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#2016 chevrolet equinox ls suv android#
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, and higher trim levels have up to six USB ports and a 120-volt household outlet - enough to charge a small army of mobile devices. But other controls have a well-crafted look and feel, and a 7- or 8-inch MyLink infotainment system touchscreen sits on a raised plane for a subtle layered effect. Some flatter plastics on portions of the doors and dashboard drew criticism from certain editors, and the flimsy turn-signal stalks don’t inspire confidence. That’s a rarity in back, where most competitors slap on some cheap plastic and call it a day.
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Still, the redesign traded last year’s Stonehenge-sized head restraints for smaller ones you can flip down, which helps considerably.Ĭabin materials are attractive overall, with stitched vinyl on the upper dash in higher trim levels and padded sections of the upper doors, front and rear, where your elbows rest. Like before, bulky C- and D-pillars limit rear visibility, earning the new Equinox a last-place finish in our comparison of blind spot visibility among small SUVs. All three max out ( on paper, at least) in the 70s. That’s roughly unchanged versus last year despite the truncated exterior, but anyone with serious cargo needs should look at the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Rogue. (Or White Castle.)īehind the backseat is about 30 cubic feet of cargo room there’s a maximum of 63.5 cubic feet with the seats folded. GM claims customer indifference toward the sliding function, but if you’re in the minority and still want sliders, check out the Volkswagen Tiguan or Nissan Rogue. The rear seats reclines a few clicks and collapses level with the cargo floor when you fold them forward, but doesn’t slide like it once did. Get a car with this feature, and tall passengers in back will have to slouch. Headroom and seat height are good across the board, but the optional panoramic moonroof takes away nearly 2 inches of headroom front and rear. As compact SUVs go, the old Equinox had exceptionally big, comfy seats, while these ones are, well, ordinary. But two days’ driving confirmed one of our initial takeaways: The Equinox’s new seats are a step backward.
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The dashboard is thematically similar to the redesigned Malibu’s, which is a good place to start. But in a class known for modest power, this is more than adequate. There’s still room for improvement, especially on the highway, where accelerator lag and a transmission that resists downshifting conspire against passing. It’s a noisy climb to higher revs, but the drivetrain’s 203 pounds-feet of torque makes the ascent brisk enough. The new base engine is a turbo 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 170 horsepower, and it moves the Equinox with a punchiness its underpowered four-cylinder predecessor lacked. The new platform helps shed about 400 pounds - more than 10 percent of the Equinox’s weight - and it’s immediately noticeable. (GM’s stateside brands are Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC). The new Equinox profile carries over a lot of elements, including the arched-forward C-pillars, even though it’s nearly 5 inches shorter than before - the product of a new platform shared with the redesigned GMC Terrain and no other GM models in the U.S. Gone is the old Equinox’s wide-eyed expression and vertical taillights, replaced by thin lights at both ends that evoke the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu and Cruze. We tested both gasoline engines in several FWD and AWD vehicles - one of them back-to-back against six other SUVs in ’s 2017 Compact SUV Challenge. The Chevrolet Equinox comes with front- or all-wheel drive in four trim levels (L, LS, LT and Premier) and three engines: two gasoline and one diesel four-cylinder, all turbocharged. Versus the competition: No longer a plus-sized entrant among compact SUVs, the redesigned 2018 Chevrolet Equinox takes direct aim at popular models from a long list of automakers. This one feels more like the rest of them, but it lands there with definite refinement. The verdict: The new Equinox is less distinctive than its predecessor, which had a certain bigger-is-better appeal among smallish rivals.
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