GM has revealed the replacement for the popular Chevrolet Equinox crossover recently, which is set to make its official debut at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. Dubbed by GM as the “Swiss army knife” of cars, the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox may deliver more style, and certainly greater efficiency, over the current Equinox model.
The design of the new Chevrolet Equinox model is certainly reminiscent of the current Chevrolet Malibu, which had quickly become one of Chevrolet’s best-selling vehicles upon its release and has been a popular model among Spokane Chevy dealers. In addition to attractive styling, the new Equinox crossover is more fuel efficient than its predecessor thanks to a 2.4-liter four cylinder engine that’s expected to get about 30 miles per gallon on the highway, and 21 mpg in city driving. Buyers will also be able to opt for the 3.0-liter V6 engine that will offer 255 horsepower. Appealing to car buyers at Hartford Chevrolet dealers will be the mileage – this engine will also provide 25 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg in city driving.
The 2010 Chevy Equinox features engines that now have direct-injection, which feeds fuel directly into the cylinders instead of mixing it with air first. This process helps boost power and fuel efficiency. Because of these advantages, GM will be featuring direct injection on engines in 38 of its 2010 model year vehicles, including models at Cadillac Philadelphia dealers.
Efficiency has been a key component of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. Among the features that work to improve efficiency is the new electric power steering system, which GM says adds another 11 miles on each full tank of fuel, which will no doubt fuel Chevy dealers Chicago sales where efficiency is a significant concern among buyers. The windshield has also moved three inches forward at the base, helping to make the latest Equinox more aerodynamic.
Mated to the Equinox’s more fuel efficient engines is an electronically controlled six-speed transmission, which Birmingham Chevrolet expects to be yet another component that helps improve power and efficiency in the 2010 model. Drivers can also enjoy a range of other comforts such as XM Satellite Radio, a remote starting system, and of course GM’s OnStar system. The interior of the 2010 Equinox also features a sliding rear row of seats to improve legroom and also make the rear space more usable.
Look for the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox in dealer showrooms in the middle part of 2009, when it will compete with the likes of the Ford Escape and Mazda CX-7. More images and information about the fuel-efficient Equinox can be found below.
General Motors’ Newest Engines Help Save Fuel And Money
* New technologies and vehicle enhancements will enable GM’s 2009 domestic car and light truck lineups to save 700 million gallons of fuel over vehicle life as compared to the 2008 GM fleet
* Chevy Equinox four-cylinder model to offer class-leading highway fuel economyPONTIAC, Mich. – Owners of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox crossover will hit the streets next summer in a vehicle equipped with a highly efficient, all-new engine that will help save both fuel and money.
The 2010 Equinox will be offered with a choice of two new direct injected (DI) engines that use less fuel yet make more power – a 2.4L four-cylinder and a 3.0L V-6. The 2.4L engine delivers an estimated 30 mpg in highway driving (EPA certification pending), placing the Equinox at the top of its segment in highway mileage. Consumers who drive the 2.4L-equipped Equinox 15,000 miles per year will save 134 gallons of fuel or about $270 to $400 annually (assuming gas prices of $2 or $3 per gallon as compared to 2009MY Equinox).
The Equinox will join a growing roster of direct injected vehicles from GM, including the all-new 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover and 2010 Buick LaCrosse sedan, which, along with the Equinox, debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. In fact, for the 2010 model year, GM will offer more DI models in North America than any other manufacturer.
“We first introduced direct injection in North America in the 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line and the Pontiac Solstice GXP,” said Tom Stephens, executive vice president, GM Global Powertrain and Global Quality. “We’ve been rolling out the technology across our portfolio as quickly as we can so that our customers will have additional fuel savings options. Direct injection is a state-of-the art engineering solution because it enables improved fuel economy and lower emissions without sacrificing power.”
In the 2009 model year, GM offers six engines in 18 models globally with direct injection. By 2010, GM will have eight direct injected engines in 38 vehicle models, covering 10 percent of its global volume. In North America alone, GM will offer 18 models with direct injection.
GM’s fuel-saving lineup
GM’s direct injection push is part of a larger effort to implement multiple fuel-saving technologies across its 2009 portfolio. The all-new 2009 Chevy Traverse crossover, for example, enjoys best-in-class highway fuel economy (24 mpg for FWD models) of any eight-passenger SUV, thanks in part to its 3.6L direct injected V-6 engine with variable valve timing. In 2009, GM expects to sell 500,000 vehicles with gasoline direct injection.
Here are additional fuel-saving facts about GM vehicles:
* Twenty models in GM’s 2009 lineup deliver EPA-rated highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or more – more than any other automaker. GM’s non-hybrid models rank first in highway fuel economy in both the midsize sedan and subcompact segments. (Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura with 33 highway mpg; and Chevrolet Colbalt XFE and Pontiac G5 XFE at 37 highway mpg.)
* GM’s 2009 domestic car and light truck lineups will use 700 million fewer gallons of fuel than the 2008 lineup, during the life of the vehicles, saving $1.4 to $2.1 billion in fuel costs, assuming gas prices of $2 to $3 per gallon. It’s estimated that GM’s 2010 lineup will add another 1.1 billion gallons of fuel savings and $2.2 to $3.3 billion, relative to the 2008 lineup.GM’s advanced engine technologies are already saving fuel today in vehicles on the road or expected to be sold in 2009. They include:
* More than 3.7 million vehicles with variable valve timing (VVT)
* 700,000 vehicles with direct injection
* 600,000 vehicles with Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology, which automatically lets the engine run on half of its cylinders when full power is not needed
* 200,000 vehicles with turbocharged gas engines
* 42,000 vehicles with both direct injection and turbocharging
* More than 2 million vehicles with fuel-saving six-speed transmissions2.4L DI details
The new 2.4L DI engine delivers an estimated 180 horsepower (134 kW) @ 6700 rpm and 172 lb.-ft. of torque (232 Nm) @4900 rpm. It uses technology based on GM’s other four-cylinder direct injection applications, but with unique features designed for its specific application. This includes an 11.4:1 compression ratio that helps build power, slightly dished pistons that increase combustion efficiency and injectors with an application-specific flow rate.
GM benchmarked the best fuel system and noise attenuation products to provide customers with quiet operation.
3.0L DI details
The new 3.0L DI engine is a variant of GM’s family of high-feature DOHC V-6 engines that also includes GM’s 3.6L DI engine in the Cadillac CTS – an engine named to Ward’s AutoWorld’s 2009 “Ten Best Engines” list for North America, for the second consecutive year.
The 3.0L is rated at an estimated 255 horsepower (187 kW) and 214 lb.-ft. of torque (290 Nm), for an impressive power-to-displacement ratio of 85 hp per liter. (Output will vary by model.) The 3.0L DI features an isolated fuel injector system that reduces the direct injection high-pressure fuel system pulses for quieter operation. Rubber isolators are used with the fuel rail to eliminate metal-to-metal contact that would otherwise transmit noise and vibration from the high-pressure fuel system.
Along with direct injection technology, both the 3.0L DI and 2.4L DI engines use variable valve timing to optimize power and fuel efficiency across the rpm band, as well as reduce emissions.
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Once the Detroit Auto Show gets underway, check back here for more news and updates on the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox crossover.