The all-new Chevrolet Captiva achieved the third position in the prestigious Car of the Year 2007 election in Spain. Behind the Peugeot 207 (elected as Car of the Year 2007) and the Citroën Picasso, the Captiva beat seven other finalists, including the Ford S-MAX, the Opel Corsa, the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Renault Scénic.


A jury of 53 motor journalists and senior representatives of the Spanish media praised the strong and sophisticated styling of Chevrolet’s new compact sport utility vehicle (SUV). In addition, the Captiva’s elegant and functional interior, with its interplay of sporty and stylish elements, scored further points. The fact that the versatile crossover vehicle is offered as a 5- and a 7-seater was another differentiator. The media experts were also impressed with the engine choice of two powerful gasoline engines (136 hp / 230 hp) and one four-cylinder diesel unit (150 hp).


A total of 50 cars, all launched in 2006, participated in the Spanish Car of the Year contest. With the Chevrolet Captiva, which is a true allrounder for everyday use, a four-wheel drive vehicle reached the third position for the first time in the history of the competition – beating competitors like the Audi Q7, the Mitsubishi Montero and the Toyota RAV4.


Altogether, Chevrolet sold 28,500 vehicles in Spain in 2006 and increased its sales by 5% compared to 2005. Since the start of Captiva sales in Spain in October 2006, 1671 units of the all-new Chevrolet SUV were sold there, giving the brand in the October to December period a share of 3.9% of the fast growing 4x4 market with one single model.


"I am very pleased with the Captiva’s high score in this prestigious Spanish contest," says Chevrolet Europe's Executive Director Wayne Brannon. “It shows that our crossover model with its expressive styling and generous standard equipment is perfectly tailored to European customers and has a huge conquest potential in the fast-growing SUV market.”