2018 Chevrolet Equinox Review
Thinking of a CR-V or RAV4? Take a look at this value offering first!
By Shahzad Sheikh
Click below now to watch our 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Review video now.
Hmm… Equinox, sounds vaguely familiar? Indeed. Not a brand name commonly known, but one that is massive in America – in fact this is Chevrolet’s second biggest car after the Silverado pickup truck. They’ve sold two million of these there!
It sits in the same segment as, and goes against, the Honda CR-V – which dominates. So unsurprisingly, that’s the car the Equinox is benchmarked against, matches in size, beats in equipment and undercuts on price.
We just reviewed the all-new CR-V – read that here – and it’s very good indeed with prices starting from AED89,900 ($25k) and rising to AED126,000 ($34k). The prices we’ve been given for the Chevrolet Equinox start from AED76,000 ($21k) and rise to AED110,900 (30k) – ah, got your interest now have we?
The base model LS (as with Honda) is only a two-wheel drive and comes with a 1.5-litre turbo (the CR-V gets a same-sized engine in the States, but that more modern unit is not on sale here yet) which puts out 170bhp and 203lb ft or torque mated to 6-speed auto.
You then step up to an LT 2WD at AED82,900 ($22.5k) with remote start, power driver’s seat and rear camera. The 4WD version is AED92,900 ($25k).
The range-topping Premier (4WD only) gets a larger power unit – a 2.0-litre Turbo with 252bhp and 260lb ft of torque, mated to a 9-speed automatic. It also gets 19-inch allows, leather upholstery, 8-inch screen and driver’s aids such as auto-braking and lane-keeping alert through vibrating seats and so on.
Good luggage room, almost as much rear legroom as the CR-V, a comfortable seating position up front, with lots of toys and gadgets including drivers’ aids such as lane-keep and autobraking endows this car with great showroom appeal.
How is it on the road? Don’t be put off by the 1.5 – we did drive it and it felt up to the task completely, 203lb ft it plenty to keep this moving. Admittedly though 260lb ft is better, and with all the kit and lower top end price than the Honda, it’s definitely worth considering the full bells and whistles edition.
It handles reasonably well for a family SUV, was reasonably entertaining on the great mountain roads in Salalah, but smooth, easy and friendly to pilot around town.
For families looking for a break from the Japanese norm – head over to your nearest Chevy showroom and take one of these for a try out!