Holden Equinox LTZ-V

Not overly ostentatious – in fact, a bit ‘just like the other SUV’S’ to look at, but Sean Willmot finds there’s lots to love about the Holden Equinox.

There are a lot of SUVS on our roads these days, and to buy one with an eye to standing out from the crowd, is probably an exercise in frustration more than anything else. It is however, well worth digging around to find the SUV that best suits you. I urge you to look further than merely skin deep too, as sometimes, what we see on the outside is a far cry from what lies within. Don’t judge books by their covers, and all that. In saying this, a good look at Holden’s product offering, and particularly, the Equinox, may well surprise you. Equinox is a mid-sized SUV, which means it faces off against some well-established and worthy competition from – well, pretty much everyone. As a prospective owner, the first thing to really get your head around is the overall appearance. Equinox is conventional in appearance, exhibiting nothing you could take offense at. It really is blue sky in the automotive landscape. In saying this, the medium SUV looks well balanced and the short front overhang suggests (correctly) that this will be an easy vehicle to manoeuvre. The 4652mm overall length and 2725mm wheelbase makes the high-riding five-seater comparable to a conventional sedan for parking. Inside, Holden has continued with a conventional – but incredibly thorough – theme, in fact, the equipment level in the LTZ-V seen here, is positively stunning. What’s more, all controls are extremely intuitive – which means that while there is plenty of electronic witchcraft to play with: heated seats, steering wheel, switchable AWD, hill descent control, cruise control and push button start to name a few, you only need to think: “Now, where would I put a control for that?” and your fingers will pretty much find the appropriate switch, button or lever. While the wealth of modern motoring magic onboard the Equinox sounds daunting to read about, you don’t need a pilot’s handbook to make it all work properly, though a few minutes spent fiddling about with the eight-inch infotainment touchscreen wouldn’t be wasted time. Said infotainment system affords Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as providing satellite navigation and phone mirroring, which is useful as your phone charges on the pad in the centre console. The Equinox has a welcoming interior too. The driver’s seat is pliant but cossetting at the same time – not an easy trick – and for the other four occupants travelling with you, there’s plenty of room to go around. If you feel the need for more space – and you won’t – the LTZ-V comes with a panoramic sunroof, which makes the interior feel much larger than it is. Out of all the safety sorcery onboard – and there is a lot of it – there was one item which stood out for me, and that was the ‘Haptic seat’. This is a seat which reacts with the Holdeneye bundle of safety features and vibrates accordingly to get your attention. And under the bonnet? There are three, modeldependent engine choices from a 1.5 turbocharged direct injection petrol and the range-topping twolitre turbocharged direct injection petrol (featured in this model), both mated to a silky smooth (could it be anything else?) ninespeed automatic. The third engine? A 1.6 turbo diesel with a more conventional six-speed auto. If the Equinox opens the book and starts the story of specification and sophistication for Holdens to come, I’d say we’re in for a very good read.