Chevrolet Captiva Sport

Posted on 07.18.2013 17:00 by Tom Burkart

In the 2014 Chevrolet Captiva Sport's senior yearbook, the standard headshot would have been replaced by a blank "No Photo Available." This commercial vehicle sits in the fleet-only section of Chevy's U.S. lineup. These models major on sale price and fuel mileage - but typically include few tech or luxury features and zero trendy styling.

The opposite of trendy, the Captiva Sport is eerily familiar on all American roads. By george! It is the stillborn, second-gen Saturn Vue in a bowtie grille! Additional fender flares and chrome accents appear where there were once maroon Saturn badges.

Reviving this car is a special treatment within General Motors, and only replicated with the (also fleet-only) Chevy Caprice PPV that started life as the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. What this distinction means for the Captiva Sport is that the vehicles have to be delivered directly to a commercial operator, thereby skipping the local retailer in favor of bulk orders.

The Captiva Sport's big news for 2014 is an updated infotainment unit that now offers Chevrolet MyLink touchscreen audio and mobile connectivity.

The Captiva Sport is therefore a work car for people who might otherwise be in a Malibu Classic (yes, it existed..) or a Cruze - neither of which have AWD winter traction.

The larger Chevrolet Equinox is also on the fleet books for virtually identical list prices. How do they compare?

Click past the jump for the full review of the 2014 Chevrolet Captiva Sport, the only autobahn-tested AWD crossover in the Chevrolet's American commercial fleet lineup.

Chevrolet Captiva Sport originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 18 July 2013 17:00 EST.

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Dodge Charger Pursuit

Posted on 10.1.2013 14:00 by Tom Burkart

The latest Dodge Charger Pursuit just spanked its two arch-rivals in another high-speed test session by the Michigan State Police, whose data and recommendations are highly regarded in the law enforcement community. And can you blame them for choosing the only model running a Hemi V-8 to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic?

You read that right. The latest Charger is not only on the police order books as a rear-drive V-6 and V-8, but now also with the V-8 to all four wheels.

This is big news because it effectively makes the Charger Pursuit as one of the fastest cars on American highways - year round. With a powertrain and seamless AWD system offered for the V-8, the Charger is hotter than ever below its menacing panels.

No big changes outside since the 2012 refresh brought and updated nose and the full LED racetrack of brake lights in back. Even so, the numerous combinations of police-ready trims are enough to make even a grown man tinkle himself a little when viewed in the rearview mirror.

Such a mean grille surely lets any driver know that a big ticket is coming. Why? The Charger is most popular among money-generating State Highway Patrols versus the boring Tahoe and Taurus Interceptor PPV's run by suburban mall cops.

The big Charger Pursuit in your rearview means no chance of escape. The old Pursuit Hemi was able to char the freeways at 160 mph-plus top speed, with a 60 mph sprint now projected to be as low as 5.7 seconds for the AWD Hemi.

What red-blooded cop would turn down this as a daily driver?

Click past the jump for the full review of the 2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit, with details on its newly-available AWD on the potent Hemi V-8.

Dodge Charger Pursuit originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 1 October 2013 14:00 EST.

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