2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX CHANGES
Styling: Welcome to the new face of Chevrolet. The front of the 2010 Equinox follows the single-bar-grille theme unveiled on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu sedan and 2009 Traverse crossover SUV, two GM product bright spots. With wheel arches boldly defined, a raked-forward stance, rear roof pillars gracefully sloped, and the illusion of wrap-around tailgate glass, the 2010 Equinox could be the brave young brother of a Mercedes-Benz M-Class. The comparison is apt because the 2010 Equinox adopts a stretched version of a unibody structure engineered to suit the Antara SUV from GM’s German Opel arm. Slightly Americanized, Antara is sold in the U.S. as the Saturn Vue, a compact SUV known for solidity and ride quality. The 2010 Equinox is larger than the Vue, but wheelbase and exterior dimensions are virtually identical to those of the 2005-2009 Equinox. (The Traverse seats eight and is much larger.) Equinox again holds five, but its cabin is redone and echoes Malibu with a rounded twin-scoop dashboard, two-tone color options, and upgraded fit and finish. Demerits to GM, however, for somehow shrinking the interior compared to the old Equinox. A significant three inches of rear-seat leg room is gone, and maximum cargo volume shrivels by five cubic feet, to a class-middling 63.7 with the rear seat folded.
Mechanical: Over at Saturn, the 2009 Vue offers not one but two hybrid powertrains, including a state-of-the-art choice with 255 horsepower. The 2010 Chevy Equinox makes due with a pair of gas engines, but they’re quite advanced in their own right. The latest in direct fuel injection bestows impressive power and fuel efficiency. From GM’s Ecotec engine family comes a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 182 horsepower; rivals resort to turbocharging to beat that number. A V-6 that squeezes an easy 255 horsepower from 3.0 liters is the other engine choice for the 2010 Equinox. Both are complimented by a contemporary six-speed automatic transmission. And either can be teamed with front-wheel drive or with all-wheel drive (AWD) intended for mostly on-road driving. Antiskid and traction control are standard, but if you get the V-6, best to also choose AWD; asking the front wheels alone to cope with 255 horsepower tends to trigger annoying torque steer, a condition in which the vehicle slithers to and fro in aggressive acceleration.
Features: The 2010 Chevy Equinox will come in LS, LT, and LTZ models with ascending levels of trim and equipment. OnStar assistance is standard, as is a front center console deep enough for a laptop computer. Chevy sends Equinox nightclubbing with soft-blue ambient cabin lighting and climate and audio controls lit in separate colors. Two-tone leather upholstery, Bluetooth phone and USB audio connectivity, and an audio unit with hard-drive storage are among extra-cost items. So are a navigation system, rearview camera, and dual-screen rear-seat DVD entertainment. The 2010 Equinox is among the few SUVs in its price range to offer a power rear liftgate.
2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX PRICES
The Saturn Vue’s migration to this version of GM’s Theta platform was accompanied by a significant price bump. But Chevy’s success depends on attainability, so pricing will have to appeal to the broadest range of shoppers. Bear in mind, however, that the 2010 Equinox becomes Chevy’s mainstay midsize SUV now that the antiquated body-on-frame TrailBlazer has been discontinued. All this points to 2010 Equinox prices starting around $24,000 for the LS front-drive four-cylinder, escalating to at least $31,000 for a V-6 AWD LTZ.
2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX FUEL ECONOMY
Final fuel-economy ratings for 2010 models were not released at the time of this report, but Chevy says the 2010 Equinox with the four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive is preliminarily rated at 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway. So it’s not only among the most powerful SUVs in the class, it’s one of the most fuel-efficient, too – barring hybrids. Expect four-cylinder AWD ratings of around 20/29. With the V-6, 2010 Equinox fuel economy is preliminarily rated at 18/25 for front-drive, 17/24 with AWD -- about par for SUVs of this size and power.
2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX RELEASE DATE
Release date for the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox is summer 2009.
Built at the Cami plant in Ingersoll Canada. This Equinox has a 5 star crash rating and has plenty of safety features built in.
For those tuner types there are plenty of available options for you to review.
You can find more information on the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and options by clicking
below.
