Sneak Peak: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox

Chevrolet provided Motortrend.com with their ‘First Look’ of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. They made obvious changes to the exterior, giving it the same grill as the late-model Malibu and Traverse and sharpening up the edges.

Mechanically, the base model of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox is equipped with a 2.4L four-cylinder that produces 182 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. The 6-speed is supposed to equal the former 3.4L V-6’s performance, while producing 21/30 mpg in the FWD, and 20/27 in the AWD. The 2009 model-year gets about 17/24 in both the FWD and AWD.

Chevy also added an ECO button on the dash that minimizes fuel usage while coasting.

The upgraded 3.0L V-6 steps up to 255 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque. The fuel economy is still increased to  18/25 MPG in the FWD, and 17/24 in the AWD. This is an improvement from the 16-17/24 MPG featured by the previous model.

Chevy says they did a lot of research with their consumers and found that what their compact crossover customers wanted most was great fuel economy, exciting styling and excellent value and they definitely achieved it with this new Equinox.