Chevy will debut an all-new 2010 Equinox CUV at the upcoming NAIAS. The vehicle will be available with either a 2.4L, 182 hp, 4-cylinder model; or a 3.0 V6 putting out 255 hp. Both models have direct injection, will be available in either FWD or AWD, and will be coupled to a 6-speed automatic.
The vehicle looks good and the spec sheet is pretty impressive. The question is, can Chevrolet convince customers cross-shopping the CR-V, RAV4 and Escape to pick this new Equinox over those models?
arumage says:
08:04 AM, 12/22/08
Looks great except for that awful turning radius. 40 ft. plus is too long for a vehicle this size. The lambda quadruplets are over a foot longer and have a similar turning radius.
brn says:
08:12 AM, 12/22/08
Good job GM! Now let's get the quality up to Ford's level.
roar02ram says:
08:17 AM, 12/22/08
This looks like a great effort - good styling inside & out, competitive powertrains (from day 1!)...they'll likely get pricing right, too. Good job, GM!
cx7lover says:
09:23 AM, 12/22/08
Nasty, hideous SUV.
kurtamaxxxguy says:
09:39 AM, 12/22/08
Right now the Equinox AWD is rock bottom in the "would buy it again" rankings of a major consumer mag.
Hopefully Chevy has improved the AWD along with the transmission, engine, and (long overdue) interior.
billt9 says:
09:40 AM, 12/22/08
Not a fan of the Saturn Vue headlights. They're round and the rest of the car is blocky.
Otherwise everything else is pretty awesome.
Interior front row is nice.
4-cylinder fuel economy is nice.
6-cylinder fuel economy got totally destroyed by the Rav4 (4-22/28 mpg, 6-19/27 mpg).
How did Toyota do it! Not that I would ever get near the Rav4's repulsive interior materials...
billt9 says:
09:52 AM, 12/22/08
That 3.0-liter V6 has a peculiar profile.
255 hp @6500, 214 lb-ft @ 5600.
So essentially it'll run like a 214 hp engine unless you're racing it. Racing a 3,800 lb crossover? No torque to get off the line.
I'm guessing the so called V6 won't be worth it over the I4.
albook says:
10:49 AM, 12/22/08
Good looking CUV, but is it really small? Everyone is reporting that it will have a third row. The Rav-4 has one too, but I don't see the Equinox shrinking (even though it prbably should).
Ford quality? What?! The inside of a Malibu is nicer than the inside of a Fusion any day. The Tahoe/Suburban are nicer inside than any other fullsize SUV on the market-even the Sequoia.
arumage says:
11:04 AM, 12/22/08
Compare the Malibu or Fusion to the interior quality of the Flex and neither comes close. The 2010 Fusion's quality will probably be on par with the Flex... hopefully.
vq356mt says:
12:21 PM, 12/22/08
Isn't this just a rebadged Saturn Vue?
Can someone remind me why Chevy needs a version of every model in GM's portfolio? Maybe this is helping the other brands die.
orangutan says:
12:48 PM, 12/22/08
Yeah, it's just a Saturn Vue with new engines and styling. That's why the cargo capacity dropped compared to the current Equinox.
As billt9 says, the V6 isn't worth it. The Lambda Triplets achieve only one mpg less (17|24 FWD, 16|23 AWD) with a 3.6 V6 while being much larger and heavier. I'd like to see the figures for the non-direct injected 2.4 I4, as well as the figures for both I4 engines when in AWD form.
stovt001 says:
02:59 PM, 12/22/08
I'm hoping the fuel economy numbers for the V6 are wrong. As it stands now there is no reason to not get the I4. That just doesn't make any sense. vq356mt, this does take the place of the Vue when Saturn is killed off.
Since there are so few wagons out there now and almost none that are affordable, this may be a suitable replacement for our 04 Taurus wagon a few years from now.
bbechtel16 says:
08:40 AM, 12/23/08
That I4 is pretty impressive. It's the first 4 from the US that I've been able to say that about in a while after comparing it to the 1990 GM Quad4 HO. 180 hp and 29 mpg. I had to laugh when Ford was advertising their Focus ZX4 as something special with 150 hp and 29 mpg. Those are both new EPA numbers as per fuelecomomy.gov. Gotta love increased emission standards? Long live the Quad4!
jerrywimer says:
09:47 AM, 12/23/08
bilt9, I thought the same thing about the headlights when I first saw spy shots. But it's less Saturnlike than Malibu-like. And if you'd have told me that last Friday I'd have laughed. After all, my Malibu doesn't have the round droop at the bottom. Then again, it DOES TOO! It's just that the turn signals and such are on the bottom of the Malibu's headlights, so that the round area for the main headlight lens is inside the overall outline, which runs straight across. It appears that the turn signals and such have migrated to the top of the lights on the new 'nox, which exposes the round lens area in the overall outline.
If that makes no sense, check out a closeup image of the front of an 08+ Malibu's headlights, then look at the Equinox pics again. It'll be obvious.
jerrywimer says:
09:50 AM, 12/23/08
Oh, almost forgot- I like the Malibu's treatment better. It seems to me that the new 'nox could've had MUCH more in common with the 'bu, and would've been far better looking as a consequence. Basically floating hood, same headlights (moving the turn signals and such back down, allowing the fender to run above into that space now, but at a slightly lower line than the main hoodline).
ibuildthem says:
05:57 PM, 01/13/09
Sorry to disagree, vq356mt - it's not a rebadged Vue. The present Vue is a rebadged Opel. The old Equinox and this one, ride on a stretched version of the old Vue's platform.
Two completely different vehicles. GM is learning, guys. Wait until you drive one...
ibuildthem says:
05:58 PM, 01/13/09
Sorry to disagree, vq356mt - it's not a rebadged Vue. The present Vue is a rebadged Opel. The old Equinox and this one, ride on a stretched version of the old Vue's platform.
Two completely different vehicles. GM is learning, guys. Wait until you drive one...