The word 'equinox' describes a celestial phenomenon occurring twice a year here on the big blue ball in the Milky Way galaxy. During this time period, the Sun is perched directly above the earth’s Equator, the result of which means day and night are approximately the same in length. As a young boy growing up, it meant staying outside a little longer in the evening and less time for homework once the sun went down.

 

 

The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox arrives at a time when the world’s attention is fixed squarely on every move made by General Motors. With the investment of tens of billions by North America to bring this company back from the brink, demand for success is high. The sun may glisten above for many hours when a planetary equinox comes around every so often, but the shine of a spotlight when so many people think you may fail is sure to be just as intense.

Not to worry. The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox is everything anyone could hope for in the midsize SUV market and then some. Watch out Toyota and Honda! When compared to the current generation RAV4 and CR-V, at first look anyways, it appears the Equinox has what it takes to win in the fiercely contested midsize SUV marketplace.

So, how is it possible Chevrolet could send a rocket into the stratosphere so soon after experiencing such monumental technical and financial difficulties? By finally putting their best foot forward and holding nothing back at the launch of a new vehicle. Why this hasn’t been their pattern for so many previous decades, no one can explain.

The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox is part utility vehicle, part family wagon. Built exclusively at CAMI Automotive Inc., a joint venture between Suzuki Motor Corporation and General Motors of Canada Ltd., this facility also produces the 2010 GMC Terrain and up until recently, the surprisingly unsuccessful Suzuki XL7.

Power for the 2010 Equinox comes in two equally fun-to-drive forms.

 

 

The most popular is certain to be the new fuel efficient and surprisingly powerful 2.4L I4 Ecotec DOHC with VVT (variable valve timing).

I say surprisingly because it produces a substantial 182 horsepower @ 6700 rpm and 172 lb.-ft of torque @ 4900 rpm while returning a combined fuel economy of 7.8 L/100 km city and highway. Zero to 100 km/h is achieved in approximately 8.8 seconds with the FWD model.

The most powerful engine available in the new Equinox is also new for 2010. Featuring 264 horsepower @ 6950 rpm and 222 lb.-ft of torque @ 5600, the 3.0L V6 DOHC with VVT offers smooth acceleration and quiet engine performance. Fuel economy is rated at 10.2 L/100 km combined while 0-100 km/h is achieved in 7.8 seconds with the FWD.
 
Given the lack of an obvious performance difference when driving the two engines, my personal preference would have to be the 4-cylinder. While it does demonstrate slightly higher engine noise under hard acceleration, in today’s economy, the additional fuel savings is a fair exchange for this and a one second difference to 100 km/h. Chevrolet predicts a highway cruising range of 1,150 km, a best in segment figure.

Both engines feature direct injection systems. The benefit is an increase of up to 3 per cent in fuel economy, a reduction in cold start emissions by up to 25 per cent and a 5-8 per cent improvement in horsepower and torque.

 

 

 

By General Motors estimates, 90 per cent of emissions happen in the first 1-2 seconds of start up, so reducing this by 25 per cent offers a significant improvement over many of its competitors. In addition, the new Equinox 4-cylinder design is estimated to be 12-15 per cent more fuel efficient than its less powerful Toyota and Honda rivals.

Everything about the 2010 Equinox is designed to be quiet. This is most noticeable after completing a back to back comparison of the competition, something I recently had the chance to experience.

Noise and vibration have been reduced significantly in several important areas. Body structure is dramatically improved over the previous model with the addition of acoustic materials used in door trim panels, laminate glass, A and B pillars along with the upper and lower trim panels and headliner.

Softer ride bushings smooth out rough roads while new tires offer lower rolling resistance and reduced tread noise. Exterior design elements have improved aerodynamics to the point where the new Equinox is as slippery in the wind as a C5 Corvette. The overall effect is an affordable midsize Chevy SUV with a Cadillac-quiet demeanor.

Inside, the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox is equally impressive. Standard features include four-way driver’s seat, a Multi-Flex sliding rear seat with 8 inches of travel plus 60/40 split fold-down. The premium cabin design highlights chrome accents, ambient lighting plus easy-to-reach and understand gauges/switches and excellent outward visibility.

Where did all this inspiration come from you ask? 

 

 

 

General Motors claims no parts are shared between the attractive, though ultimately unsuccessful, Suzuki XL7. Looking at the interior, however, I can’t help but wonder if there is more to this than meets the eye.

The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox has what it takes to be a player in the tightly contested midsize SUV market. Whether it reaches the stratosphere as General Motors hopes is a question yet to be answered. Fresh from re-inventing itself, the future for Chevrolet and it’s somewhat smaller family of brands looks set to go where no North American car company has gone before.

2009 Chevrolet Equinox 
Wheelbase: 2857 mm
Overall length: 4771 mm
Engine: 2.4L I4/3.0L V6
Transmission: 6-speed Auto
Steering: Power rack and pinion
Brakes: Power 4-disc, ABS
Fuel Economy, city/highway:
2.4L I4: 9.2/6.1 L/100 km (FWD)
3.0L V6: 12.1/8.0 L/100 km (FWD)
Air Bags: 2 front, side Thorax and Head Curtain 
Warranty: 3 years, 60,000 km basic
Competitors: Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester
MSRP: $25,995- $33,460