When will GM India land the Chevrolet Captiva facelift?

Reports on the blogosphere specify a festival season launch for the Chevrolet Captiva facelift. The new Captiva has not escaped our eye right from the days when test mules of both Chevrolet and the Holden/Opel counterpart were testing.

The first mules were caught in the fag end of 2009 when news emerged that a new, high displacement engine was also on board clocking test miles. When we asked GM India's President and Managing Director Mr Karl Slym back in January last year about the refreshed Captiva's potentiality in India, he murmured candidly "you know too much about my cars."

Back on June 24, 2010, we wrote an article titled Spied – Chevrolet Captiva facelift; coming Diwali 2011? We had sensed back then that the facelift would not be launched anytime soon. There's no heaven and hell difference between the replacement model and the current Captiva.

The grille of the new Captiva is carried over from the Aveo RS concept. It features revised door mirrors with integrated LED indicators and new side vents. Cosmetic changes like new headlamps and bumper don't transform or captivate the Captiva's looks.

What will stimulate is a new driving experience provided by the newly developed 2.2-liter CRDI engine producing 160 hp and 350 Nm. It is paired to a new 6-speed automatic transmission.

Changes in the cabin are aimed at improving functionality and practicality. It gets a 'dual-cockpit' dashboard, fresh seat fabrics, and ice-blue accent lighting. The electric parking brake allowed GM to install a 1-liter cup holders on the center console.

The new Captiva will continue India through the CBU route. We're expecting GM India to speak about the new Captiva in the next couple of months.