Equinox certainly looks the part of a Chevrolet truck from the front, with its more or less standard single grille bar sporting a large gold Chevrolet bow-tie emblem. But its side-view shape is quite a bit different from the rest of the family, and for that, we like it.The pillars and the sheetmetal between the tops of the glass panels and the roof seem to us to be extra-thick, imparting a feeling of extra solidity and strength, perhaps important for a truck made on a car platform. When you shut the doors, the sound that's generated is more like a muted plastic mating than hollow steel sheetmetal, a sound that no other Chevrolet truck makes. The Equinox look solidly planted on its wheels. The bigger size is evident everywhere. The doors open wide for easy entry and exit, and the rear gate goes up and out of the way for easy loading of cargoes, freight, dogs, camping equipment or what-have-you. Standard amenities on the upmarket LT version include a remote entry system with programmable locks, a power driver's seat, air conditioning and a six-speaker single-CD stereo. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has rated the Equinox with a four-star rating (out of five) for frontal impact for both driver and passenger and five stars for side impacts, front and rear.
Inside, where the people live and work and ride, is where the Chevy Equinox shines when compared to some of its major competitors. Up front, Equinox carries flexible net storage pockets on both sides of the console. The center armrest has dual cupholders, a small storage cubby and a coin holder for toll money. Under the armrest is more storage, an open floor console with cupholder, CD holder and purse or briefcase storage. The rear seat sits on a track that allows it to slide back and forth by up to eight inches, to bring kids, brief cases, purses or cargoes closer or to provide extra room for tall passengers in the second seat. With both front and rear seats in the full rearward positions, there's more rear-passenger legroom in the Equinox than you'll found in many larger SUVs, 42 inches, and plenty of room for carrying your stuff. GM calls this innovative feature the Multi-Flex rear seat. There is a 12-volt power outlet and dual slide-out cupholders for rear passengers. GM's designers have used the space above the wheel wells to create a unique cargo storage system like the adjustable shelf in its larger SUVs. A lightweight reversible panel slides into slots on the Equinox's wheel wells at three different heights. Carpeted on one side and plastic on the other, the panel can serve as shelf, cargo cover or even a picnic or tailgating table. The tops of the wheel wells contain storage bins for small items. And there are several tie-downs and hooks on the panel from which to hang grocery bags. Equinox's interior is a clean and functional design, with low-gloss nickel-plated trim on the console and control panel instead of the flashier and more problematic chrome trim, a scheme that matched very will with the light gray of our test Equinox LT's leather upholstery. Having the trio of OnStar, XM satellite radio, and the CD changer onboard meant that there was always more entertainment along for the ride. If you want rear-seat entertainment screens, though, you'll have to step up in size and price to a different vehicle. |
