LARGE, imposing off-road vehicles tend to have striking price tags. Seven-seater vehicles certainly do not come cheap.

So a sizeable, seven-seater 4x4 is sure to be pricey, right? Not if it has a Chevrolet badge on the bonnet.

Dispel too the image that the Chevrolet brand inevitably conjures up of a gas-guzzling American truck.

The Captiva, Chevrolet's value-for-money entry into the well-stocked European SUV market, uses a state-of-the-art, 2.0-litre, 150 horsepower diesel engine, which promises 30 miles to the gallon.

Designed in GM centres in Germany, Australia, and Korea, where the Captiva is built, it is priced from just under £17,000 for the five-seater, front-wheel-drive version.

The obvious appeal is to a buyer looking for a chunky, bolder alternative to a standard family saloon or people carrier, but other buyers should not be put off by the Made in Korea stamp.

Korean car manufacturing has made massive improvements in the past decade. The well-built, smartly-styled exterior is matched by a modern cabin fitted out with soft-touch plastics, an integrated, flush-fitting radio/CD system and standard air conditioning.

The ride is like a large, comfortable estate car, and the chassis has 'level ride' suspension, which automatically adjusts depending on load. The seating layout is intelligently arranged so that when you have fewer passengers, the two rearmost chairs fold into the floor to leave a flat, unencumbered load bay. The second row of seats and the front passenger seat can also be folded flat, making room for a load almost 9ft long. Trim levels start with the LS, available in five-seat, front-wheel-drive layout with a 2.4-litre petrol engine. Moving up the range, LT models come with a diesel engine, four-wheel-drive and a choice of five or seven seats.

Standard equipment above LS trim includes 17-inch alloy wheels, electronic stability programme, descent control system, front fog lamps, a leather-covered steering wheel and gearknob, cooled glovebox, a passenger's under-seat storage tray and an eight-speaker CD system with MP3 jack.

Flagship LTX models all come with seven seats, and get additional standard kit including full leather seat trim, 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, cruise control, automatic lighting control, rain-sensitive windscreen wipers, electronic climate control, a six-CD autochanger and a multi-function trip computer.

Auto facts Chevrolet Captiva 2.0 LT 7-seat automatic

  • Price: £22,320
  • Ins group: 12
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 32.8mpg
  • Top speed: 112mph
  • Length: 463.5cm/182.5in
  • Width: 185cm/73.3in
  • Luggage capacity: 16.4 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 14.3 gallons/65 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 233g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles