The Chevrolet Equinox has been a rock-steady performer dating back to its humble beginnings in 2005.
The third-generation tall wagon arrives this spring with the necessary upgrades to remain competitive, especially in the powertrain department with a new diesel engine.
The outgoing Equinox was a dimensional oddity. It was too large for the compact-utility segment 鈥� including the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape and Hyundai Tucson 鈥� and too small to be in the same league as听the bigger Ford Edge, Kia听Sorento and Honda Pilot.
For 2018, Chevrolet is downsizing the Equinox, which should expose it to greater numbers of shoppers who gobble up compact wagons in ever-increasing numbers.
So, how small is the latest Equinox? Length has decreased by nearly 13 centimetres, width by about 7.6 and there鈥檚 a decrease of about 13 centimetres between the front and rear wheels. Despite the shrinkage, there鈥檚 only slightly less passenger-compartment space while cargo capacity is about the same as before, regardless of whether the rear seat is upright or folded flat.
The new Equinox weighs about 180 kilograms less than before, with much of the credit attributed to smaller dimensions and a lighter and stiffer platform.
Of course, there鈥檚 fresh bodywork attached to the new architecture, but the Equinox still looks like an Equinox, thanks to a familiar grille and rear-side roof pillars.
The interior has been updated to a noticeable degree, particularly the dashboard and touchscreen that are similar to what you鈥檒l find in the Malibu sedan and other members of Chevrolet鈥檚 entourage.
The seats have similarly been updated, but the split-folding rear bench is no longer adjustable fore and aft.
For the most part, family ties also extend to the engine bay where a base turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder puts out 170听horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque.
Optional is a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder rated at 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet. Both powerplants are based on those available in the Chevrolet Malibu, but a third Equinox option 鈥� a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel 鈥� comes from the 2017 Cruze sedan and hatchback. It generates a modest 136 horsepower and a stout 236 pound-feet. The turbo-diesel also pulls down an estimated 5.9 l/100 km, combined city/highway, compared to the base engine鈥檚 7.6 number.
The base turbo and optional turbodiesel engines connect to a six-speed automatic transmission, but the optional 2.0 turbo uses a nine-speed automatic.
All-wheel-drive can be specified with any engine. Under normal driving conditions, the system disconnects the rear axle as a method of reducing fuel consumption.
The front-wheel-drive LS trim starts at $27,000, including destination charges (adding AWD to amy trim level is a $2,400 option). At the top of the scale, the Premier rings in at $33,600. It鈥檚 very well equipped with leather-covered seats (heated and with memory position settings in front), dual-zone climate control, hands-free power liftgate, heated steering wheel and remote start. There are also blind-spot and cross-traffic alerts for backing up.
The Premier is also your portal to 19-inch wheels (17- and 18-inchers are standard) plus additional dynamic advisories and interventions including a unique Safety Alert driver鈥檚 seat. Designed to assist the hard of hearing, it supplements the vehicle鈥檚 audible warnings with seat-cushion vibrations when the driver strays out of the intended lane or closes too rapidly on the vehicle in front.
Note that much of this technology is standard in the Toyota RAV4 and optional in many competitors鈥� lesser trim levels.
Regardless, the latest Equinox is a demonstrably better sized, packaged and priced wagon with a unique range of drivetrains and other equipment to help maintain its foothold in an increasingly competitive segment.
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THE SPEC SHEET
Type: Four-door, front- /all-wheel-drive wagon
Engines (h.p.): 1.5-litre DOHC I-4, turbocharged (170); 2.0-litre DOHC I-4, turbocharged (252); 1.6-litre DOHC I-4, turbodiesel (136)
Transmissions: Six-speed automatic (1.5, 1.6); nine-speed automatic (2.0)
Market position: Following a lengthy run, the resized Equinox is now all-in as a compact-sized contender that competes with a number of well-established domestic- and import-based tall wagons in a sizzling-hot category.
Points: Resized and restyled, but still retains the same general shape. o Interior design screams Chevrolet sedan. o The all-turbocharged four-cylinder engine lineup is in line with the times. o There鈥檚 no good reason why active-safety technology isn鈥檛 standard in the top-of-the-line Premier model, and at least available on lesser trims.
Active safety: Blind-spot warning with cross-traffic alert (opt.); active cruise control (opt.); emergency braking (opt.); lane-keeping assist (opt.)
L/100 km (city/hwy): 8.9/7.2 (1.5, FWD, est.)Base price (incl. destination): $27,000