Chevrolet Captiva: End of the road

You need to spend hours convincing Imran Malik to get into the driver's seat of a CUV, but after the long-term test, he admits he'll miss the handsome Chevrolet Captiva.Even if a CUV was to whizz inches past my nose at full pelt, engulfed in flames, I'd fail to notice it. My brain has been hot-wired in such a way that my eyes just don't see them coming, or as is the case with our Captiva, going. CUVs are just boxes on wheels, yet they're hugely popular.Granted, they're useful modes of transport if you have a large family to ferry around. Great too if you have a shopping addiction. Absolutely brilliant for annoying other drivers by tailing them with the high beams on. They're just not the sort of vehicle I want to be seen in.However, every once in a while, a car comes along and manages to change your perception of the segment it belongs to. The Captiva is, almost, that car. Almost, because I'm still not sold on CUVs. I do, however, like this particular Chevy and I am sad to see it go back to GM.Six weeks have flown past and for each and every one of those 42 days, it's been a pleasure to be behind the wheel. Not once did it go wrong or pull a strop. It's been totally reliable during its time with us.It handled well and didn't scream in fear when confronted with a corner, if it was being driven in a civilised manner. But since Amit drives every car like he stole it, I wasn't surprised that he thought it felt a bit soggy. True, its suspension is on the soft side and there is noticeable body roll in the turns, but you're not supposed to drive this with your foot floored. Don't forget, it's designed to lug a boot full of shopping and six passengers, not set new lap records at the 'Ring. But, I do remember overtaking a Cayenne in this, which I was very proud of. The Porsche was parked on the side of the street at the time, but that's just a minor detail that I'm prepared to ignore. With a punchy 3.0-litre V6 under the bonnet making 264bhp and 300Nm of torque, the Captiva has just about enough legs to keep those with a heavy foot happy.If you're hunting for a reliable, practical and good-looking CUV that boasts three rows of seats, give this a serious look.