But the handbrake switch was placed further away from the driver, on the passenger side of the gear-shift lever. The driving position was largely uncontroversial, with the indicator stalk placed on the right side of the steering column. The Equinox LT, on 18-inch alloys and Bridgestone Duelers, was slightly more prone to initial impact harshness, but was still fairly well behaved, and the all-wheel drive Equinox LTZ, on 19-inch alloys and Hankooks, finished up somewhere between the other two.īehind the wheel, the Equinox was generally well packaged. On 17-inch alloys and Continental tyres, the Equinox LS rode very well indeed, and ironed out even tiny irregularities in the road. Ride comfort was commendable across the three variants, although different tyres fitted had some influence on each variant's character. For the driver, the Equinox feels sportier than Honda's CR-V, but probably trails Mazda's CX-5 and the Hyundai Tucson, although a comparison would settle the matter properly. There was some torque steer evident in the front-wheel drive Equinox LT with the 2.0-litre engine, but all three variants handled neatly and mustered roadholding that is in the right ballpark. Nevertheless, the Equinox points well on centre and turn-in is fine for the target buyer. There was enough feedback for the driver to keep the Equinox placed accurately on the road, but rival SUVs in the same segment offer a more communicative tiller. In other words, the Equinox promises to be economical to run, but a media drive program is not the same as a standard daily commute, so we'll wait for a seven-day test before passing final judgement, especially as a Ford Escape Ambiente reviewed recently posted a similar figure in a much more demanding urban environment.Īll three examples of the Equinox featured light, undemanding steering. Fuel consumption during the drive program ranged between 8.3 and 8.6L/100km for both the 1.5 and 2.0-litre engines, and for both front and all-wheel drive variants. Both engines were very quiet at speed, and even the Equinox LS produced very little road noise. The auto lived up to that promise.Įach variant of Equinox tested was carting around three people, a suitcase and a backpack during the drive program. For both the 2.0-litre variants the standard transmission is a nine-speed automatic, which Holden told us had been calibrated for this application to hold gears and not 'hunt' on hills. The all-wheel drive Equinox LTZ tested offered much the same level of performance and general on-road demeanour as the LT. Also, the 2.0-litre sounds sportier, and delivers a bit more top-end from about 4000rpm up to redline. It's the most affordable variant with the larger engine, which provides flexible performance to suit virtually everyone. With this engine, the higher-spec Equinox LT has all the traits to make it the volume seller in the range. The 2.0-litre turbo engine in the mid-range LT model and LTZ flagship is conspicuously nicer. ![]() We didn't get to drive the manual variant, which would be interesting, but probably irrelevant for most buyers. Performance is adequate for urban duties, however, and coupled to the automatic transmission it musters enough torque – spread across the usable rev range – for easy motoring around town. The small (1.5-litre) turbocharged engine in the base-grade Equinox LS doesn't sound sporty when it's under pressure to perform, and it's also a little light-on for acceleration if you spend a significant part of your time overtaking traffic on country roads. It's still pretty good value at that price.Īnd the Equinox is not a bad drive, either. Unfortunately, you don't get autonomous emergency braking or other active safety features like blind spot alert, rear cross-traffic alert, high-beam assist and lane keep assist unless you opt for the Equinox LS+ for $32,990. ![]() At least the base-grade Equinox LS with automatic still comes in (just) under $30,000, which is the trade-off for any missing equipment.įor that sort of money the buyer is getting Apple CarPlay/Android Auto operable through a seven-inch touch screen, plus a reversing camera, (rear) parking sensors, six airbags and 17-inch alloy wheels. The Equinox is pretty well priced, although it's not segment leading once you begin comparing automatic variants and consider the lack of powered driver's seat adjustment, as one example. Naturally, Holden wants a piece of that action, and the good news is that the company's new Equinox is placed in a good position to achieve that. No other segment comes anywhere near the medium SUV segment for sales growth – nearly 20,000 extra vehicles sold for 2017 so far.
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