch ones. The LT also has side steps, front fog lights and roof rails as standard. Nevertheless, the styling of the LS doesn’t look particularly naked without these features, nor does the LT look like it’s had bits added. The designers have done a good job so both variants look the way a good SUV should: chunky and ready to go anywhere with a modern touch. From the LED running lights at the front to the chrome-tipped dual exhausts at the back, the Holden Captiva Diesel won’t look out of place on the building site, in the office car park or beside the hot surfing spots.

Current model series include:

• Holden Captiva Diesel LS
• Holden Captiva Diesel LT

For any more information on the Holden Captiva Diesel, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Holden dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!