More features, new colours for Captiva

GM HOLDEN has announced, a day after Toyota released a new entry-level version of its direct Prado rival, that it will beef up the standard safety, convenience and cosmetic features – as well as the prices – of its year-old Captiva SUV range.

Previously a $900 option, side curtain airbags will become standard equipment on the entry-level SX version by the end of September, as part of an upgrade that also brings range-wide price rises of $1000 for the Korean-built mid-size SUV.

Now priced from $35,990 for the 2.0 turbo-diesel manual (plus $2000 as an auto) and $36,990 for the auto-only 3.2-litre V6 petrol, the cheapest SX variants will also score a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

SX aside, the upgrade includes extra equipment like fog lights, a trip computer and climate-control for the mid-range CX, rear parking sensors for the CX and LX, and rain-sensing wipers for the Maxx flagship.

Along with a host of cosmetic updates from later this month, from early November all Captivas except Maxx will be available with a new paint colour palette comprising eight hues, seven of which will be metallic. Metallic paint costs $360 extra (see below for details).

Newly appointed marketing director Philip Brook was less than bullish about the impact Holden expects the upgrade to make on Captiva's less than stellar showroom performance since going on sale here in October 2006.

"Captiva continues to establish its strong position in the medium SUV segment by offering flexibility, performance, value and a very popular turbo diesel option," he said.

"We believe this product is clearly challenging traditional SUV thinking and is a point of difference in the segment.

"We're confident these product changes will boost Captiva's showroom appeal even more and provide customers with increased functionality," said Mr Brooks.

The GM Daewoo-designed Captiva shot immediately to third on the medium SUV sales chart, out-selling Mitsubishi's Pajero, Toyota's Kluger and the Hyundai Santa Fe, and helping reduce the Toyota Prado's segment share this year to 20 per cent and the top-selling Ford Territory's to less than 25 per cent (from 31.2 per cent this time last year).

To August this year, Captiva holds a 14 per cent share of the segment - still more than 10 market share points adrift of Territory, which has found almost twice as many new homes in 2007 (6715 v 11,948).

The Captiva diesel has been a boom seller since joining the line-up in March, when it undercut the Santa Fe CRDi price by about 10 per cent and when Holden forecast it would attract up to 200 sales per month and account for incremental sales of about 20 per cent. Currently, diesel comprises 50 per cent of all Captiva sales.

Last month Holden sold 919 Captivas, while Territory and Toyota's new Kluger notched up 1379 and 1075 sales respectively – both without a diesel representative. The harder-core petrol/diesel Prado was, as usual, the second-best-selling mid-SUV with 1114 sales.

Captiva equipment upgrades in detail:SX:
• Leather steering wheel
• Curtain airbags (previously a $900 option)CX:
• Leather steering wheel
• Charcoal roof rails
• Front foglights
• Driver Information Display (incl trip computer, compass and outside temperature)
• Electronic climate-control
• Air quality sensor
• Rear parking sensors
• Chrome exhaust tipsLX:
• Satin silver roof rails
• Chrome door handles
• Rear parking sensors
• Automatic headlightsMaxx:
• Trip computer
• Chrome exhaust tips
• Chrome door handles
• Automatic headlights
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Retractable cargo area cover
• Rain sensing wipers
• Second row centre arm rest/storage box

Revised Holden Captiva pricing:
SX diesel	$35,990
SX petrol (a)	$36,990
SX diesel (a)	$37,990
CX petrol (a)	$39,990
CX diesel (a)	$40,990
LX petrol (a)	$42,990
LX diesel (a)	$43,990
Maxx petrol (a)	$43,990
Optional metallic paint	$360

New paint colours (except Maxx):
Galaxy White	(solid)
Black Sapphire	(metallic)
Sterling Silver	(metallic)
Royal Grey	(metallic)
Iceberg Blue	(metallic)
Impulse Blue	(metallic)
Tornade Red	(metallic)
Imperial Blonde	(metallic)

Read more:

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