It already has a reputation for offering superb value for money, but the Chevrolet Captiva has just got even more affordable thanks to the addition of a new entry-level diesel model.

At £18,295, the new five-seater Captiva 2.0 VCDi LS is £1,900 cheaper than Kia’s base model Sorento, over £2,000 less expensive than the cheapest diesel Nissan X-Trail, and more than £3,500 less pricey than the five-seat Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRTD GSi.

Yet despite the bargain price tag, the latest Captiva doesn’t skimp on specification. The new model comes with air conditioning, Smart 16-inch alloy wheels, a glass-flip tailgate, electrically-adjustable heated door mirrors, an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat, a powerful six-speaker RDS radio/CD player with MP3 socket, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, front, side and curtain airbags, remote control two-stage deadlocking and charcoal-effect roof rails. That’s an impressive list of equipment when you look at the price!

The 2.0-litre 150PS common-rail diesel engine powers the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox, delivering a combined fuel economy figure of 38.7mpg (43.5mpg extra-urban; 32.1mpg urban). CO2 emissions are 195g/km, and the car accelerates from 0-60mph in 10.8 seconds, with a top speed of 112mph.

The new 2.0VCDi LS model is the latest addition to the Captiva range, which made its debut in the UK last year and has been a significant contributor to Chevrolet’s phenomenal UK growth. Chevrolet sales in the UK were up by 27.6 per cent in 2007, and in the first quarter of 2008 showed a further 21 per cent year-on-year increase.

This latest addition to the Captiva family is in showrooms now, alongside the new Aveo supermini and Epica family saloon, both of which are new for 2008 and add further breadth to the rapidly increasing Chevrolet model range.