The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Chevy Equinox going strong into 2018
Chevrolet is hitting hard at perhaps themost competitive automotive segment in the U.S.
The 2018 Equinox will go against the best of the compact crossover segmentwith their next generation of the popular Equinox. In addition, by the end of the year the Equinox will be on sale in 115 markets globally.
With the new architecture the car feels tighter, and its structure is most noticeable in how quiet the crossover is. In addition, being able to reengineer the vehicle lets the engineers add technological capabilities as well as improve both the dynamics and safety.
The Equinox is protected by such capabilities as adaptive crash-avoidance and Teen Driver, which is a wonderful system which lets parents can set controls and review junior’s driving – even when they are not in the vehicle.
Optional active safety features abound, letting buyers choose radar- and camera-based adaptive technologies. Offered are: Safety Alert Seat, Surround Vision, Forward Collision Alertwith Following Distance Indicator, Low-Speed Forward Automatic Braking, Lane-Keep Assist with Lane-Departure Warning, Rear- Seat Reminder, Lane-Change Alert with Side Blind-Zone Alert and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert.
There isn’t really a single one of these that aren’t worth adding. In the previous generation of vehicles, these were features offered in luxury products. Now they are everywhere. Equinox is a relatively inexpensive family vehicle which is quite popular. GM has sold twomillion of them, and it’s their second-best seller after the Silverado.
For me, adding these kinds of capability is well worthwhile. While they may seemsophisticated and technologically cutting-edge now, like seat belts and airbags, it will not be long before cars without them will be difficult to sell.
But for 2018 the Equinox is a new generation which gets as much better looking as it is more capable. I like that it is more aggressive looking, but still is clearly a family vehicle. The lines flow from the clearly Chevrolet face to a squared-off, but not bulky rear end.
It is a modern, in fact clearly new generation crossover. Perhaps the best part of this new generation Equinox is that it is about 400-lb. lighter. That 10-percent weight reduction is a big deal. It makes the car more efficient and even handle better.
The inside is as updated as the design gives plenty of room in a comfortable and prosperous-looking environment. But you first notice the sound levels.
Granted, you can hear the engine accelerating and you won’t think your hearing is gone. But you will notice that it doesn’t sound like a reasonably-priced sport ute going down the road. Since research has shown that sound levels truly im- pact one’s perception of luxury and quality, this is a very good thing.
There are some nice new features, such as the “kneeling” rear seat making for better access to the far rear. Perhaps as important, when you tilt the bottom cushions forward and lower the splitfolding seatbacks the floor is decently flat.
Naturally, the car has all the connectivity and infotainment that it requires to haul today’s families. My test- case eightyear-old grandson was immensely impressed with the OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. Granted it didn’t cost us anything, but both his mother and I enjoyed his almost constant attention to something on the Internet.
We used the eight-inch MyLink screen for navigation, running the various controls to create a comfortable ambience in the cabin. The Equinox has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are well worth having.
This was during a 600mile weekend trip with my them. The car was comfortable and did its job both on the interstate and trying to find our way around a strange city. My test car was an unusual emerald green, so it was quite easy not to lose it in parking lots.
It was a well-equipped Equinox Premier, although with front-wheel drive. Its MSRP price was just more than $33,585. But with the options and extras its sticker price was actually $39,660. The base Equinox L, pow- ered through the front wheels by this engine has an MSRP of $24,475. There also won’t be much in the way of discounts or bargaining, it being both a newgeneration for 2018 and also part of the most popular segment of vehicle sales.
But for your money you get plenty of capability, good looks and decent efficiency. In particular the mechanicals are good. The suspension is modern, fully independent, and that means its front MacPherson strut with specifically tuned coil springs, direct-acting stabilizer bar and the four-link independent rear suspension keeps the car nicely planted on the road and response to input. It definitely doesn’t drive like previous truck-based sport utes.
The version I tested came with the 2.0-liter turbocharged double-overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine. This direct gasoline engine generates 252 hp. and 260 lb.-ft. of peak torque. This power flows through an efficient nine-speed automatic transmission. This is the engine I would choose, although I didn’t get a chance to drive the 1.6-liter diesel engines, and I tend to be a fan of them.
The base engine in the Equinox lineup is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, attached to a six-speed automatic transmission, making 170 hp. and 203 lb.-ft. of peak torque. I think that’s a little light for a vehicle this size, but it does get and EPA efficiency rating of 26 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway in frontwheel drive and 2mpg less in each category for all-wheel drive.
On my Equinox journey, I averaged just over 26 mpg for the whole trip. That included a bunch of suburban driving around in addition to the highway, so I was pleased with this number. The EPA numbers are 22 mpg city and 28 mpg highway
For anyone in the market for a family crossover such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, and Ford Escape, this one ought to be on that list. It is a capable contender, and when it’s well equipped seems almost to be a class above itself.