GM Korea Co., the Korean unit of U.S. automaker General Motors Co., unveiled the new Chevrolet Captiva sports utility vehicle in Korea on Tuesday.

The new Captiva is the first Chevrolet SUV to be launched here since GM Korea, formerly GM Daewoo Auto & Technology, decided to replace all its GM Daewoo vehicles with Chevrolet models.

The Captiva is the fifth Chevrolet vehicle to be launched here with three more set to be introduced this year.

“With a strong, fresh, bold front fascia design and improved performance, the new Captiva will provide the best value to our customers at home and abroad. This is what Chevrolet stands for,” said Mike Arcamone, president and CEO of GM Korea.

“Along with the other new models we are launching, our new SUV will help strengthen Chevrolet’s image in Korea.”

The new Captiva comes with a 2.2-liter VCDi diesel engine or a 2.4-liter DOHC Ecotec gasoline engine that produces maximum horsepower of 184 at 3,800 rpm with better fuel economy and lower emissions, the company said.

The vehicle has an average fuel economy of 13.9 kilometers per liter for automatic transmission and 15.9 km/l for manual transmission.

“The two new Captiva engines both offer a smooth, purposeful and efficient driving experience, and make the new Captiva one of the most powerful compact SUVs on the market,” GM Korea said in a press release.

The new automatic transmission also enables more powerful, yet smoother driving of the vehicle with a wide spread of gear ratios that “optimize the correlation between performance and fuel economy,” it said.

The new Captiva, developed and produced by GM’s Korean unit, is a makeover of GM Korea’s older SUV, previously sold here as the Windstorm.

The vehicle, however, is a completely different product from its predecessor, said Ankush Arora, vice president of GM Korea for vehicle sales, marketing and service.

“First, this is not a Windstorm. The feedback we had on the Windstorm has now been incorporated into the new Captiva ... and we believe we have a completely brand new product,” he told a press conference at a Seoul hotel.

Arcamone said it was a “fresh new look that gives the Captiva more dynamic presence and strong overall character as a Chevrolet.”

GM Korea began receiving pre-orders for the vehicle Tuesday and the vehicle will be officially launched for sale on April 15.

The vehicle also comes with various features that enable what GM Korea called “passive” and “active” safety of the driver and passengers.

They include six air bags, three-point seat belts with belt tensioners and belt force limiters for the front seats and an electronic stability control system that incorporates anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and active rollover protection.

The vehicle is also available in an active all-wheel drive model for added safety.

The local price of the Chevrolet Captiva has been set at 25.5 million won ($23,460) for the 2.2-liter, front-wheel drive model and 35.8 million won for the 2.2-liter, all-wheel drive model. The 2.4-liter gasoline model with front-wheel drive is priced at 26.6 million won. 

(Yonhap News)