The Chevrolet Equinox is a crossover SUV introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. It replaced the Tracker and the S-10 Blazer, was the first Chevrolet to use the sliding Multi-Flex rear seat, and has since grown into one of the brand’s main models, with a battery-electric version added in 2023.
Chevrolet Equinox at a glance
| Introduced | 2004, for the 2005 model year |
|---|---|
| Class | Crossover SUV |
| Platform | GM Theta, unibody |
| Replaced | Chevrolet Tracker and Chevrolet S-10 Blazer |
| Wheelbase | 112.5 inches, 150 mm longer than the Saturn Vue |
| Drive | Front-wheel drive standard, all-wheel drive optional |
| Assembly | CAMI Automotive, Ingersoll, Ontario |
| Engine | 3.4 L V6 at launch; 3.6 L V6 in the 2008 Sport |
| Gearbox | Aisin AF33 five-speed automatic |
| Notable feature | Multi-Flex sliding rear bench seat |
| Electric version | Equinox EV, on sale in 2023 for 2024 |
History of the Chevrolet Equinox
The Equinox was shown at the 2003 North American International Auto Show and went on sale for 2005, replacing both the Tracker and the S-10 Blazer in the North American range. It sat on the GM Theta platform, mechanically related to the Saturn Vue and Suzuki XL7 but larger, with a 112.5-inch wheelbase that was nearly six inches longer than the Vue’s. Front-wheel drive was standard and all-wheel drive optional, and unlike the truck-based Tahoe and TrailBlazer the Equinox was never intended for off-road use. Its mechanical twin, the Pontiac Torrent, arrived for 2006 with different front and rear styling.
The Equinox’s own feature was a sliding rear bench seat marketed as Multi-Flex, which let owners trade rear legroom for luggage space. The first cars used a 3.4-litre V6 made in China by Shanghai GM and an Aisin AF33 five-speed automatic from Japan, and were built only at the CAMI joint venture plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. Updates came steadily: GM badges and a black dashboard panel for 2006, a redesigned instrument cluster with a trip computer, revised gear ratios, rear disc brakes and a larger fuel tank for 2007, and from 2008 a Sport version with a 3.6-litre V6. Production of the first generation ended in May 2009.
Later generations moved the Equinox further into the mainstream: the third generation replaced the first-generation Captiva as well, and in 2022 Chevrolet added the Equinox EV, a battery-electric car with its own design and underpinnings that went on sale in 2023 for the 2024 model year.
Design and features
- Multi-Flex seat: the sliding rear bench was the Equinox’s signature interior feature.
- Crossover chassis: unibody Theta platform, not a truck frame, and never meant for off-roading.
- Long wheelbase: 112.5 inches, giving more room than the Saturn Vue it was related to.
- Electric version: the Equinox EV of 2023 uses a separate design and platform.
Chevrolet Equinox versions
- First generation (2005–2009): the Theta-platform car built at CAMI in Ontario.
- Pontiac Torrent: the mechanical twin with different front and rear styling.
- Equinox Sport (2008): the 3.6-litre V6 version.
- Equinox EV (2023): the battery-electric model.
The Equinox replaced the Chevrolet Tracker and the Blazer in the range, and its third generation also took the place of the Chevrolet Captiva. More cars are in the Chevrolet collection.
Video: 2013 Chevrolet Equinox AWD review
Video by The Fast Lane Car on YouTube.
Sources
- Chevrolet Equinox, English Wikipedia: introduction, platform, versions, production
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}