Holden Captiva 7 Series II Facelift with More Powerful Engines and Reduced Pricing

Making its Australian debut today is the refreshed Holden Captiva 7 Series II. To avoid any confusions, the Captiva 5 Series II that we told you about in our previous post is based on the Opel Antara, while the Captiva 7 is Holden's version of the Chevrolet model of the same name that's sold in Europe.

The latest Series II version of the seven-seater Captiva enters the new model year with some styling and performance upgrades as well as reduced pricing as Holden sliced $2000 off the recommended retail tags of all equivalent Series I Captiva 7 models.

The Series II gets a completely new front-end styling with different headlamps, a re-sculpted hood, and new grille and bumper designs, plus clear lens tail lamps, restyled alloy wheels and turn signals integrated into the external mirrors.

Inside, the most significant change is the replacement of the conventional hand brake lever with a push-button electric park brake, which also creates additional space for a multi-purpose storage compartment.

Holden updated the Captiva 7's engine lineup with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel that puts out 23 per cent more power and 25 per cent more torque than its predecessor at 135 kW (181 HP), and a 3.0-liter SIDI V6 delivering 12 per cent more power at 190 kW (255 HP). A 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit producing 123kW (165HP) is also available.

Refinements to suspension and steering systems, and improved sound insulation complete the changes for the Series II update.

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VIDEO: Captiva Driver Shows Tow Truck Who’s Boss

Who wouldn't be annoyed to find, upon returning from the shops, that their car has been ticketed, clamped...or even worse...towed. As this hilarious clip proves, Hell hath no fury like a female SUV driver towed. Full video after the jump.

Here's the scoop for those who haven't seen it: a Shanghai woman is having her Chevy Captiva SUV towed, and she isn't happy about it. So she does what any (insane) person would do: gets in her car, starts the engine and drives off...with the tow truck still attached.

In a word, this video is epic. We've seen some ballsy things here at Carscoop, but this has to be one of the ballsiest. It's like Gone in 60 Seconds with a Chevy AWD or Jackass with a little Asian woman. Above all else, it's a defiantly erect middle finger directed at the money grubbing instigators of authoritarian traffic control.

I guess the tow truck driver should be thankful this was the only thing the Captiva driver did. I'd hate to see her behind the wheel of a tank, that's for sure. Watch the video and give us your verdict in the comments.

By Tristan Hankins

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VIDEOS: 2011 Chevrolet Aveo, Captiva Facelift, Orlando MPV and Cruze Hatchback

As promised, here are the respective promotional videos of Chevrolet's Paris Motor Show-bound Aveo sub-compact, Captiva 7-seater SUV, Orlando 7-seater MPV and the Cruze five-door hatchback. From these four cars, only the Aveo has been confirmed for the U.S market with sales of both the five-door variant and the yet-to-be-revealed sedan model to start sometime in 2011.

2011 Chevrolet Captiva Facelift: First Images of Refreshed Cabin

Continuing our photo-revelations of the interiors of Chevy's Paris Motor Show-bound debuts, here's our first look at the inner works of the facelifted Captiva SUV. As you can see, the changes inside are far less noticeable than the exterior updates.

These include a brand new audio system with Aux-in, USB-port and Bluetooth connectivity and the replacement of the traditional handbrake with a new electric park brake that frees up space for further storage in the center console, including two 1-liter cup holders.

Chevy said that the refreshed Captiva also features new finishes and textures including all-new seat fabrics and interior décor appointments.

You can read more about the 2011 Captiva including the updates on the engine lineup in our previous article.

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