At the North American International Auto Show next month, Chevrolet will show several vehicles that are important to its future, including the Cruze sedan, Equinox, and Orlando crossover concept. For the truck-heavy division, hitting the mark with the 2010 Equinox is critical. Small, crossover vehicles are among the stronger sales segments currently, at a time when the Chevrolet line up is heavy with larger models.Key to that success is a sleek design and a fuel-efficient powertrain, areas that Chevrolet seems to have covered. The body draws clear inspiration from the well-received Malibu and recently introduced Traverse, giving a modern, familial appearance. Dimensionally, the new Equinox rides on the same 112.5-inch wheelbase as before, but it is about one inch shorter in length and an inch wider.Under the hood is a new, 2.4-liter/182-horsepower direct-injection four-cylinder engine that promises a 25-percent improvement over the base 185-horsepower V-6 in the outgoing model. (This will give the Equinox a power edge over the Honda CR-V and put it on equal footing with the updated Toyota RAV4.) In addition, Chevy will offer a new 3.0-liter/255-horsepower DOHC V-6, which is expected to be rated at 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway. Aiding fuel economy, the Equinox uses an electric power-steering system. It will be available with all-wheel drive. On the safety front, the independently sprung Equinox will feature standard four-wheel disc brakes with StabiliTrak electronic stability control and traction control. In addition, it will have six airbags total: dual frontal air bags; head curtain side air bags and pelvic/thorax seat-mounted side air bags. OnStar will also be standard. GM is making strong statements about the interior, and execution on recent models has us optimistic. The seating material will be cloth standard, with leather optional. The rear seat will be able to slide forward and aft about eight inches providing cargo flexibility. There are a full range of premium equipment available to enhance the interior, such as ambient lighting, Bluetooth connectivity, USB audio input, DVD-based rear-seat entertainment system with two independent screens, rear-vision camera system, power rear liftgate, and uplevel 250-watt audio system with eight speakers and a hard drive.For colder climes, a remote start system and heated seats will be available.The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox goes on sale mid 2009
