There’s no hiding that the 2016 Holden Captiva is getting older, but new technology inside and outstanding value for money are keeping it in the game.
A recent visual update has smartened things up and Captiva sales have been boosted by a significant marketing campaign.
Holden are pursuing value-conscious family buyers with all but one Captiva trim fitted with seven seats. The two-row Captiva 5 model is no longer around.
The new CarPlay integration makes the Holden SUV feel properly modern in the navigation and entertainment department.
These changes help make the Captiva feel young, but the reality is this is an older platform that has suffered reliability issues in the past.
Holden have moved to shore up doubts about quality with inexpensive capped-price servicing and a 100,000km warranty. However, the Captiva’s status as a bargain SUV will raise a few eyebrows about how well it’s built.
The Captiva is simple and functional motoring and it’s best when paired with the torquey 2.2-litre diesel engine.
This car is easy to drive and as an inexpensive family runabout, it makes a very decent case for itself.
The flagship LTZ model is about the same price as a base model Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento, and dealers are also willing to do deals below the retail price.
With a replacement somewhere on the horizon you can also expect prices to sharpen a little further, but as it stands the Captiva represents good value.
The brand are seeking to combat that option by pairing attractively low servicing costs with a 100,000 kilometre warranty.