ALL-ROUND APPEAL
HOLDEN’S EQUINOX MATCHES VALUE WITH VERSATILITY
Holden’s Equinox mid-size SUV bounded into showrooms in late 2017, a matter of weeks after the final Commodore rolled off the Australian production line. The Holden faithful welcomed it as a bride would a groom’s ex-girlfriend. That’s unfair on the North American-designed Equinox, as it’s a decent all-rounder and markedly better than the five-seat Captiva it replaced.
We let our family of four loose in the bargain LS+ model to see how it copes with daily duties.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
IAIN: When I was a kid, the Commodore was the Holden family car. Now, like it or not, the Equinox and its rival mid-size SUVs are the popular choice.
JULES: Good. I like SUVs, this Holden looks attractive if a little dull — and who wants a boring old sedan anymore?
IAIN: Me. But I’ll give the Equinox every chance. Some 5000 were sold last year. Sounds OK but the rival Mazda CX-5 shifted more than 26,000.
JULES: How much is it? IAIN: This Equinox LS+ is currently $31,990 drive-away. There’s a lesser LS but it lacks modern safety kit: integral for a family car.
JULES: It looks quite American, though not too big or cumbersome.
IAIN: It’s Stars and Stripes underneath those Holden badges. Americans have been buying the Chevrolet Equinox since 2004. The design is safe rather than beautiful, unlike, say, a Mazda CX-5 or Hyundai Tucson.
THE LIVING SPACE
JULES: Impressively huge inside. Roomier than most medium SUVs. IAIN: True — for many family buyers, cabin space is king. Helps you overlook the lack of fanciness inside. JULES: Are you suggesting the interior is bland?
IAIN: Look, you get what you pay for. This being near entry level, hard plastic is everywhere, the centre console is just a big slab of featurelessness and the dash dials are trapped in the 1990s.
JULES: I’ve made my peace with it. Commendably, Holden has spent money on what mums like me really want. Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto smartphone connectivity, rear camera, park assist and loads of safety kit.
IAIN: True. The screen and buttons feel quality but rubber pads on the steering wheel for audio controls look like they’ll wear away and perish after a few years of hot Aussie sun.
THE COMMUTE
JULES: The engine has a bit of shove, doesn’t it? IAIN: It’s not bad at all. It’s a 1.5-litre petrol turbo with bags of torque to get you up to speed. Higher up the Equinox range is a 2.0-litre turbo, which is a firecracker for this segment.
JULES: Most journeys will be highways or traffic and it’s quiet, composed and easy to drive in these circumstances.
IAIN: Americans typically like SUVs to ride like trampolines for straight-road comfort but, credit to Holden’s engineers, they’ve given our Equinoxes better tyres and tuned the suspension and steering for Aussie preferences. It’s a good blend of ride comfort and secure handling.
JULES: No radar cruise control — not even as an option — which is so useful for the daily commute.
THE SHOPPING
IAIN: It has a massive boot. With 846L, it smashes the opposition. Mazda’s CX-5 has 442L and the Ford Escape just 406L.
JULES: There’s handy storage under the boot floor for valuables too.
IAIN: It’s missing such niceties as an auto tailgate. Only pricier Equinoxes have that.
JULES: For an SUV it’s actually quite low to load the boot easily, though there’s no lip to stop shopping rolling out when you open the tailgate.
SUNDAY RUN
IAIN: Ours is front-wheel drive; only rangetoppers come with all-wheel drive.
JULES: That’s fine. The most off-roading these will do is up a kerb outside school.
IAIN: On back roads the Equinox is capable and safe-feeling rather than fun. Fine for its target market.
JULES: A lot of cars these days have really invasive, beepy, annoying safety alerts. This Holden has a much better red flashing light on the windscreen, and gives your butt a buzz if danger is detected.
IAIN: The silent Safety Alert Seat is very cool. Holden knows many owners turn over-beepy safety gear off. If there’s danger up ahead it buzzes the front of your seat base, or if there’s a hazard to the side — say a parked car you’re about to hit on your left — it buzzes that side of the seat.
JULES: The buzz isn’t unpleasant but I set it off a lot. It’s very over-protective but ideal for the likes of school drop-off panic when your concentration isn’t perfect.
THE FAMILY
IAIN: No doubt about it, the Equinox is a safe family car choice. Loads of leg and headroom in the back and, with our two car seats in the Isofix mounts, you could just squeeze an older kid in-between.
JULES: The cloth seats feel really hard-wearing with a neat quilt pattern, bottle holders front and rear are big and there’s a giant bin under the front armrest.
IAIN: No rear USB points. They’re great for kids these days.
JULES: The family budget likes the Equinox LS+. It feels really good value at this price and servicing is a bargain too.
IAIN: Our fuel use was 9.3L/100km, which does sting a bit. Those doing big kilometres should consider a diesel mid-size SUV instead.
THE VERDICT
JULES: If you’re after an honest, good value, safe and competent family SUV, this Equinox has the goods. Mums favouring sensible over status symbol won’t be disappointed.
IAIN: Holden’s previous medium SUV, the Captiva, let down many buyers with reliability problems and this hangover may be hurting Equinox sales. It would be foolish to overlook its value for money.