(Thu 15 May 08)

Chevrolet is in an aggressive mood on the subject of SUV pricing, having introduced a new entry-level version of the Captiva which costs £18,295.

The Captiva 2.0 VCDi LS has a 148bhp turbo diesel engine driving the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, and Chevrolet is pointing out that it's significantly cheaper than the cheapest diesel Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Nissan X-Trail (though it's undercut by the most basic model in the new Renault Koleos range).

Standard equipment on the LS includes 16" alloy wheels, air-conditioning, a rear window which opens separately from the rest of the tailgate, heated door mirrors, an eight-way adjustable driver's seat, roof rails, remote control two-stage deadlocking and an audio system which includes an MP3 socket and controls mounted on the steering wheel.

Like the other diesels in the Captiva range, the LS has a combined fuel economy figure of 38.7mpg and officially produces 195g/km of CO2. Top speed is 112mph and the 0-62mph time is 10.8 seconds.