The first generation of the Holden Captiva received a refresh after five years on the market, and it received more power and new styling.
GM Korea developed an SUV based on the GM Theta platform, and the result was so good that it was sold worldwide from Korea to the U.S., Australasia, and Europe wearing different badges. Holden had its share and sold the compact SUV under the Captiva. It managed to cross the world financial crisis with the vehicle still in its offer. In 2011, the Captiva Series II appeared on the market.
The Captiva's new angular headlights contrasted with the rounded shape of the upper grille, but somehow they matched nicely together. A broader, taller grille found its way into the lower bumper area. There were some chromed areas, but not too many to scream for attention. A new set of turn-signals found their way onto the door-mirrors. There was a new design for the taillights in the rear, with clear lenses, and repositioned reversing lights.
Inside, the Captiva offered up to seven seats. The last row was available as an option, and it was designed for adults, even though they couldn't spend too much time there without pains and complaints. There was a new dashboard design, a new 4-spoke steering wheel, and a new infotainment system.
GM installed a completely new, 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine under the hood. It provided 32 more hp than the 2.0-liter turbodiesel fitted on the non-facelifted version. More important was the 6-speed automatic gearbox, which helped the car gains a better fuel-efficiency. The Captiva also received the improved versions for the 2.4-liter and 3.2-liter gasoline engines.