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Chevy’s redesigned 2010 Equinox arrives in June, marking the second generation of this compact crossover utility vehicle that competes in a segment that includes the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and more.
Perhaps the biggest news for the Equinox is that it will be offered with a choice of two new engines, with the base model powered by a 185-horsepower, 2.4-liter, direct fuel-injected four-cylinder that GM says will lead the compact crossover segment in fuel economy. It’s a 25 percent improvement over the current Equinox, which comes only with a 185-horsepower V-6 engine.The Equinox four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive model will have EPA ratings of 22 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. That compares with 20 city/27 highway for the CR-V and 22/28 for the RAV4, the leading models in the compact crossover segment.GM officials said during the Equinox unveiling at the Detroit auto show in January that the new Equinox would be the ninth vehicle in the Chevrolet lineup to have fuel economy of 30 mpg or above.The highway mileage, if achieved (which takes some careful driving), would give the Equinox a range of up to 600 miles between fill-ups, GM said.With seating for up to five, the Equinox has styling influenced by the current Chevy Malibu sedan and the new Traverse large crossover.Chevy said it expects about two-thirds of buyers to choose the four-cylinder model, but there is a new 3.0-liter V-6 engine available as well. Also featuring direct fuel injection, this engine has 255 horsepower – yet is efficient enough to provide an estimated 18 mpg city/25 highway. The current Equinox V-6 – with 70 less horsepower – is rated at 17 city/24 highway.Four trim levels will be offered: base LS, midlevel LT1 and LT2, and the top-of-the-line LTZ.Prices range from $22,440 (plus $745 freight) for the LS model with front-wheel drive to $29,795 for the LTZ model with all-wheel drive. The least-expensive all-wheel-drive model is the LS model for $24,150.The V-6 engine is a $1,500 upgrade that is offered on the LT and LTZ models only. But the nice thing about this arrangement is that the four-cylinder engine is available in all trim levels, even the fanciest model. Consumers are demanding this, especially fresh with the memory of $4-a-gallon gasoline.Safety features include standard OnStar communications (with automatic accident reporting), front seat-mounted side air bags, roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows, electronic stability and traction control, and four-wheel antilock disc brakes.XM satellite radio also is standard on all models. Optional is a remote-start system that enables the car to be started using the remote-control key fob so its interior can be warmed up or cooled down before the passengers get in.The exterior features a two-tier grille with Chevy’s trademark bowtie badge in a gold color in the middle. Also new on the front are wraparound headlights. At the rear are dual round taillights.
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