The Captiva, historically, has not done well in the Philippines, but its return as an electric vehicle (EV) is timely, and coming from a recognized brand name ensures you’re not getting into a vehicle that is starting from scratch.

Compared to its predecessor, the Captiva EV is sleeker and larger — the black roof of its two-tone body helps slim it down, and the rear design pushes the tail further back, making it appear longer than a typical subcompact crossover.

The front fascia eschews the grille as there is no engine to cool under the hood. It has full LED lighting and auto on/off headlamps with electric leveling and Chevy’s Intellibeam technology (switches automatically between high and low beams). To increase battery efficiency, it uses specialized 17-inch rims that are designed to minimize air resistance, manage heat from regenerative braking, and be strong enough to carry the extra weight of the vehicle from the 60-kWh lithium-ion battery.

It is easy to tell it is an EV, from the vent-less nose to the ‘Captiva EV’ badges along the side and on the power tailgate. The panoramic sunroof is a nice touch, although it went unopened during my test drive because of the summer heat. The design is eye-catching, and while this vehicle is technically a rebadged Wuling Starlight S, Chevrolet has done enough to set it apart.

Like most EVs, the Captiva EV started — the aircon, motor, and audio system — when I walked up to the driver’s door with the keyfob on me. All I had to do was buckle up and set the shifter (the right stalk behind the steering wheel) to D. It is important to note that the electronic parking brake did not disengage unless the seatbelt was strapped. In front of the flat, soft-touch dashboard are two screens — an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and six speakers. It has leather seats and a 60-40 split-folding second row to increase cargo space.

There are plenty of things to like for cabin occupants. Without a transmission, it doesn’t have a hump that runs lengthwise down the middle and eats up legroom. This is also the reason why there are plenty of pockets to store various handheld items, including mobile devices. The front and rear have two USB ports, one Type-A and one Type-C. Clutter has been reduced to a bare minimum, with the only physical controls being the buttons on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic climate control, and the hazard switch. It is a clean cockpit that minimizes distractions and helps me focus on the drive. I just wish its CarPlay was already wireless, which is now the standard in the segment.

Driving the front wheels are two permanent magnet synchronous 150-kW motors that make 204-PS and 310-Nm of torque. As expected, acceleration is instant, smooth, and most importantly, quiet. I had to honk occasionally to remind tricycles I was overtaking on the left. Combine that with straight-line comfort, and my passengers were sound asleep on our four-hour drive. Cornering was surprisingly less stable than I expected, considering the vehicle is weighed down by batteries.

Its Advanced Driver Assistance System came with Intelligent Driving Assistance (IDA), Cruise Control on Curves, Front Collision Safety System, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention (LDA), and Emergency Lane Keeping. A few features of this suite need major improvement. I turned off IDA and LDA when I activated cruise control, as these systems kept overcorrecting to the left and right every five seconds, causing irritation and (arm) exhaustion when I was on SCTEX and TPLEX.

I liked how the trip computer was accurate down to the kilometer. On full charge, the Captiva EV had a 415-km range. At the end of the 318-km drive, the battery had enough for 100 more kilometers. But an EV is only as good as the infrastructure that powers it, and right now, it is severely lacking. In La Union, there were only a few charging stations, and one was in the parking lot of a resort that was fully occupied that summer weekends. Naturally, guests get parking priority. Most also offer only 7-kW of power, which will take eight hours to fully charge the Captiva EV. If not for the SEA Charge station, I’ll probably finish this article in La Union.

The 2026 Captiva EV is a step in the right direction for Chevrolet. It has to improve in some aspects, but its list of features and performance can match rivals in the segment. Is it worth its P1.860-million (introductory) price? We’ll find out soon enough.