It seems that the car market is snowed under with SUVs, and it is - which is why we are featuring the new Chevrolet Captiva this week. The Captiva shares a lot of similarities with its related Opel Antara, which we featured some weeks ago. Michael Moroney assesses the differences and tests the Chevrolet value challenge.

Chevrolet is now a hot contender in the SUV market with a new Captiva model that gives good family space and the option of seven seats with an impressive turbo-diesel engine. Prices start at €36,995 plus delivery charges for the two-wheel-drive version, add €4,000 for the benefit of all wheel drive.

The new Chevrolet Captiva provides a value challenge in an SUV market that's simply packed with choices. Yes, I'm back driving a Sports Utility (SUV) type vehicle again this week as they are simply hitting the market by the week with new introductions across almost every brand.

Not to be outdone, Chevrolet has entered the race. The Chevrolet offering, the Captiva was launched last year, just in time to complete with the Opel Antara. I mention the Antara because these vehicles are related now that Chevrolet is part of the General Motors team.

Look closely at the specification sheets of the Captiva and the Antara and you'll find it hard to separate them. I drove the 2.0 litre turbo-diesel model from both ranges relatively recently and the performance is identical between both makes. So why take the Chevrolet route?

Externally, there are some differences between the Captiva and the Antara. The front and rear end designs have their own identity. The rear end in particular gives the Antara a more stylish look in my opinion. There are subtle differences on the inside, in particular when it comes to the design of the centre console; again, that very much a personal thing.

Chevrolet offers a two-wheel-drive option in the Captiva, while Opel only offer the 4x4 version. And the Captiva comes with the option of 5 or 7 seats, with the rear row of seats folding neatly into a flat floor in the boot.

For Captiva drivers the 2.0 litre diesel engine is the only real choice. There is a 2.4 litre petrol option available, but I don't expect it to have many followers. The diesel choice is a good one, in an engine that has been developed jointly between General Motors and VM Engines an Italian engine producer of long standing.

This engine delivers a credible 150bhp, which is close to the top end of the SUV sector. The engine uses a particulate filter on the exhaust, which helps to keep emissions low at 197g/km. Both the high power and low emissions make the Captiva attractive and that performance is matched by the Opel Antara.

The engine is a shade low on torque relative to the competition at 320Nm. That has the impact of giving a lower than expected acceleration figure of 11 seconds for the 0 to 100km/hr race.

While bigger engine SUVs such as the Toyota RAV4, Land Rover Freelander and Hyundai Santa Fe all use 2.2 litre engines, they fare no better. So maybe I'm being a bit hard on the Captiva, but it's just with its impressive engine power I expected a little more in the acceleration.