The all-American Chevrolet Equinox will replace the ageing Captiva SUV in the Holden line-up in New Zealand, the company has confirmed.
GM Holden’s Melbourne head office released a statement today: “The all-new Equinox SUV will join the Holden line-up in 2017. This world-class SUV is the next step in Holden’s commitment to launching 24 new vehicles by 2020,” it said.
The Equinox was revealed overnight in the US. It will be built on General Motors’ D2XX platform that underpins the Opel/Holden Astra, the next-generation Cruze, the Buick Envision and the Chevrolet Volt. Equinox takes the place of the five-seat Captiva 5; the seven-seat Captiva 7 will be ousted in 2018 by the US-built Acadia.
Equinox measures 4652mm long, 1843mm wide, 1661mm high – 76mm longer, 7mm narrower, and 86mm lower than the current Captiva. Equinox’s 2725mm wheelbase is 18mm-longer too.
The SUV shares styling cues with the new Cruze sedan due here next year, along with the familiar chrome-heavy Chevrolet grille. Up front, there are projector-beam headlights and LED daytime running lights. At the rear, horizontal tail-lights for a wider-looking stance.
Inside, Equinox gets similar design treatment to the US-market Chevrolet Malibu. Connectivity features will include MyLink infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Expect up-to-the-minute passive and active safety equipment, including a Teen Driver function where parents can set controls and review an in-vehicle report card to encourage safer driving habits.
There’s a new ‘kneeling’ rear-seat function where the bottom cushions tilt forward when the split-folded second-row seat backs are lowered. It makes for a flat floor, allowing Equinox to swallow 1798 litres of cargo. With all seats in place, capacity is 846 litres.
It is not known what engine options Equinox will come with. In the US, it gets the choice of three turbocharged engines, starting with a 1.5-litre petrol unit matched with a six-speed automatic transmission, producing 127kW/275Nm.
The remaining two are a 188kW/353Nm four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol unit with a nine-speed automatic, and a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel pumping out 101kW/320Nm and paired with a six-speed auto. Both front- and all-wheel drive versions will be available.